A Seperate Peace Essay
The novel A Separate Peace is a perfect example of literature that involves deep thinking and understanding. John Knowles does not use obvious hints in his writing that allow his readers to understand situations. Instead he uses lots of subtle ideas, and tends to use his characters quite a bit to show emotions and moods in the story. A strong example of when Mr. Knowles did this was with his character Leper Lepellier. Instead of showing us a deeper view into Leper's life and characteristics, he uses him as a window into other aspects of our main characters. Leper, as some may say, was used as a character foil. He showed the readers different aspects of the novel, giving us a better idea of what was going on with Phineas, Gene, and the current situation presented in the story.When first introduced to Phineas, readers get the impression that he is super man. He's popular, athletic, and from what we know of, fairly good-looking. Gene is overcome with jealousy for his friend, and is constantly trying to keep up to him. It isn't until Leper is introduced as a shy, quiet boy, that we start to see the other side of Finny. Leper is at the scene of the tree when many important things happen. He's one of the many members of the Super Su
Dating back to the year of 1942, boys were being trained at early ages to participate in combat. Without his character, this novel would not have had the same influence on its readers, he made easier to follow. Leper brings out the true intentions of Gene, presenting the idea that the hate he felt for Finny made him act the way he did. Gene portrays himself as somewhat of a confused boy. Where Gene and Finny might enjoy playing a sport, or working the railways for pay, Leper was set on enjoying nature. Gene tolerates Leper, talking with him about his ideas and goals, although it wasn't cool to be seen with him. He proves with words and understanding that because of his jealousy, Gene purposely shook the branch so Finny would fall. He was also the first boy to enlist, which brought the readers back to reality after a winter carnival was held for fun at Devon. Gene comes across as a sweet, loyal boy, whose always trying to live up to his best friend. He seems needy, and tries to convince himself that Gene had nothing to do with the accident. His experiences brought a taste of realism to the novel, causing the readers to reach deep into our thoughts and grasp the actual meaning of a situation. He is an excellent student and seems to be an average athlete, yet he is constantly living under Finny's shadows. Leper is one of, if not the most, important characters in this entire novel. Leper shows us a different side of Phineas; one that no one would of ever dreamt existed.
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