What Is The Theme Of John Knowles 'A Separate Peace': Literary Criticism

Riley Kerschbaum
Mrs. Smetana
English 2 Honors
13 April 2023
A Separate Peace Literary Criticism In the novel A Separate Peace author John Knowles does a brilliant job of creating a highly flawed and round main character. Gene struggles with his own self-identity and figuring out who he is as a person. He has little to no control over his Id complex and often has intrusive fits of resentment and envy towards his best friend Finny. The two boys have a sort of dependent relationship with one another despite contrasting personalities. Because of this closeness these hateful impulses towards Finny horrify Gene. The shame and guilt he feels after acting on them and feeling resentful towards Finny reminds us readers that Gene is not inherently

Gene and Finny fall into the opposite attract troupe. Finny, being free and easygoing athlete who is as another literary critic puts it the “epitome of careless grace,” (Alton) and Gene, a driven focused student. Gene clearly loves Finny deeply and admires him for all his qualities and can easily be pressured into doing things easily by Finny, (EX: jumping off the tree limb for the first time and joining the Super Suicide Society) However, sometimes this way of being influenced leads gene to become resentful of Finny and quickly leads to malicious thoughts. While reading this book one thing I repeatedly thought to myself was, how can somebody hate and envy someone they love so much? The answer lies within a phycological phenomena, Sigmund

The final development happens at the very end of the book when Gene is put on trial for causing Finny’s accident and Finny finally realizes what had really happened. In the process of storming out he falls again and breaks his leg once again this time it requires surgery. Gene goes to the infirmary in hopes to reconcile with Finny now that the truth has come out. Gene confirms that yes, he caused it, but it was blind impulse and there was so ill will towards his friend. Finny is relieved and forgives his friend, which is convenient because he ends up dying during the surgery and it would have been unfortunate if Finny had died being mad at his best friend. This is the final turning point for Gene, he lets go of all the spite he had built up. Death was a clever symbol Knowles used to show how the old, crotchety, and hateful version of Gene had died and he is a new person now after coming clean and receiving