Character Analysis Of Leper In A Separate Peace By John Knowles
Throughout A Separate Peace by John Knowles, Elwin (also known as Leper) Lepellier, one of the young boys attending the Devon School , goes through a significant change in mental state. In the beginning of the book, Leper is portrayed as a very gentle and naïve boy, which sets him apart from his peers. Rather than playing sports and hanging out with his friends, Leper devotes lots of his time to studying animals, such as snails and beavers; animals that adapt. Although he studies these methods of adaptation very closely, when he joins the ski troops, Leper is not able to adapt to the harsh situations of World War II. Through his depiction of Leper, John Knowles proves that in order to survive in the world, one must be able to adapt. Leper’s
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When reality hits, he is unable to truly adapt and his mental state takes a turn for the worse. Gene receives a letter from Leper claiming that he has “escaped” from the war, the letter reads, “‘I have escaped and need help. I am at Christmas location. You understand. No need to risk address here. My safety depends on you coming at once. (signed) Your best friend, Elwin Leper Lepellier’ (pg 73).” When Gene goes to Vermont (“Christmas location”), he sees a change in Lepers personality, he is much more hostile and defensive rather than vulnerable and spaced out. Gene is very hesitant while approaching Leper whereas Leper talks to Gene with hostility, “Leper’s voice had thickened unrecognizably, ‘he changed into a woman, I was looking at him as close as I’m looking at you and his face turned into a woman’s face and I started to yell for everybody’” (pg 80). By saying his voice thickened “unrecognizably” Gene shows how he has never seen Leper speaking in that manner. Gene notices that Leper has been mentally scarred by the war after Leper gives him an account of what happened. Leper speaks about his experience, “‘he changed into a woman, I was looking at him as close as I’m looking at you and his face turned into a woman’s face and I started to yell for everybody’” (pg 80). Leper claims that he saw a man's face change into a woman's, this is a clear sign of
When reality hits, he is unable to truly adapt and his mental state takes a turn for the worse. Gene receives a letter from Leper claiming that he has “escaped” from the war, the letter reads, “‘I have escaped and need help. I am at Christmas location. You understand. No need to risk address here. My safety depends on you coming at once. (signed) Your best friend, Elwin Leper Lepellier’ (pg 73).” When Gene goes to Vermont (“Christmas location”), he sees a change in Lepers personality, he is much more hostile and defensive rather than vulnerable and spaced out. Gene is very hesitant while approaching Leper whereas Leper talks to Gene with hostility, “Leper’s voice had thickened unrecognizably, ‘he changed into a woman, I was looking at him as close as I’m looking at you and his face turned into a woman’s face and I started to yell for everybody’” (pg 80). By saying his voice thickened “unrecognizably” Gene shows how he has never seen Leper speaking in that manner. Gene notices that Leper has been mentally scarred by the war after Leper gives him an account of what happened. Leper speaks about his experience, “‘he changed into a woman, I was looking at him as close as I’m looking at you and his face turned into a woman’s face and I started to yell for everybody’” (pg 80). Leper claims that he saw a man's face change into a woman's, this is a clear sign of