I had to write a formal paragraph for English and I'd appreciate it if i got some feed back!
Genes Optimistic Outlook through Finny’s Vision
Finny’s great gift of remaining innocent, and the last lines in the book that contribute to him, leaves one to wonder if his worldview was ultimately truer than the rest of the characters. He ended the book as a realization of what Finny’s words really meant. Gene’s description of Finny’s outlook at the end of the book is truly optimistic.
Gene describes Phineas as never being afraid, never hating anyone. “Only Phineas never was afraid, only Phineas never hated anyone.” (204) Gene’s statement reflects on Finny’s optimistic outlook on life, never seeing the dull and concentrating on the positive side. It gives a ray of hope to become better human beings, especially within the book, as it is in a time where the boys are preparing for the war and coming into contact with their ‘enemy’.
Another twist is when Gene describes the different ways of coping with the sighting of the enemy, but by using characters within the book to further explain them. “Like Mr. Ludsbury, “How dare this threaten me, I am much too good for this sort of handling, I shall rise above this,” or else, like Quackenbush, strike out at it always and everywhere, or else, like Brinker, develop a careless general resentment against it, or else, like Leper, emerge from a protective cloud of vagueness only to meet it…and so give up the struggle absolutely.” (204) Here he describes the various tactics that people use when people meet their ‘enemy’, in comparison with Finny and his thoughts. Again it makes one reflect and think how to become a better human being, not only to one’s self but to better society in general.
Not only is their tactic on how to cope with the ‘enemy’ completely abstract from Finny, so is their perspective on their so called ‘enemy’. “All of them…constructed…these Maginot Lines against this enemy they thought they saw across the frontier, this enemy who never attacked that way-if he ever attacked at all; if he was indeed the enemy.” (204) This shows how blinded they are with their perception of war, how everyone else thought they saw their enemy across the lines from them, except, explains Gene, the enemy never attacked that way, and may not have been the enemy at all. Finny, in this book, is the one person who Genes portray as optimistic, as the one who brightened up the dull days.
In summary, the way the narrator (Gene) has structured the final paragraph, and shown both sides of the party, it clearly shows that Finny’s outlook on the war had caught Gene’s attention. It has shown innocent Finny’s thinking and shedding a light for the boys on the positive side of life, to end the book on an optimistic note.
Genes Optimistic Outlook through Finny’s Vision
Finny’s great gift of remaining innocent, and the last lines in the book that contribute to him, leaves one to wonder if his worldview was ultimately truer than the rest of the characters. He ended the book as a realization of what Finny’s words really meant. Gene’s description of Finny’s outlook at the end of the book is truly optimistic.
Gene describes Phineas as never being afraid, never hating anyone. “Only Phineas never was afraid, only Phineas never hated anyone.” (204) Gene’s statement reflects on Finny’s optimistic outlook on life, never seeing the dull and concentrating on the positive side. It gives a ray of hope to become better human beings, especially within the book, as it is in a time where the boys are preparing for the war and coming into contact with their ‘enemy’.
Another twist is when Gene describes the different ways of coping with the sighting of the enemy, but by using characters within the book to further explain them. “Like Mr. Ludsbury, “How dare this threaten me, I am much too good for this sort of handling, I shall rise above this,” or else, like Quackenbush, strike out at it always and everywhere, or else, like Brinker, develop a careless general resentment against it, or else, like Leper, emerge from a protective cloud of vagueness only to meet it…and so give up the struggle absolutely.” (204) Here he describes the various tactics that people use when people meet their ‘enemy’, in comparison with Finny and his thoughts. Again it makes one reflect and think how to become a better human being, not only to one’s self but to better society in general.
Not only is their tactic on how to cope with the ‘enemy’ completely abstract from Finny, so is their perspective on their so called ‘enemy’. “All of them…constructed…these Maginot Lines against this enemy they thought they saw across the frontier, this enemy who never attacked that way-if he ever attacked at all; if he was indeed the enemy.” (204) This shows how blinded they are with their perception of war, how everyone else thought they saw their enemy across the lines from them, except, explains Gene, the enemy never attacked that way, and may not have been the enemy at all. Finny, in this book, is the one person who Genes portray as optimistic, as the one who brightened up the dull days.
In summary, the way the narrator (Gene) has structured the final paragraph, and shown both sides of the party, it clearly shows that Finny’s outlook on the war had caught Gene’s attention. It has shown innocent Finny’s thinking and shedding a light for the boys on the positive side of life, to end the book on an optimistic note.