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A Separate Peace Finny Character Analysis

800 Words4 Pages

A Separate Peace Essay

Finny’s characteristics soon jeopardizes his friendship with Gene, while he becomes envy and puts everything at risk. Based on the novel, A Separate Peace by John Knowles, takes place at Devon Boarding School, which is an all boys school. The setting reveals Finny’s character to be athletic, loving, and outgoing. He has won many awards, because he is a very dedicated athlete.He can prevent getting in trouble, by smooth talking his teacher and headmaster. Gene knows that he possibly couldn't get out of trouble by himself.He has many other characteristics, but I focused on just three. Finny is a very athletic person in this story. He wins many athletic award, but he doesn't have any academic achievements. Finny jumps put of a tree at the beginning of chapter 1 in the novel. “He began scrambling up the wooden pegs nailed to the side of the tree, his back muscles working like a panther’s…..“Is this the one they jump from?” None of us knew. “If I do it, …show more content…

He also can talk his way out of trouble and his teachers end up adoring him. In chapter 2 Finny and Gene get in trouble, because they missed dinner. They got sent to the headmasters office. While he was talking to him, he changed the subject about the bombing in Europe."He alone talked easily. He discussed the bombing of Central Europe... Phineas was very happy; sour and stern Mr. Patch- Withers had been given a good laugh for once, and he had done it! He broke into the charmed, thoughtless grin of a man fulfilled.He had gotten away with everything.He soon was out of trouble and was adored by the principle" (Knowles p.10-11). He also did this to his other teachers, and thats why all his teachers like him. Finny can talk he way out of trouble and talk about something else he will o longer get in big trouble. Finny is a good kid, but when he’s in trouble he knows how to get

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He is basically, through rhetorical questions, saying that he does not want to do what Finny does, but it’s like he cannot help it. This is affecting who Gene is as a person because he is not thinking for himself. Is Gene really even himself if Finny is doing the thinking for him? If he is not thinking for himself, he is not being true to himself. Another way that Gene is affected is that he allows his imitation of Finny get in the way of his schooling.

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