World War II

The majority of this novel in set in 1942, and it was during this time that World War II occurred. The war is not only a very important part of the plot, but can also be a good symbol for the friendship between Gene and Finny.

World War II was very gruesome and had many participants. Lots of countries, such as Japan, Germany, Russia, and America, played their part. Many alliances and friendships were made, and then broken. No one knew who to trust, even within themselves. The boys of Devon school knew this. At one point in the novel, Finny creates a game called Blitzball. As he is describing the rules,he says this: "Since we're all enemies, we can and will turn on each other all the time." This quote can also apply to the war, and in turn, Finny and Gene's friendship. The boys are very competitive (at least, Gene believes they are), and for some time in the novel Gene decides that he loathes his supposed best friend, Finny, simply because he is jealous of him.
The war was also very temperamental, quickly and easily changed.This is like their friendship beacause Gene's feelings for Finny change very fast; one morning he is his best friend, that afternoon Gene is convinced that Finny is his rival.

The war can also symbolize the expectations that were set for boys of their age. In those days, the war meant growing up and being a man. It was the mature thing to to, and those who did gained favor from everyone in the country. The war symboliozes manliness, popularity, and growing up, things that some boys were not yet ready to do, as shown in this quote: "The war was at worst only a bore, as Brinker said, no more taxing to us than a day spent harvesting in an apple orchard".