However, Gene can never accomplish this and he becomes very cynical at times. Symbolism is also very important to this novel. An example of this is the war; itsymbolizes several different things. Finny explains to the head master that Were allgetting ready for the war(15)when asked why he was late for dinner. The warsymbolizes the that we all must battle as we grow up. Its a war between our bodies andour brains and also a was between right and wrong. The war is also a symbol of theirfriendship in the respect that they have problems seeing eye to eye. Another example ofwar being a symbol in this story is when Finny fractures his leg and the doctors tell himhe will never be able to do sports again. Consequently Finny pretends that there is no warbecause he knows that he will never be able to participate. After trying every branch ofthe military and finding only rejection Finny explains to Gene, Ill hate it everywhere ifIm not in this war! Why do you think I kept saying there wasnt any war all winter? Therefor, war symbolizes limitation and emotional death for Finny. Another majorsymbol is the tree. It loomed in my memory as a huge lone spike dominating the riverbank, forbidding as an artillery piece.... The fact that he calls it forbidding givesconnotation to the tree of life in the bible, and to the fact if they wouldnt have beenjumping off of it Finny might not be dead.In conclusion we can see how the characters, mood and tone, and the symbols areall tied to the theme because these two boys are best friends but they are also enemies. The fact that friends and enemies can be one in the same is very evident in this novel....
