A Seperate Peace- Finny&Gene
The line between friendship and hatred can sometimes be very unclear. Where exactly does one cross over this line? Could it possibly be when one discovers envy within himself for his friend, or is it when he begins to wish he is somewhere other then where he is? In the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles, the friendship line between Finny and Gene is extremely unclear. What would cause ones best friend to jounce a tree limb in hopes the other would be harmed? To understand the relationship of Finny and Gene you must analyze their backgrounds. The narrator of the novel, Gene Forrester, is a grown man who returns to the Devon School and recollects his years spent there. During the duration of the novel Gene is around 16 years old, he is thoughtful, intelligent, with a tendency to brood. Gene is extremely competitive with a sarcastic sense of humor. He often shuns overt displays of emotion, much like most students at Devon. Gene's "best friend" is Finny(Phineas). Finny is perfect in
The transformation I explained here is the transformation from friends to enemies, returning to a newfound friendship. For example Finny drags Gene to the coast, keeping him up all night, causing Gene to get a D on his trigonometry test the following morning. Gene feels Finny is becoming cunning and devious, making his true feelings. The theme pervades in this section of the plot, because Finny seems older and more mature when Gene comes to see him at home. Gene is smart and an average athlete, while Finny is an excellent athlete but a below average student. With Finny's increased studying, Gene interprets this as an attempt to even things out. Gene thinks he must have been utterly wrong in his opinion of Finny and decides Finny is much better then him on the inside. Not just this particular friendship, but the idea of friendship itself dissolves for Gene, and he feels he can trust no one. Gene thinks for a moment that Finny's anger at his confession reveals something true about him and helps him know himself better, but Finny disagrees. Not knowing what he has fallen into. When Gene comes to the realization as to what had happened, he is overwhelmed with guilt. The whole novel portrays a theme of transformation. Finny harbors the same pettiness and duplicity as Gene does, and their friendship is shattered abruptly. Gene wonders what Finny would do in his situation and decides he would confess everything.
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