A Separate Peace Optimism Essay

A Changed Life: Pessimism to Optimism Just like no one can escape death no one can escape the aftermath of a traumatic event. Even though trauma isn’t escapable it is overcomeable. The traumatic events that occur throughout A Separate Peace would lead most to say that it is a pessimistic book, but there are much deeper findings that is optimistic in the book. The optimistic view of the book is looked upon and isn’t the most obvious choice of the two but has many provable points. These pieces of evidence varying from the influence Finny had on Gene, the war which helped them grow, and the life changing events they had to face. Phineas is a much more optimistic and influential than Gene and the other boys at Devon. He always sees the good in everything and everyone. Gene is the opposite and he isn’t a leader like Finny is. Phineas’ leadership skills helped all the boys at Devon in the long run, mostly Gene. Towards the end of the story Gene mentions how Finny is different

According to Gene Phineas always stood out around the other boys specifically with his thoughts on the war, “Phineas alone had escaped this [war]” (202). World War II which took place throughout the plot and is a highly significant impact on the theme of maturation, the theme that it helps build is a much more difficult theme to get a full grasp on with much to uncover as the audience reads deeper into the text. The war often mention in this novel is not only World War II but the war of maturation. This war is a process of them growing from their adolescence to adulthood. Through this growth from adolescence to adulthood the boys of Devon also go through a process ignorance to understanding, a safe haven or another reality or the real world. Gene who realizes in the end of the book that this “war” of maturation eventually helped him kill his enmity and hatred or what he called his