Quote 55
What did he mean by telling me a story like that! I didn't want to hear any more of it. Not now or ever. I didn't care because it had nothing to do with me. And I didn't want to hear any more of it. Ever (10.82).
Gene is lying to himself again. What bothers Gene so much about Leper's visions is precisely this – they have everything to do with him, and with Phineas. Shifting identities is one of the many horrifying transformations going down at the Devon school.
Quote 56
I listened so hard that I nearly differentiated it from the others, and it seemed to be saying, "Finny, give that bone the old college try."
I was quite the card tonight myself (12.13-4).
After Finny's second fall, Gene deflects his fear in a variety of ways, first with objective reporting and secondly, as we see here, with humor.
Quote 57
None of them ever accused me of being responsible for what had happened to Phineas, either because they could not believe it or else because they could not understand it. I would have talked about that, but they would not, and I would not talk about Phineas in any other way (12.14).
Gene spoke in Chapter One about his hope to achieve growth and harmony within himself. How might this passage address that question?