"I didn’t know that. Of course I didn’t, because I didn’t know anything." (Brunt.144)
“Well, why didn’t Finn ever tell me about you?” I was trying hard to keep the anger out of my voice." (Brunt.144)
Progress Check #3: ThemeDivya Sekar
Theme Development #2
Theme: Jealousy can blind one from the truth. This is demonstrated throughout the story as characters feel jealous of the relationships of others, causing them to make irrational decisions and act rudely towards others.
Theme Development #3
"It was such a childish demand to make—so desperate and petty—and I didn’t want to think of my mother that way"(Brunt.206)
June is jealous of Toby and Finn's relationship. She soon realizes that all the things she loved about Finn might have come from Toby. She wanted to get close with Toby, so she could keep Finn with her a bit longer, but instead, she gets angered because she doesn't actually know Finn as well as she thought. This causes her to raise her voice and take out her anger on Toby, as she wishes to believe he killed Finn.
Prediction
Greta catches June on the phone with Toby and has all of June's items that were hidden in the back of her closet on the kitchen counter. Greta is most likely doing this out of jealousy because she wishes she had the same relationship June had with Finn, and now Toby. She feels as if Finn was the reason June and her drifted apart, and now she's blaming Toby instead of Finn. Blinded by jealousy, Greta takes all of June's precious items and throws them deep inside of a garbage bag, so June can't retrieve them.
“You’re just a way to make him feel less guilty. He told you he didn’t, right? That’s what he said? But he knows he gave Finn AIDS, and now he wants a ticket out of the guilt. Why else would he waste his last days on the planet with you?”(Brunt.239)
During this scene, Toby is further explaining to June why her mother dislikes Toby greatly. When her mother and Finn were younger, they both dreamed of growing up to be artists together, but when Finn grew up, he left to travel abroad. During his trip, he sent letters to Danielle telling her to come to visit, but instead, she worked as an accountant. Most likely jealous of Toby taking Finn away from her, she made Finn choose between spending time with his nieces or Toby. Because of her jealousy, Greta and June never knew that Toby existed until the funeral.
"This thing about me not being part of Finn’s relationship with you, the whole thing is about Danielle wanting to say to Finn that he can’t have everything. That he needed to make a sacrifice, too. He always felt like he owed Danni something … and I suppose I ended up being that thing.”(Brunt.206)
I predict at the end of the story, Toby will also die of AIDS, and June will be heartbroken, with her sister and mother to a certain extent too. Nearing the end, I believe Greta and June's relationship will improve. Greta's jealousy over Finn/Toby will most likely come to an end as Toby starts dying.