Finny's response to the accident can be described as denial of responsibility.

• A. He openly admits fault.
• B. He blames someone else.
• C. He denies responsibility and memory deflects.
• D. He remains consistently neutral.

Answer: (C)

The key idea is how a person copes with guilt by protecting their self-image through denial and avoiding the truth. Finny’s first response after the accident is not to admit any fault or to place blame on someone else; instead, he acts as if nothing is wrong and downplays responsibility. He also lets memory become hazy or unreliable, brushing off details or insisting the situation isn’t clear, which serves to shield him from admitting what actually happened. This combination shows a defensive pattern: refusing to own up to fault while using memory deflection to dodge accountability. It fits Finny’s characterization as someone who preserves his idealized sense of himself and his world, even when the reality of the incident challenges that view.