Character Analysis: A Separate Peace By John Knowles

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.
Primarily, Gene begins in his own bubble. He stays in his own comfort zone by only caring about staying on top of his school work and following the rules. The only person that could break his boundaries is Phineas, who he grows to envy. Eventually, Gene starts to break out of his bubble when they create a club where they jump off a tall tree. Gene hates the club because its holding him back from his studies. This leads Gene to become paranoid of Phineas and he starts to accuse him of keeping him from succeeding in school. He believes
As he losses his innocence he starts to lose himself, in this case to Phineas. His actions start to speak for him when he pushes Phineas of the tree it reveals a new side of him no one knew he had. Although he is in denial for a very long time he eventually reveals the truth. The challenges and experiences that he faces helps him realize that to move on he needed to accept what he did wrong. He finally learns to accept himself and his friendship with Phineas. Although his innocence has vanished, his way of life