Assignment 2) Explore and Explain the quote "Yes he had practically saved my life. He had also practically lost it for me." (33). Explain what Gene is saying and why he is saying it at this point. What are the larger implications of what he is saying? (Ben)

Gene is talking about how Finny saved his life by grabbing his arm as he lost his balance while standing on the tree preparing to jump, but how Finny pressuring him to jump almost killed him.

As you look more into it, you can tell that there is a bigger meaning to this quote. Gene, being a very lonely person, didn't have many friends, so Finny saved his life by becoming friends with him, but I think, at the same time,  Finny is killing Gene by influencing him to do things he doesn't necessarily want to do. "I went along; I never missed a meeting. At that time, it would never have occurred to me to say, 'I don't feel like it tonight.'" (34) This quote shows how Gene is kind of going along with what Finny is doing, but not really enjoying it.

Another example of Finny "killing Gene" is when they didn't show up to dinner and they got in trouble by one of their professors. "He enforced such rules,....Finny explained that there had been a wrestling match....he rambled on..." (21) This quote represents how now that Gene and Finny are friends, they are breaking the campus rules. Finny is kind of the mischevious friend while Gene is a little more innocent.  The quote about how Finny saved Gene and also killed him showed how Finny saved Gene by being his friend, but is killing him by getting themselves into trouble.