Assignment #5 (Pages 72-85): Why does Quackenbush use the word “maimed”? Explore the significance and connotation. (Tyler)

Quackenbush used the word “maimed” to insult Gene. Gene goes down to the crew house on the lower side of the Devon River for a crew meeting. This is when he sees that Quackenbush, a previous acquaintance of his is there. Quackenbush begins to boss Gene around because he is the crew manager, and Gene is the assistant crew manager. Soon Gene and Quackenbush start to fight. It started verbal but escalated to a physical confrontation ending with Quackenbush yelling “Listen you maimed son-of-a-bitch” (Knowles 79) and Gene hitting him across the face. The connotation of maimed is very negative in this situation. Quackenbush used it as an insult toward Gene trying to disfigure him. Gene took the comment very personally as if he was maimed himself. Gene then came to the realization that he does know someone maimed, his best friend Phineas. After things die down Gene begins the comprehend that he hit Quackenbush for himself, not Phineas. “But it didn’t feel exactly as though I had done it for Phineas. It felt as though I had done it for myself” (Knowles 80). Gene keeps acting as if he is Phineas himself. From wearing his clothes to feeling as if he is maimed, Gene is slowly becoming Finny.