Looks can be Deceiving
... exciting it is. Next, it is Gene’s turn and he feels as if went into shock, “this tree flood[s] me with sensation of harm all they way to my tingling fingers,” and he began feeling sick, “my head began to feel unnaturally light” (Knowles 16). Gene is courageous because Gene feels sick to his stomach and scared, but he does not say anything about it. Gene could have told Finny how he felt but decides not to. He overcomes his fear of being so scared and jumps off which ultimately shows that he is audacious. Furthermore, Gene remembers the tree looking old and very weak, “it seem[s] weary from age, enfeebled, dry,” and it is not because of winter, “the tree [is] stripped not only by the cold season…” (14). Gene is daring because he knows the tree is old and weak and he does not know how much weight it can handle, but he still jumps off. Knowing that it is really old and may not be able to hand his weight, he still shows a sign of courage by climbing it and jumping off of it. Finally, Gene jumps off the tree feeling as if he is going to die, “sensation that I was throwing my life away, I jumped into space” (17). Gene did no have to jump off the tree. He felt obligated to show Finny that he is not afraid to jump off of it. It takes a very courageous person to jump off a tree feeling as if they are going to die. Even though Gene is scared to death, he jumps off the tree showing valor more than he ever did. He forgets about everything, overcomes his fear, and jumps off the tree. The two rivers show the outer appearance of Gene and Finny, the impact their friends have on them, and their inner feelings. When Gene is on his way to the crew house for a meeting, he sees the Devon River and compares it to the Naguamsett River, “It was nothing like the Devon River where [we have] so much fun all summer” (76). Gene and Finny are both fun people who know how to enjoy themselves. Knowing how to be fun and when to be serious is a good quality which both of them have. Gene and Finny both look peaceful, calm, and they both are very friendly, just like the Devon River. Furthermore, not only does Gene describe the Devon River but the environment of the river also, “the Devon’s course [is] determined by some familiar hills. A little inland it rose among highland farms and forests which we knew… (76). The environment of the Devon river is like Gene and Finny’s friends. The river is incomplete without the hills and forests surrounding it. Without the hills and forests there would be no beauty to the river. It is the same with Gene and Finny. Without their friends, Gene and Finny would be incomplete. Their friends are like the hills and forests which show their (Gene and Finny) beauty and how they feel and act towards one another. Finally, Gene is going to an appointment at the crew house by the Naguamsett River. Gene describes it as brackish ...