A Separate Peace
In John Knowle's A Seperate Peace , the main characters, Gene and Finny have a unique friendship that transforms throughout chapter four. According to Webter's dictionary the word "friendly" means not hostile; amicable. One could assume that a friend would contain these characteristics of a friend. However, their perfect friendship slowly transforms. As a result, of these changes Gene comes to the conclusion that he and Finny are in a constant competition. What Gene begins by presenting as a perfect friendship soon emerges as nothing of the sort. His account of certain actions, along with statements that seem insincere, soon betray his true feelings. Thus Gene initially feels that Finny resents him for his academic success. The reader quickly comes to the understanding, however, that it is Gene, in fact, who resents Finny. He resents Finny all the more for Finny's lack of resentment toward him. It is becuase of this constant competition and jeously that Gene has guilt, insanity and the loss of a best friend arise. In chapter 4, Gene and Finny get back from a forbidden trip to the beach (Gene is normally a conformist so disobeying the rules is hinting a change in behavior). Finny
Gene had obviously was not prepared for his exam due to the fact that he was at the beach. We never know the extent to which the incident is deliberate or accidentle. Gene doesn't believe that Leper would ever dare to jump and concludes that Finny must have talked him into the attempt in order to interrupt Gene's studying. One would think that because Gene is jealous of Finny's athletic success Gene feels that Finny is jealous of his academic success. Finny goes out onto the limb first, and when Gene steps out, his knees bend and he shakes the limb, causing Finny to lose his balance, fall and break his leg. His need to be better than Finny and this constant jelousy leeds to his insanity, the loss of Finny, and this tremendous guilt. As Gene studies for a French exam, Finny comes into the room and announces that Leper Lepellier is planning to jump from the tree by the river that night and thus become a full member of their society. When Gene and Finny got back from the beach, Gene received his first F ever on a test. Gene complains that his grade will suffer and begins to storm out to the tree when Finny tells him that he doesn't have to come along if he wants to study, as it is only a game. He tells Gene to stay and study, but Gene replies that he has studied enough and decides on going to see Leper jump. He talked about Gene's intelligence and says that he is right to be so serious about something at which he excels. and Gene had stayed overnight and slept at the beach under the stars and the following morning Finny confessed to Gene what a wonderful friend he was and how he considered Gene his best friend. Receiving an F on this test triggers a thought in Gene's mind that Finny took him to the beach in order to keep him from studying and recieving a good grade. An insane and bitter person who refuses to explain himself, and so, even though we know what he is thinking we still don't know who the true "Gene" is due to the fact that he will not admit to himself his true feelings or intent. From the way that Gene presents himself as well as the acts that precede the fall you would conclude that he is at fault for Finny's fall.
Common topics in this essay:
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Gene Finny,
According Webter's,
Peace Gene's,
Finny Gene,
Finny Finny's,
Gene Finny's,
Seperate Peace,
gene finny,
academic success,
beach gene,
mind finny,
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resents finny,
tree finny,
finny constant,
finny resents,
feels finny,
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Acceptance Essays
