Chapter three of A Separate Peace opens with Gene's revelation that yes, Finny had practically saved his life, but he had also practically cost him his life. In other words, Gene wouldn't have even been on the limb and wouldn't have turned around and lost his balance if not for Finny. Here is the opening paragraph:
Yes, he had practically saved my life. He had also practically lost it for me. I wouldn't have been on that damn limb except for him. I wouldn't have turned around, and so lost my balance, if he hadn't been there. I didn't need to feel any tremendous rush of gratitude toward Phineas.
This revelation by Gene demonstrates his capacity to rationalize and to employ defense mechanisms. Rather than feel gratitude to Finny, which implies a subordinate position, Gene changes his perspective to make Finny the bad guy. Gene shows himself dangerously capable of manipulating his own thoughts to make Finny the guilty one in their relationship.
This tendency will, of course, reach its culmination when Gene begins to see Finny as deliberately sabotaging his studies, and when Gene purposely makes Finny fall from the tree.
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