In my opinion, Gene was more about emulating Finny than
identifying with him.
He did compare his size and
appearance to Finny in chapters 1 & 2 to the degree that he noted there was only
about 10 pounds difference between the two of them. He thought he had discovered like
interests in sports, but after time sought to create his own identity which drove him to
become a fanatic about his academics.
Like Finny with
sports, Gene excelled academically. Gene sought to have a skill wherein everyone on
campus would look to him about that skill. This is how they treated
Finny.
Unlike Finny, Gene had a mediocre character.
Although Finny valued who Gene was greatly, he didn't have the magnetic character Finny
possessed. I think he was jealous of that and looked for ways to have others show
interest in him.
By the middle of the novel, after Finny's
leg had been broken, Gene agreed to train for the Olympics to let Finny have his moment
of glory at least through someone else. I think this is an effort to emulate Finny
although Gene knew he would never be as good as Finny.
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