Mark Twain's: The Tone of the Winter Session Revised

The tone of the Winter Session at Devon is cold and hateful. The boys at Devon have returned to their competitive ways in school, sports, and social lives. The boys are all dedicated to their studies and the fun that our narrator refers to, the Summer fun is gone , like Phineas. A great example of the new tone that the boys experience is when Gene runs into Mr. Ludsbury after fighting in the Naguamsett River with Quackenbush. Mr. Ludsbury says,

"No, sir. I'm sorry, sir, I fell into the river."

"And could you tell me how and why you fell into the river?"

'I slipped."

"Yes." After a pause he went on. "I think you have slipped in any number of ways last year. I understand that there has been gaming in my dormitory this Summer..."

"Gaming? What kind of gaming sir?"

"It didn't matter. There won't be any more of it."

In Gene's exchange with Mr. Ludsbury, he is caught in a tough situation because he is asked about the gaming after he had a heated fight with Quackenbush. The gaming that went on in the Summer was a symbol of their freedom, and carefree lives. In the Winter Session, the boys find themselves obeying everything they are told and are stuck in this routine without any fun and all the friendships that were formed in the Summer are gone now, replaced by a cold ambition.