A major change in one of the main characters is when Finny breaks his leg from falling of the tree. The break affects him (obviously) physically. He’s no longer able to do sports which is the one area he excelled in. Finny enjoyed sports and created his own. He even idealized them, believing that you always won sports and never lost. Yet the break takes him away from it and he can only hope to walk again.

Still, the effects go beyond physical. Finny changes emotionally. It is a slow progression, as he prefers to live in a false reality, but eventually he accepts that Gene caused his accident. This is the point where Finny truly died. Had he survived the operation, he wouldn’t be able to trust after this betrayal.

These physical and emotional effects cause mental change in Finny as well. Knowing that he can no longer compete gives Finny a “dying” mentality. He takes on the role of a terminally-ill father or defeated animal, asking Gene to fulfill his dreams and in the process devour him. Possibly, he wants Gene to become him or better, a scholastic athlete. Indeed, the fall changes Finny for the rest of his life. Which isn’t long.