Analysis of Character

Leper is a mild, gentle boy who enjoys nature and engages in peaceful, outdoor things, such as cross-country skiing. He is seen as a contrast to Finny, who he envies for being so close to Gene. From the beginning, Leper undergoes many conflicts resulting in stress. He is challenged by Finny to jump out of the suicide tree, but refuses and just watches. In the game of Blitzball, the ball was tossed to him, but he refused it, wanting no part in the game. When he goes off to the war and experiences basic training, he suffers a mental breakdown and runs away from his fears, which was the war. His breakdown causes fear, stress, and confusion, but also sharpens his insight. When he returns to the school, he has gained a power that even Brinker cannot respond to in the Assembly Room trial. He was the first boy in Gene’s class to enlist in the army, which makes Gene believe even more that there really is not a war. Leper relies on Gene and refers to him as his best friend. Leper’s terrible description of his wartime experience is one of the novel’s darkest moments.

“They're ruining skiing in this country, rope tows and chair lifts and all that stuff. You get carted up, and then you whizz down. You never get to really look at the trees, at a tree. I just like to go along and see what I'm passing and enjoy myself.

This quotation is suggesting that Leper is carefree and is not worried about what’s going around him. Despite the hard times, he remains untained by the war, unlike Gene who is filled with resentment and fear. His character serves as a reminder that things are changing, but that you can overlook those changes and still enjoy yourself.

“Everything has to evolve or else it perishes… You know what? I'm almost glad this war came along. It's like a test, isn't it, and only the things and the people who've been evolving the right way survive.”

This quotation is a reminder that things change and that they change for a reason, sometimes for the better. When Leper leaves Devon, it marks the beginning of Brinker’s transformation. Leper’s breakdown from the army causes Finny to break down too, causing him to believe that there really is a war. The visions that he has all represent the horrors of change. The change has to do with war, but also with growing up. When he says that everything has to evolve or else it perishes, he means that no matter how rough the situation is, it is necessary for it to undergo the changes it does so that something good may come out of it. If things do not evolve, it automatically perishes and nothing was learned from the experience because it had a negative outcome. He also says that only the things and people who have been evolving the right way survive, meaning that the ones who have made the right decisions and have determined their actions carefully will change drastically, for the better. The only people who are able to succeed in any type of transformation are the ones who have had experience.

“Did you ever think about me? I thought about myself, and Ma, and the old man, and pleasing them all the time. Well, never mind about that now. It’s you we happen to be talking about now. Like a savage underneath. Like, like that time you knocked Finny out of the tree.” 

This quotation is showing how much Leper has changed from his experience in the army. He has matured and is now able to stand up for himself. He is no longer afraid to say what is on his mind, no matter how rude or disrespectable it may be. This quote helps us realize that change really is possible and it can have either a negative or a positive affect on somebody. Leper compares Gene to a savage, saying that on the outside he is innocent and acts as if he is a friend, but underneath he is really hiding under a bunch of lies. In this quote, Leper also lets the reader know that he knows what Gene did to Finny, which was knocking him from the tree.