Character Growth In A Separate Peace By John Knowles

Peace, an unreachable goal. It will never truly happen, unless you are in John Knowles novel A Separate Peace. In A Separate Peace, John Knowles uses characterization to convey character growth. Character growth is a very important part of the development of A Separate Peace. Gene, the protagonist, has to grow in his friendships and life as World War II encroaches on his life. He becomes good friends with a boy named Phineas, Finny for short. They go through many good and bad times together, and their relationship is strained after tragedy befalls them.

One way that Knowles shows character growth through characterization is through Elwin Lepellier. Elwin Lepellier, Leper for short, is an extremely shy individual. He was only ever friends with two people, Finny and Gene. At the beginning of the novel, Leper was at the tree with Gene and Finny when they first jumped out of the tree. He didn 't jump out with them. Later on in the story, Leper decides to join the secret society by jumping from the tree. “Elwin ‘Leper’ Lepellier has announced his intention to make the leap this very night, to qualify, to save his face at last.” (Chapter 4, page 22). He hangs out with the guys sometimes and even helps them develop the game of Blitzball (Chapter 3, page 16). Leper usually stayed by himself and did his own hing, like skiing during the winter session trying to find a beaver dam (Chapter 7, page 9). He does his own thing, until he decides to join the army. “I’m going to enlist in