What incident triggers the central conflict between Gene and Finny?

• A. Gene jounces the limb on the tree, causing Finny to fall.
• B. Finny accuses Gene of betrayal while at the river.
• C. Brinker proposes an inquiry that escalates tensions.
• D. Gene leaves Devon in protest.

Answer: (A)

The central conflict is sparked by Gene jouncing the limb on the tree, which sends Finny tumbling to the riverbank. That single moment reveals Gene’s buried jealousy and fear of losing his best friend, while Finny reads it as a betrayal, creating an immediate strain between them. The fall sets off a pattern of secrecy, guilt, and competitiveness that fuels the ongoing tension throughout the story. The other events—Finny’s later accusation, Brinker’s inquiry, and Gene leaving Devon—happen after this incident and heighten the conflict, but they’re not what first triggers it.