James Baldwin Tone

The tone of Winter Term at Devon is more serious and less foolish than the mood was during the Summer Term. It starts to become a real prep school and the rules are starting to be enforced. The students learn to obey the teachers and the overall rules of Devon. Gene is starting to act out more than he did during Summer term. His head is mixed up and he is trying to find out if he is friends with Finny and if he Finny actually knows the truth about the accident. For example, in the Butt Room, he is pressured by a boy to confess to everything and he tries to lie his way out of it. He also tries to belittle what he has done, p. 90. Another example that Gene is starting to act out is when he gets into a fight with Quackenbush. He insults him and "hit him hard across the face". This proves that he is starting to act out more than he did during the Summer Term.