Ernest Hemingway's Re-Tone of Winter

The winter term of Devon is filled with tension. With Finny gone, the entire school has lost its former cheerfulness, reverting back to traditions and strict reinforcement of them. As World War progresses outside the country, the boys start to distrust anyone they've come to dislike. On pg 98, some boys mock Quackenbush for his ambition to rise through the ranks of the army. "Which army, Quackenbush? Mussolini's? "Naw, he's a Kraut." "How many rails did you sabotage today, Quackenbush?" Gene and Quackenbush are alike except Gene wishes to fit in while Quackenbush couldn't care less. Though they don't get along, the students of Devon should get along together in order to survive the term instead of bickering among themselves.