“I didn’t entirely like this glossy new surface, because it made the school look like a museum, and that’s exactly what it was to me, and what I did not want it to be” (Knowles 9).…
The novel A Separate Peace is a story about two best friends, Gene and Phineas (Finny), who both attend the Devon school in New Hampshire in 1942. Gene Forrester is an intellectual, confined, straight-laced seventeen year old, while Finny is an athletic free-spirit who isn't afraid to say what he thinks and is admired by everyone. The story is a flashback in which Gene recalls his fears and insecurities during the midst of the Second World War at the Devon school. Out of jealousy and the fear that Finny is trying to sabotage his studies, Gene shakes a tree branch that they were both standing on, and Finny falls out of the tree and shatters his leg. It is at that point where their relationship changes into more of a codependency which leads to them developing their own individual identities by living within their own illusion that World War II is a mere conspiracy. Finny dies suddenly during the operation on his broken leg , but Gene doesn't cry. He deals with the tragic news with a sort of tranquility because he believes that he is a part of Finny. Gene reflects on the constant enmity which takes over the present youth, and he believes only Finny was immune to this plague.…
<br>Although it starts after half the book is finished, one of the major examples of denying the truth in the novel is Finny denying the reality of the war. Though it is disclosed at the end that Finny knew all along about the war, he succeeds, after a little time, in making Gene truly believe in the non-existence of the war (although Gene claims that he did not really believe the story, his behavior around his classmates and his actions say otherwise). The first result we see of this denial is Finny's confession of his bitterness towards the world because of his loss. This destroys the image we have of Finny as a "perfect" person because it shows that he blames the world for his accident. It also stuns Gene so much that he begins to do pull-ups, even though he has never done even ten before. With Finny's verbal help, Gene manages to do thirty. This solidifies the friendship between them. After this…
The novel A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles, is about two young boys attending prep school together in the early 1940’s during World War II. Gene, the main character and the narrator of the novel, is a highly intellectual, sarcastic 16-year-old who struggles throughout the book to discover his true self. Phineas, on the other hand, is athletic, careless and highly admired by his peers, and seems to get away with anything he pleases. Throughout the story the friendship between the boys strengthens, but at many times is tested by the pair’s risky feats and competitiveness.…
Even though I identify more with Gene, I also pity him. I pity that his jealousy pushed him to do something so harmful to his supposed best friend. I also pity that fact that he…
At the beginning of this novel Gene is very "Ignorant" of his heart. He constantly lies, not only to others but also to him self. Finny on the other hand is a very honest person, he never lies about anything to make him sound or feel better about himself. An example of this is the incident where the boys are asked their height and Genes says he is 5'9 and Finny corrects him by saying, "no your five foot eight and a half, the same as me." This quote shows the honesty that Finny possesses and that Gene lacks. Gene refuses to admit that he isn't tall while Finny openly admits it. Gene refuses to admit that he isn't brave or that his motives for injuring Finny where entirely false. Gene cannot face what he is and this leads to tragedy.…
In the novel, A Separate Peace by John Knowles, the main characters, Gene and Phineas, develop an indestructible relationship. Throughout the course of the novel this relationship undergoes alteration from sincerity to betrayal. At first, Gene is envious of Phineas because of Phineas’s self-confidence. After the incident at the tree, their relationship changes into a codependent one. Gene and Phineas develop a connection during a time of war, and with mutual support, motivate each other to live normal lives. Ultimately, because this friendship kills Phineas, their companionship is a more destructive and negative one.…
In high school, students often face challenges that force them to grow up. From their first break up to peer pressure, they slowly begin losing their innocence. Similarity, in A Separate Peace two boys are exposed to hatred and violence in a military academy. During World War II, Gene and Phineas begin with a normal friendship, but throughout time they both face new conflicts. Through jealousy and paranoia, they change from friends to rivals. When challenges come face to face with Gene he attempts to get rid of them in the worst ways possible, which eventually leads him to a loss of innocence. In the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles, Gene lives in his own world, but through his friendship with Phineas, he learns he has to face reality.…
With a friendship as intricate as Gene and Finny"s, it is relatively simple for them to misunderstand one another. In A Separate Peace, there are numerous instances when this occurs, often having undesirable consequences: "Finny had deliberately set out to wreck my studies . . . The way I believed that you’re-my-best-friend blabber!"(45). At this point, Gene misinterprets Finny's genuine behavior and actions, taking them to mean that Gene and Finny were competitors for glory. This misunderstanding, combined with other doubts and pressures on the friendship, leads Gene to do something which he is forever to regret. Finny, on the other hand, does not understand that Gene's academic ability does not just come to him naturally and as easily as his athletic talent does. He does not realize that Gene has to practice and study hard to succeed. Finally, another of Gene's misjudgments of Finny occurs…
Although some people may have these unsatisfactory recollections, they have few to reflect on, unlike many characters in A Separate Peace. For instance, the harsh memories of Gene, Phineas, and Leper relating to their time at Devon and periods in the war. Through the psychotic behavior of Leper, and Phineas’ detrimental accident, it is proven that teenage experiences are not always amusing. Yet, these horrible occurrences unveil an important message; the realization of…
Mr. Forrester planned to rid of Phineas, however he didn’t know how, and when the opportunity came up, he took it. Gene Forrester has committed a heinous crime, attempting to take the life of his own friend, and this heinous act was out of sheer jealousy. This act went against everything his classmate Phineas was…
his stay at Devon, Phineas wins several awards in all the sports he plays in.…
Although this is true, he was not recognized for his brilliance until his adulthood. Many critics agree, "the best novel written by Knowles was his first, A Separate Peace" (Higgins). The novel tells the story of a boy named Gene, who is based off of Knowles, and his friends at a boarding school during WWII, based off of his time at Philip Exeter Academy. Knowles' deep affinity towards this book and its anomalous take on friendship may be a reason why it has done so well. He has written other novels and short stories but, the only other novel that is still printed is A Separate Peace's companion novel titled Peace Breaks Out ("John Knowles"). This novel returns to the setting of Devon School, the fictional Philip Exeter Academy, after WWII and talks about a new teacher and the relationships he sees in his…
Gene Forrester and Phineas formed an illusion of a great companionship, which was sincere when they jumped from the "forbidden" tree. "We were the best of friends at that moment," said Forrester when he remembered the instant (Knowles 10). Forrester "looked deeper" into his relationship with Phineas and became jealous of his talents, "I was beginning to see that Phineas could get away with anything. I couldn't help envying that a little, which was perfectly normal" (18). A "silent rivalry" was developed between Forrester and in his mind Phineas. Forrester attempted to become "better" than Phineas by studying more and maintaining a higher average between his academic and athletic…
The passage that really grabbed my attention was passage three because it makes the readers want to find out more about what happens next. For example, the author writes in, ¨The biggest question is the simplest one and the hardest to answer: Was Phineas lucky or unlucky?¨ This makes the readers to want to find out about the question. Another example is that the author says,"Once you hear his story, you can decide for yourself. But right now, Phineas is working on the railroad and his time has nearly come.¨ That can possibly mean that people might find out what is going to happen. In conclusion, passage three grabbed my attention because it makes the readers want to find out more about what happens…