The word “naturally” is used specifically to describe Finny to show how his leadership and charisma is all natural, all too normal for him, him being this character portrayed as brave and spontaneous and not just a front he puts on. The use of “naturally” could also foreshadow to coming chapters where Gene believes that Finny is trying to sabotage his studying, while Phineas just thinks it comes naturally to him. The word “naturally” also connotates to believable and gives the reader this sense of trust towards Finny, as “naturally” means to not be fake and Knowles repeats this about Finny. Gene, however, is portrayed as a follower as he just “looked quietly” back at Finny, showing his submissiveness towards Finny and his leadership. The word “quietly” also illustrates towards the reader that Gene is a follower and not someone to speak up, unlike Finny, who is brave and is portrayed as charismatic and likable. The author also chose to use the word “looked” as other words such as stared would show a sense of authority from Gene (as stare is harsher than look), so “looked” would’ve fitted to make Gene and the fellow students look like followers.
Most of the extract describes Finny from Gene’s perspective, Gene describing Finny’s body as that of a “panther”, even though at first, Gene says he’s not “spectacularly built”.

Most of the extract is filled with Gene just describing Finny, which not only shows his admiration for Phineas, but also how much their personalities contrast as Phineas takes charge, is spontaneous and brave, unlike Gene and the rest of the students who watch Finny and follow him. It would also justify the resentment Gene has for Finny later on as Finny is always the center of attention, while Gene is barely given attention compared to him. The fact that Gene describes Finny’s body as a “panthers” also shows the admiration that Gene has towards Finny, and further contrasts their personalities as Gene is known as more of the smart one while Finny is the athlete of the school. Knowles first describes Finny from Gene’s perspective as “not spectacularly built”, telling the reader that even the strongest athlete in the school isn’t impeccably built, however Gene later goes on to compare his body to that of a “panthers”. “Panthers” are animals with stamina and agility, known for their survival in the wild and their ruthlessness to other animals. This confusion between admiration (Finny’s body like a “panther”) and envy (“Not spectacularly built”) is already built within the first chapter to build tension within  their relationship, which gradually grows through the chapters. Irony is also used as a way for foreshadowing here as Gene describes the pegs as not being strong enough to support Phineas’ weight, foreshadowing the fall that Phineas has on the tree.