In Chapter 8, Finny tells Gene that the "war stuff" is a
myth. He states that American is not truly "in a state of war with Nazi Germany and
Imperial Japan." He claims, "there isn't any war." So, he convinces Gene that he needs
to start training for the Olympics.
His theory is that the
war is fake, a conspiracy concocted by "fat old men" who don't want the younger
generation "crowding them out their jobs." These fat old men are enjoying themselves
while the young men are fighting this pretend war.
Later he
confesses to Gene that he never believed this theory. He knew there was a war. He
created this story because he had tried to enlist but because of his injury was unable
to. Gene's telling Finny that he would be no good in a war because he was not a killer,
was not ruthless, was one of many truths that the two young men confront in the
novel.
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