Identity Thief In A Separate Peace And The Poison Tree

Identity Thief: Character Misjudgement in A Separate Peace and The Poison Tree The quality of individuality and the vital role it plays in a human life is a theme often explored in literature. It is difficult to argue against the importance of being true to oneself and maintaining a strong, independent character. However, many times the miscalculation of the identity of another is equally as damaging as losing individual identity. In A Separate Peace, John Knowles highlights the consequences of both actions, while the narrative in The Poison Tree underlines these consequences where it differs. The parallels drawn between A Poison Tree and A Separate Peace illuminate the threat posed by a lack of distinction between identities and the clouding of character by envious emotions.
The differentiation between an
Ultimately in A Separate Peace, Gene losing himself was just as dangerous as losing sight of Phineas’s identity: self-love and independence are vital qualities to possess. Just as Rilke advises the reader in his letters to Kappus of the importance of looking within, so does Gene by demonstrating a failure to do so. In society, everything that makes up an individual lies in what they present of themselves to the the outside world: based off of that, a label will be placed upon them. Gene did not interpret what Finny displayed to the world correctly: his jealousy and envy prevented him from truly seeing what was before his eyes. The narrator did not have this issue, as his interpretation abilities were intact. In reality, it was not just Finny’s identity that was confusing to Gene: that was a side effect of his own insecurity over his own identity. In order to live a fulfilled life, to love, to succeed, one’s own identity has to be secure: the most important thing to have is this sense of