The tree
scene is one of the most important events inand comes about when the boys, as part of their
secret tree jumping routine, decide to do a double-jump together. Finny and Gene climb up
together, and Finny moves out onto the branch first. Gene stays back, and with his hand still
on the trunk, "jounce[s] the branch. As the branch falters, Finny glances back at Gene
briefly while all of this is happening, like he is trying to figure out why Gene wiggled the
branch, and then he falls to the ground with a terrible thud.
The most
important aspect of this scene to consider is, of course, Gene's motivations for jiggling the
branch under Finny. Gene's guilt will slowly eat away at him for the rest of the novel. Before
the accident, Gene was just so sure that Finny was out to get him, trying to distract him from
his studies, so he could ruin Gene's chances to be the top student. Then, when Finny comments
that he did not realize that Gene needed to study and thought that grades just came easy for
him, Gene realizes that Finny was not trying to undermine his studies after all. Most readers
would think this insight would cause Gene to lighten up, but he becomes even more jealous over
Finny's innate goodness. When they start climbing the tree, Gene's conflict, jealousy, and
resentment are in turmoil, and he spitefully jounced the branch, causing Finny to
fall.
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