SUMMARY
In the summer of 1942, 16 year old Phineas dares his best friend Gene Forre
ster to jump out of a dangerous tree into a river. They eventually do it and that
becomes a ritual to their Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session. Attending
Devon School basically puts the boys out in the open exposed to the war. This
allows the best friends to live by a different set of rules and enjoy their carefree
summer before they turn of age to enlist. At one point, Gene feels that there is
rivalry between him and Phineas and at the same time, a bad accident occurs to
Phineas. The accident has left Phineas limping and Gene feeling guilty and both
the boy's lives and plans change forever.
ster to jump out of a dangerous tree into a river. They eventually do it and that
becomes a ritual to their Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session. Attending
Devon School basically puts the boys out in the open exposed to the war. This
allows the best friends to live by a different set of rules and enjoy their carefree
summer before they turn of age to enlist. At one point, Gene feels that there is
rivalry between him and Phineas and at the same time, a bad accident occurs to
Phineas. The accident has left Phineas limping and Gene feeling guilty and both
the boy's lives and plans change forever.
ONE WORD THAT SUMS UP THE MOOD: TRAGIC
There has been a gloomy feeling since Gene began narrating about the "tremendous, irate, steely, black steeple tree". It seems like right from the beginning when Gene confesses his envy for his best friend, that a tragedy was going to happen. Everyone matures throughout the book and the only person that remains the same is Phineas, so it is a tragedy and a must that he has to die.