Assignment 5: Why does Quackenbush use the word “maimed”? Explore the significance and connotation. (Gavin)

Quackenbush used the word maimed because people that are managers often have disabilities and he thinks Gene has a disability because he doesn't play a sport. Quackenbush and Gene start off on the wrong foot when Gene is late for the crew practice, which immediately makes things bad. Quackenbush freaks out on Gene after Gene says, "You Quackenbush know nothing about who I am, or anything else." (Knowles 78). This set Quackenbush off and he called Gene maimed. This Quote also connects to Finny because he is maimed and after Quackenbush said this Gene says, "Then the realization that there was someone who was flashed over me." (Knowles 78). This someone that flashed over Gene was Finny because he was maimed and this angered Gene because Quackenbush was making fun of maimed people. The author of the book (John Knowles) had Quackenbush use the word maimed because this word relates to Finny as he is maimed, but Quackenbush was using this to say that Gene was maimed because he doesn't play a sport and only manages teams.