A Separate Peace

and turn them into the most exciting things the boys had ever done. At one point, Phineas hurls himself down a flight of stairs because he refuses to face the fact that Gene effectively shattered all of Phineas’ sporting aspirations. and I have never since forgotten that dazed look on [Phineas’] face when he thought that on the first day of his return to Devon I was going to desert him. es to accept the fact that he cannot enlist in the war because of his leg. But more importantly, he can’t accept the fact that his leg was broken because Gene pushed him out of a tree. While Phineas contemplates his best friend’s actions, he remains an inspiration to his classmates, always spontaneous and exciting, having positive effects on both himself and his classmates. Phineas lived each day to the fullest.