Phineas and Gene: A Comparative Study To be an opposite of something or someone means to be the furthest from being like that person or object. One can say this for Gene and Phineas in the short story "Phineas" by John Knowles. Through reading the story one comes to see that Gene is an exact opposite of Phineas. One could say that Gene is insecure, envious, an admirer, intellectual and vindictive. In contrast, Phineas is unconcerned, self- assured, influential, outgoing and athletic. The story begins, and we are first introduced to Gene, who ....