Characters
The story's narrator
Gene
The name of the school
The Devon School
Finny invented this sport
Blitzball
This is the type of conflict Gene experiences after he causes Finny to fall from the tree.
Internal conflict
First person
The best athlete in the school
Finny
The story takes place during this major world event
World War II
Gene and Finny jumped out of the tree to start every meeting of this club.
The Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session
The students at Devon's lives are greatly affected and influenced by this external conflict taking place in the outside world.
World War II
Most of the plot/story events take place in the form of this literary device.
Flashback
Classmate who loves nature. He is timid but wants to join the boys club. He is the first student to enlist in the war.
Leper Lepellier
The name of the river the boys frequent
Naguamsett River
Finny broke this record on a whim and without even really trying.
Devon's fastest swimming record
This major event begins to intensify Gene’s inner conflict regarding Finny.
Finny becoming gravely injured after falling from the tree.
Finny fell out of the tree during this year
1942
Crew team manager that gets in a fight with Gene.
Cliff Quackenbush
After 15 years, this is the first place Gene goes to during his visit back to Devon in the beginning of the story.
The marble staircase
Gene did this for the first time in his life, after returning from the beach with Finny.
Failed a test
Finny's success in these two areas cause Gene to become very jealous and envious.
Athletics/sports and charm (the ability to "get away" with breaking rules and popularity at school)
After failing his test, Gene begins to suspect Finny is trying to do this.
Sabotage his success in school to maintain a superior edge over him
Trumpeter at the Winter Carnival and Gene's competition for valedictorian
Chet Douglas
Finny's home is located here.
Boston
Finny says this when Gene tells him his plans to be assistant crew manager.
"If I can't play sports, you're going to play them for me."
In chapter 4, Gene says that his main academic rival is
Chet Douglas
Finny's central belief in sports
Everybody wins in sports