Who does Gene get a telegram from during the winter carnival?

• A. Leper
• B. Gene
• C. Brinker
• D. Finny

Answer: (A)

The moment hinges on a news message from Leper Lepellier arriving to Gene during the winter carnival. This telegram stands out because Leper is the friend most tied to the outside world and the war, so his news punctures the carefree atmosphere of Devon and shows how the conflict is intruding on their sheltered lives. The telegram signals a shift from childish games to grown-up realities and foreshadows the strain Leper’s choices and experiences will place on the group, especially on Gene. The other friends aren’t the source of this external news at that scene, so Leper is the one whose message carries the weight and the sense that things are changing beyond the Devon campus.