an inspector calls
...he schoolÕs top athlete is lying on the ground with a broken leg. This event seems so small and feeble, but it will soon not only tear a friendship apart, but the whole school, as well. This book takes place during the beginning of World War II, leaving many of the young men at Devon looking forward to entering the army and fighting for their country, while others try desperately to convince themselves that the war is not really going on. This creates a very interesting turn on the book, because when Devon turns into its own war zone, it really becomes a microcosm of the outside world where World War II is occurring. When the rest of Devon finds out that Gene may have actually shaken the tree on purpose to cause Finny to fall out, there are trials which are held, and Devon is split in half to the opposing sides. Not only is Devon split into two sides, but the friendships are also broken in half. These two conflicting sides reflect the two greater forces at battle in the war on the outside. While the outside world is battling in the war, the war inside Devon rages on as well. At the end, when Finny dies, you may think that it is the end of the war inside of Devon, but it is really just the beginning, because now Gene must fight a war inside himself about whether or not he killed Finny. Although the book ...