Tuesday, August 21, 2018

How does Gene find/earn redemption through Finny?

Redemption is the act of being saved from some kind of previous mistake or error. It is similar to forgiveness, and I would say that Finny does offer Gene redemption just before the surgery that proves fatal. Readers should look near the end of chapter 12 to find evidence of Gene's redemption through Finny. Their conversation begins with Finny expressing frustration at how the leg injury is going to keep him out of the war, but Gene tells him that he would be no good in the war. Finny would just make a game out of everything, and it would wind up making a mess of the war.

"You’d make a mess, a terrible mess, Finny, out of the war.”

Finny then massively shifts the conversation back to that day in the tree, and Finny states that Gene's actions were based on blind impulse rather than any kind of deep seated hatred against Finny.

"Then that was it. Something just seized you. It wasn’t anything you really felt against me, it wasn’t some kind of hate you’ve felt all along. It wasn’t anything personal.”

Finny is giving Gene a great gift here. Finny is telling Gene that he doesn't blame him, and Finny is also giving Gene the option to stop his self loathing. Finny is freeing Gene from guilt, and I think that is how a reader could interpret the text as showing Gene finding redemption through Finny.

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