Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- You know all of Gene's great insights at the end of the novel? Do those reflect the point-of-view of Gene the youngster, or Gene the narrator?
- Discuss one of literature's biggest questions amongst yourselves: did Gene intentionally cause Finny's accident?
- How is the reader made to feel about Gene? Do we judge him for his actions? Condemn him for them? Or is he a sympathetic character?
- Some have said that Finny's death feels unwarranted, others that it's necessary for the novel's logical conclusion. What do you think?
- Is Phineas too idealized to seem real? Or is his character believable?