I have to be honest and say I have not read this book since I was a sophomore in high school taking Honors English 10; and now I remember why. It was slow, uneventful, and repetitive. Now that I have probably made some of you a little upset...
The setting and plot were what I disliked the most. The characters are what I liked the most. However, everyone was so wishy-washy. I understand it was war time and the boys wanted to contribute to their country in a way they felt honorable and valuable; but when it came down to it, they didn't. Except for Leper, but that is when the reality of the war set in for these prep-school boys. War is ugly. Watching someone die in the field after shrapnel tears through and embeds itself into the flesh is not something many realize war brings. Just watch the first 20-30 minutes of Saving Private Ryan. These boys talked big because that was the thing to do; and the reality of it, they probably were not going to see combat due to their placement in time.
I must say, though, it is a pretty good 'coming of age' story where 'innocence is lost.' Finny knew there was a war, but refused to accept it because he couldn't fight in it any longer. What do most children do when they don't want to realize the truth? They deny it ever happened. Children aren't the only ones who behave this way by any means. This book shows how boys want to prove themselves to each other and the world. Jumping out of the tree, being the most athletic, the most academic, the most whatever just to prove they are the best. Good old competition. But Finny isn't completely like this. The scene in the swimming pool where he breaks the record says a lot about him. He does have some humility and modesty. This is the conflict Gene is faced with throughout the entire book. Is he really best friends with Finny, or is Finny his biggest threat? Gene questions this once he realizes what he did at the tree. I don't think Gene bounced the branch intentionally or consciously, but I do think it was his subconscious that caused him to harm Finny.
I felt the most sorry for Leper. All he wanted was to be respected. Even when he did come back as a Section Eight discharged soldier, he still wasn't respected - so he thought. In his eyes, he could never accept himself or like himself. I think that is what was the root of his problems. He was a peaceful person with an imagination and lots of a curiosity, but very little confidence. We saw that when he couldn't jump out of the tree and by the way he withdrew from the group most of the time during the school year. That peace, imagination and curiosity might have been what caused his discharge. Confidence is a tricky thing. If you have too much of it you are seen as a threat; if you don't have enough of it, you are weak. Finding that balance is what one must do in order to be satisfied with oneself. None of these characters had that balance; hence, the coming of age story.
Even though this is not my favorite book of the summer, it is a good book. It shows us how internal conflict can change our lives and others in an instant. It shows us how escaping reality is a coping skill and defense mechanism. It shows us how important friendship is even when it is challenged. I often wonder what the story would be like if the characters were all adolescent girls - oh wait, I've seen that. Isn't it called Mean Girls?
See you all in a few weeks. Enjoy what is left!
