Which character is described as the first to enlist?

Which character is described as the first to enlist?

• A. Gene
• B. Brinker
• C. Leper
• D. Finny

Answer: (C)

The question is about how the war intrudes into Devon and which character acts on that intrusion first. Leper Lepellier is described as the first to enlist, a detail that highlights a key contrast in the boys’ responses to World War II. Leper is quiet, inward, and often unsure of himself, yet he wants to prove his masculinity and be part of something bigger than the sheltered life at Devon. Signing up for enlistment is his way of taking decisive action, making the war feel real in a way the others haven’t yet allowed themselves to acknowledge. This early move sets in motion the novel’s shift from adolescence to a harsher, more uncertain reality, and signals that war will test each boy’s character. The other boys don’t fit as the first to enlist because they remain more cautious or skeptical about the war’s immediacy, or they show resistance to the idea of leaving Devon’s comforting routine. Gene and Finny, in particular, are tied to their everyday life and to each other, while Brinker becomes involved in school governance and social tests rather than stepping forward to enlist first. So Leper’s action stands out as the initial impulse to take part in the war, making him the correct answer.

The question is about how the war intrudes into Devon and which character acts on that intrusion first. Leper Lepellier is described as the first to enlist, a detail that highlights a key contrast in the boys’ responses to World War II. Leper is quiet, inward, and often unsure of himself, yet he wants to prove his masculinity and be part of something bigger than the sheltered life at Devon. Signing up for enlistment is his way of taking decisive action, making the war feel real in a way the others haven’t yet allowed themselves to acknowledge. This early move sets in motion the novel’s shift from adolescence to a harsher, more uncertain reality, and signals that war will test each boy’s character.

The other boys don’t fit as the first to enlist because they remain more cautious or skeptical about the war’s immediacy, or they show resistance to the idea of leaving Devon’s comforting routine. Gene and Finny, in particular, are tied to their everyday life and to each other, while Brinker becomes involved in school governance and social tests rather than stepping forward to enlist first. So Leper’s action stands out as the initial impulse to take part in the war, making him the correct answer.