Discuss Leper’s return and its impact on Gene and Finny before Brinker’s trial. What does Leper represent now that he is back at Devon and what conversation does his return trigger between Finny and Gene? (Amy)

Leper's return broke the bubble of isolated reality that Finny had created, which disrupted the feelings of peace at Devon, and reignited the tension between Gene and Finny. Because of Leper's naive views on the  war, he illustrated the contentment that could be achieved through ignorance. However, after returning to Devon mentally incapacitated, Leper showed the true weight that the war carried, and introduced feelings of insecurity and fear among the boys. This can be seen when Gene says, "He quietly brought to a close all his special inventions which had carried us through the winter," [Knowles 158]. This quote demonstrates how Leper's return not only removed the barrier of peace and war, by showing that the two aren't as separate as the boys had believed, for it could affect even the most content, but created a schism between Finny and Gene. In addition to separating themselves from the threat of war, they had separated themselves from conflict and the accompanying confrontations, and now that they are faced with what they had been running from, they can't hide from the truth. In addition, this quote illustrates the new meaning Leper has acquired. Although he was initially an embodiment of peace, Leper has now become a symbol of fear. This is seen when Gene says, "For if Leper was psycho it was the army which had done it to him,  and I and all of us were on the brink of the army," [Knowles 144]. Although the fear of war had been looming over their heads for quite some time, the fact that it could permeate through even the thickest walls of ignorance such as the ones Leper had surrounded himself with, meant that the war would destroy the rest of them.