What underlying emotion drives Gene's behavior toward Finny?

• A. Pure admiration
• B. Indifference
• C. Jealousy and insecurity that lead to guilt
• D. Anger at school rules

Answer: (C)

The question is asking you to identify the internal force driving Gene’s actions toward Finny. The pull shaping Gene’s behavior is jealousy and insecurity that grow into guilt. Gene admires Finny on one level—Finny’s natural athletic ability, charm, and ease—but this admiration is tangled with fear: a fear that Finny will outshine him, expose his weaknesses, or steal the spotlight Gene wants for himself. That tension pushes Gene to act in ways that undermine Finny, often with a mix of bravado and concealment.

When the incident at the tree happens, Gene’s choices show a troubling mix of rivalry and insecurity rather than simple admiration or indifference. He doesn’t act out of anger at rules or out of outright hostility; he’s driven by a deeper wound—feeling less capable beside Finny and desperate to prove himself. After Finny is injured and Gene must cover up what happened, guilt becomes the dominant feeling, signaling that his actions were rooted in insecurity and jealousy rather than pure concern or affection.

The other options don’t fit because, if Gene were acting only from admiration, his behavior wouldn’t harm Finny or involve deceit. Indifference wouldn’t produce the intense, consequential actions toward Finny. Anger at school rules is more about external constraints than Gene’s intimate motivation toward his friend. The combination of jealousy and insecurity explains both the impulsive harm and the heavy guilt that follows.