How does Gene's explanation at the inquiry differ from his later confession?

• A. He is fully honest from the start.
• B. He begins with self-serving excuses but later admits deliberate harm out of jealousy.
• C. He blames Finny for everything.
• D. He confesses immediately to the accident.

Answer: (B)

The key idea is the difference between a guarded, self-justifying account and a later, truth-telling confession that reveals real motive. At the inquiry, Gene tries to steer the story toward minimizing his role—presenting Finny’s accident as something accidental or Finny’s fault, softening his own responsibility. But when he later confesses, he owns that his action was deliberate and driven by jealousy toward Finny. This shift shows how Gene protects himself with excuses in the moment, while the deeper truth is that he deliberately harmed Finny to erase his own insecurity and fear of being eclipsed. The contrast also highlights how memory and guilt can shape how we tell the story, and why a later, more honest confession matters for understanding the characters and themes.