Finny loses his balance because of himself telling Gene to walk out a little more out on the branch. This may have caused the shakiness of the branch. This is stated in the quote from the story, “ “Come out a little way,” he said, “and then we’ll jump side by side.” ”(28) Because of walking, it shook the branch, causing Finny to lose his balance and fall off. Again, if it wasn’t for Finny telling Gene to walk out more, this may not been one of the factors that caused the fall.
Another factor that keeps Gene innocent is because this incident happened when the sun was setting. In the story, the quote, “From behind us the last long rays of light played across the campus, accenting every slight undulation of the land,