Returning to Devon for the first time in fifteen years, Gene oddly finds it looking “newer than when I was a student” (page 1). He contains a certain amount of sentimentality for the school of his childhood, a place where he had many times of joy and mischief. Returning to Devon brings back many memories for Gene, like jumping off the “forbidden tree,” “blitzball,” and missing meals. However, there is a sense of darkness in the beginning. It is raining, cold, and gloomy, the dominant feeling for Gene on his return.
As a student Gene had always feared the tree, describing it as more of an “artillery piece” (page 5). When he was a student at Devon, the tree seemed “tremendous” to Gene, “an irate, steely black steeple beside the river.” When Gene
As a student Gene had always feared the tree, describing it as more of an “artillery piece” (page 5). When he was a student at Devon, the tree seemed “tremendous” to Gene, “an irate, steely black steeple beside the river.” When Gene