Summary Of A Separate Peace By John Knowles

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, friendship is the state of being friends. A friendship is so much more than simply calling each other a friend. A friendship is about loving each other, being there for each other, and making time for each other. At first glance, A Separate Peace by John Knowles seems like a heartfelt story of two best friends, but this story clearly shows that who you may think is your friend may not actually be your friend. The book centered on two students of Devon School named Gene Forrester and Finny. Gene is a quiet boy who tries to focus on his academics; however, Finny is a daring boy who can charm and talk his way out of any situation. Even though Gene and Finny are best friends, Gene is extremely envious

Gene was the more academic one in the friendship. This was obvious, yet Gene still feared that Finny “deliberately set out to wreck his studies” (Knowles 53). The first example that showed Gene’s feelings was shown on page 57. The two boys both had an upcoming French Exam, and Finny came into Gene’s room not knowing he was studying. Finny came to tell Gene that Leper Lepellier was going to jump from the tree. Gene automatically thought that “Finny had put him up to it to finish him for good on the exam.” Gene truly thought that Finny went through all that trouble merely to sabotage his chances of getting a better grade than him on an exam. In all reality, Finny only wanted Gene to come see Leper’s jump. Even though Finny wanted him to see the jump, he told Gene to “not move from that desk because It’s going to be all A’s for you” (Knowles 58). Another situation that showed Gene’s “rivalry” with Finny is when they are talking about how hard Gene studies. Gene asked Finny how’d he feel if he became head of the class, and Finny sarcastically said that he’d kill himself of envy. Gene took this literally and started to believe that “We were even after all, even in enmity. The deadly rivalry was on both sides after all” (Knowles 53). A true friend is someone who accepts when you are better than them at something. They don’t see you as an enemy whom they always

Finny believed that Gene really was his best friend, but Gene believed that Finny was basically his enemy. At one point in the book, Finny told Gene, “I hope you’re having a good time here. I know I kind of dragged you away at the point of a gun, but after all you can’t come by yourself, and at this teen-age period in life the proper person is your best pal, which is what you are” (Knowles 48). Gene didn’t reply to Finny’s remarks. He thought, “I should have told him then that he was my best friend also…But something held me back. Perhaps I was stopped by that level of feeling, deeper than thought, which contains the truth” (Knowles 48). This is a significant event in the story because it shows that no matter what, Finny will always see Gene as his best friend. The event also shows that Gene didn’t truly consider Finny his friend because of his feelings of envy were so strong. Another situation that showed Gene’s beliefs were after Finny broke the swimming record, and Gene “hated him for breaking that school swimming record” (Knowles 53). A true friendship is mutual where both people are shown LOVE and respect. Each person wants to share in their friend’s accomplishments and