In the book, “A Separate Peace”, by John Knowles, a tragic event happens, someone dies. Although this event is straightforward, a boy fell and later died of his bone marrow entering his blood, what led it to occur is as complex as perhaps the war that was going on at that time. This death, like so many others, was not caused by one thing or person but instead it was a culminating event, the climax and end of our lives. Gene Forrester did not directly kill Phineas by causing Phineas to fall or by his own envy but he made it more likely. He was not the murderer but he was still someone to blame. Brinker Hadley’s constant earning for the truth of what happened contributed to Phineas’ death but he was not a killer. Phineas’s constant ignorance …show more content…
He was one person of many to blame since it was his envy and quite foreboding thoughts that made him feel and think that Phineas was trying to bring him down. “You and Phineas are even already. You are even in enmity … Then a second realization broke as clearly and bleakly as dawn at the beach. Finny had deliberately set out to wreck my studies … His instinct for sharing everything with me, especially his procession of D’s in every subject. That way he, the great athlete, would be way ahead of me”, thought Gene, as it appeared on page 53 of the book. It shows how he felt when Phineas tried to destroy what he was good at, his studies. This led to his impulse and rush of anger when they were on the tree branch. After this, Gene tried to help Phineas and felt guilty. He allowed Phineas to live in his imaginary world with a “fake war” and the sorts. Towards the end of the book, during the “trial” held by Brinker, he tried to cover and acted ignorant of his actions but this simply leaded to Phineas walking away and suffering his second fall. He deserved to be blamed since he let his anger, envy, and superstitions control his actions leading to the fall and then letting Phineas and himself act ignorant to the past and what had
Gene’s relationship with his “best friend” Phineas describes how the relationship resulted in the killing of Gene's enemy, his own youth, and innocence. Gene is plainly described in the novel as envious of Finny, he is also depicted as the position of much hatred and dismay by his peers. Therefore, the fact that Gene kills his own youth is likely considering Finny’s success, Gene’s jealousy towards
“A Separate Peace” portrays how Gene’s envy and imitation affects himself, his relationship with Finny, and how he finds his peace, or lack thereof, at the end of the book. Gene’s envy and imitation of Finny affects him in many ways. He starts to believe he was meant to become a part of Finny. After Finny broke his leg from falling out of a tree, he tells Gene that he must play sports for him. Gene then thinks to himself “and I lost part of myself to him then, and a soaring sense of freedom revealed that this must have been my purpose from the first: to become part of Phineas,” (Knowles 85).
In Gene’s case, disloyalty and cowardice appears through his metaphorical bad heart. Gene’s insecurities got in the way of his friendship with Phineas. He was jealous that Finny could never get in trouble, and that he appeared to be perfect in almost every way. When Gene began to believe that Phineas wanted to surpass him academically, he felt threatened. This mixed with his jealousy, and caused him to impulsively shake the tree limb that Phineas was standing on, making him fall and shatter his leg.
Some classmates felt that his last shred of hope to keep him alive was his hatred for the party while others agreed that his love for Julia would help him from conforming back to the ideals of the party. When discussing what another classmates have found in class it has helped me to understand other points I might have overlooked in the novels we have read. I have improved from these activities by writing down other points and
The question of who is most responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet can be complicated. Almost everybody in the play can be blamed because everybody has pitched in a little. There are many characters in the play by William Shakespeare who wronged Romeo and Juliet. The characters that contributed the most to Romeo’s and Juliet’s deaths are Friar Laurence, Lord Capulet and Paris. First of all, Friar Laurence is responsible for the death of Romeo and Juliet because he has done some stuff that Romeo didn’t know about.
A loving friend turns murderer after his retched jealousness and overanalyzing pushes him to new lows. In A Separate Peace by John Knowles, the true character of Gene Forrester is shown as he narrates his point of view of the story. Gene Forrester is a relatable ever changing, humanistic, and someone who is always in contention. Although at points Gene seems mentally unstable, he is a round, dynamic character that adapts and is generally mentally sound. Gene being the narrator of his own story shows from his perspective just how he views people and their interactions.
On the other hand, Gene has a strong superego, meaning that his moral and ethical views are more important to him. Furthermore, he always has the push to do the right thing and especially in terms of his academics such as his determination to be head of the class. Also, the superego's goal is “to suppress entirely any urges or desires of the id that are considered wrong or socially unacceptable” (What is the superego?) This pertains to Phineas and Gene because Gene is always trying to get Phineas to do the right thing. For example, when Phineas proposes going to the beach, Gene somewhat questions the idea because he understands the consequences: “Going there risked expulsion, destroying the studying I was going to do for an
In the beginning of the novel, Gene returns to Devon to understand what happened in 1942. This is important because Gene seeks to console the guilt he has faced. Furthermore, Gene shows his shame after Finny was jounced off the tree. Remorse over Finny's injury ate Gene up, causing Gene to not participate in sports. Gene feels disgrace while in the infirmary thinking, "If Phineas had been sitting here in this pool of guilt...what would he have done?"
Charles Kuralt once said, “ The love of family and the admirations of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege.” This quote shows how jealousy and popularity aren’t as important as relationships in your life. In the book, A Separate Peace, Gene has different priorities than relationships. Gene, a young boy who attends Devon boarding school, goes through many different trials along his grade school journey. He faces problems with friends and school life during the time of World War two and the draft being in full swing.
Guilt is a funny concept, that has a different affects on different people. Guilt can cause some to confess and it releases the burden, but for those who take long to confess, it can turn into a negative reaction that can cripple your emotions. A Separate Peace is set in a boarding school in New England. Gene, a main character, is an incisive introvert whose best friend, Phineas, is a handsome athlete. When an accident occurs over the Summer, that leaves Gene and Finny hurt in some way, what comes next could take a toll on their friendship.
Romeo is mostly to blame because he was irresponsible and acted expressively. Romeo’s impulsive manner ultimately lead to the demise of his, Juliet’s, and many others. “Did my heart love till now? For swear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty until this night” (1.5.50-51).
Without forgiveness, Gene would still be living in fear and hate, buried by his burden. Gene learns tremendously from his experiences. All his enemies were imagined, there was no need for “Maginot Lines” to protect himself from an enemy that didn’t exist. After Finny’s funeral Gene becomes “Phineas-filled” and his “war is over before it ever begins.” Gene realizes, “I was ready for the war, now that I no longer had any hatred to contribute to it.
The author of An Overview of “A Separate Peace” says that, “he reaches this atmosphere only after separating himself from Phineas and finding his own identity,” (Alton). When Gene had been focused on becoming just like Finny, he was not at peace. However, when Gene starts constructing and discovering his own identity, he has a complete burden lifted from his shoulders, therefore finding his peace. To conclude, Gene finds peace by realizing that Phineas was not the enemy and by finding his own
The father of Juliet was one of the main people at fault in the play. For example, when Juliet did not want to marry Paris, the boy that her father wanted her to marry, he threathen to disown her. " Hang Thee, young baggage! Disobedient wretch! I tell thee to a church Thursday or never after look me in the face again" (III.
In John Knowles’ novel, A Separate Peace, the main character, Gene Forrester, undergoes a traumatic journey to develop the aspects necessary for coping through adulthood. This novel is a flashback to the year of 1942, when Gene attends his final year at Devon High School, in New Hampshire. Although Gene appears to be Finny’s best friend, he follows in Finny’s steps so that his personality clones to be like Finny’s. Finny exposes new experiences that provoke Gene’s development into adulthood. As Gene engages in new experiences, he soon realizes that he envies Finny’s abilities.