In the book, Phineas and Leper go through many different experiences. These experiences cause both Phineas and Leper to lose a lot of their innocence. An example of this was when Phineas learned that the war was actually real, and when he learns to accept the things he cannot change and see the world as it is, not as the perfect world he wants it to be. On the other hand, when Leper joins the army he goes psycho because the world outside of Devon is too much for him. But he overcomes this and becomes more stable as the story goes on. Phineas and Leper's experiences are because of their loss of innocence and their childhood, but also because they are becoming more mature.
Phineas goes through several mind-changing events throughout the novel, but the event that was greater than the rest from childhood is the acceptance that Gene shook Phineas out …show more content…
This though was caused by not being able to accept the truth in the first place. Even though it was easier to deny information he didn’t like and to live in a dream world, it was wasn’t good for Phineas because of the results that came when he finally believed the truth. After Gene confessed that he had moved the limb, He said that Phineas looked older than he had ever seen him before. Phineas doesn’t know the feelings of jealousy and payback because he had never had those feeling and he doesn’t understand why Gene had them. He thinks he understands it, but before he lets his mind process it and give a mature response he rejects the idea completely. Gene said that him telling Phineas the truth could have been an even deeper injury than him actually doing it. The things like jealousy, payback, and hate