FREE ESSAY ON SEPERATE PEACE

SEPERATE PEACE

In A Separate Peace by John Knowels, the value of dealing with your feelings and dealing
with your enemies is shown by Gene Forester, a student in Devon during World War 2
dealing with few human enemies, but his emotions create a circumstance far greater than
any human enemy. I never killed anybody, Gene had commented later in his adulthood, And I
never developed an intense level of hatred for the enemy
Gene had put many enemies into his own life. Gene had a best friend, his name was Finny,
they were roommates and did many activities together. Finny was never the source, but the
core of most of Gene's feelings, both good and bad. First, one of the biggest problems
that Gene had, that is jealousy. Gene was jealous of Finny's confidency, openness,
modesty, superb athletic abilities, his natural leadership skills, his ability to deal
with stress easily, his care free attitude, his people skills and, of course, his good
looks.
Early in the story Finny demonstrated his openness by when asked for his height, he said
5 foot, 8? inches, while Gene replies 5 foot, 9 inches. Finny pointed out that they were
the same height and you shouldn't be ashamed to tell anybody your real height. Later that
day, they skip dinner to go swimming in the river, by Finny's choice, and are asked where
they were on return. Finny quickly replied that they were swimming in the river,
something that is forbidden, right down to the last detail, and they got away with it.
Gene said that the rules are very bent during the summer session, but it was actually
Finny's people skills that had kept them out of trouble. Finny was very bold, as Gene
many a time wished he was, on one occasion Finny wore a bright pink shirt symbolizing the
first U.S. bombing in Europe. Gene called him a faerie but really envied him. Later Finny
wore the school tie as a belt and when questioned he claimed that it represented Devon in
the war. Gene was hopeingly awaiting a scolding for Finny, but again, he got in no
trouble. Another day the two were walking and came across a plaque near the pool claiming
that A. Hopkins Parker held the record for swimming across the pool the fastest, Finny
took one look at and thought he could beat it, so without any practice at all he plunged
into the pool, Gene timed him and he beat it, just like that. Gene wanted to get an
official scorekeeper so Finny could get a plaque but Finny said no, in my head I know
that I did it, that's all that matters, thus demonstrating that Finny is very modest and
secure. The next day Gene and Finny went to the beach, which wasn't allowed. This was
done at Finny's request, Gene was going to study for a test, but he felt that he can't
say no to Finny so hey went. At the beach Gene noticed a lot of people looking at them,
he knew they were looking at Finny because of his well built body and his golden tan but
Finny said that they were looking at Gene. Before they return, Finny calls Gene his best
pal and Gene wanted to reply, but he wasn't sure about it himself and he also has a hard
time expressing his true feelings.
Another problem I could detect in Gene, was his anger. Gene was angry about Finny's
ability not to get in trouble, and Gene's unwillingness to say no to Finny, but the real
war started when he got the idea that because Finny has low grades, he wanted to lower
Gene's grades as well so he will better than Gene. Gene believed that Finny was trying to
wreak his studies with games, an organization they had formed-the Secret Suicide Society,
going to the beach and all this you're my best friend stuff. Other than that, there is
little anger between Finny and Gene. One day, Finny wanted Gene to come jump off a high
limb into the river with him, as they have been doing for several weeks now, and he
claimed that Leper, the school nerd, would be jumping today as well. Gene burst out
angrily at the idea because he was studying, and thought Finny was trying to wreak his
studies, so he said no. Finny took no offense and went along like nothing happened, but
Gene couldn't stand saying no to Finny and went anyway. Now he was enraged on the inside
because he knew that Finny was not trying to wreak his studies and really is perfect.
When at the tree, he was still sore at Finny and when he was about to jump, Gene shook
the limb, Finny Lost balance, fell and shattered his leg. Never to play sports again. Now
Gene had a new enemy: Guilt.
Gene knows that he has broken Finny's leg, it is all his fault, his best friend can never
play sports again because of him. All his fault. This is really eating at him and he
denies it to everyone except himself. Gene tries to tell Finny that he jostled the limb
and made him fall in the infirmary but the doctor came in and interrupted. Later, in the
fall, Gene visited Finny at his home and told him that he did actually cause him too fall
but Finny doesn't want to hear any of those words being spoken from Gene's lips so he
doesn't let him say anything else about the tree incident. Now well into the winter
session, Brinker, a friend of Genes, comes into his room and Gene gets nervous thinking
that Brinker new that he had caused Finny's accident, because of that Gene suggested they
go to the butt room, a drab room where smoking was allowed only to be confronted by a
bunch of the fellas jokingly trying to get Gene to say that he caused the accident, Gene
panicked, played along but could not bring himself to say that he actually did push Finny
out of the tree.
Finny had gone home for a time because of his shattered leg but soon returned to Devon.
The day after he returned, he wanted Gene to cut class and help him take a tour of Devon;
refamiliarizing himself with the place. Although he was not the kind to cut class, Gene
agreed.
In a few days we find out that among all the boys at Devon, the first one to enlist in
the army is Leper, the nerd. Leper had enlisted in the ski troops because he saw a film
and it looked quite exciting. Gene thought that their first contribution to the war would
leave in style, proud and bold, but Leper, he just left. The next few weeks are all in
preparation for a secret winter carnival, organized by Finny which included a ski jump
(about 3 foot high), music, games with prizes and some very hard cider. Near the end Gene
has received a telegram from Leper stating that he had escaped. Finny had no Idea what he
had escaped from.
Gene went to the place specified on the card: Leper's home. When there Gene found that
Leper had gone crazy. He was nervous in the service and had developed quite a psychotic
personality. Gene and Leper start out talking friendly but Leper suddenly lashes out at
Gene calling him high and mighty, savage, and lord of the manner, this lead to Leper
accusing Gene that he had caused Finny's accident which made Gene kick Leper out of his
chair. Gene had gotten very defensive over this. In a few days later in the evening,
Brinker, who has changed quite a bit since earlier in the book, came into Gene and
Finny's room with some of his friends and took the two to the auditorium in the first
building. There were several other boys waiting and made the two sit down, Brinker
rambled on a bit and then started to question Gene and Finny on where Gene was when Finny
was about to jump off the limb, at first Gene and Finny agreed that Gene was on the
ground, going up the tree as Finny fell but Finny remembers that they were going to jump
together, and Gene was on the limb with him. Due to this unclarity, the boys go to get
Leper, who was also there, and he remembers that both Gene and Finny were on the limb and
that he say someone bounce up and down, but he would not reveal who fell that day. Finny
has finally collected all this information and stormed off in a rage out the door and
down the steps to their room but he didn't make it down the steps safely, he fell and
broke his other leg.
They get the wrestling coach, who knew first aid and eventually the doctor who took him
away to the infirmary. They carried Finny out in a chair which reminded Gene of an
tragic, exalted personage. Gene, who was in a very unstable state of mind went to the
infirmary and stood outside Finny's window while the Doctor and wrestling coach do a
little work on Finny, by now Gene is hysterical, he can't stop laughing, he just can't.
After the Doctor leaves and it is just Finny in the room, Gene jumps up to the window and
tries to talk to Finny but Finny reacts in anger saying come to break more of my bones,
but Gene has the sense to stay outside and he finally says Finny, I'm sorry. Over and
over again: Finny I'm Sorry. Gene makes his way to the stadium and falls asleep under the
bleachers.
The next morning he wakes up and returns to his room to find a note on the door asking
him to bring Finny's clothes and toilet articles to the infirmary, so he packs them and
brings them to Finny. When he got there a phrase came to mind: this is it very
appropriate for the challenge he now faces. Gene enters and places the suitcase on
Finny's bed, Finny sorts through his things quietly and than says to gene that he has
tried to enlist in every branch of the army. but because of his leg, no branch will take
him. Gene replies to him that he would be no good in the army because he would confuse
everybody and doesn't have the heart to kill. At this point Finny has a 100% realization
that Gene intentionally had caused the accident at the tree and he tells him you have
already shown me, I believe you. Those are Finny's last words to Gene symbolizing the
forgiveness that has taken place. Gene later returns to the infirmary and the doctor
tells him that finny has died, his heart was stopped by a piece of bone marrow, and that
he died peacefully. Finny never cried, not then, not at the funeral, because he was an
extension of Finny and you can't cry at your own funeral.
Gene did enter the war, but he never saw any action, and was never in any fighting, but
he realizes, as Brinker pointed out, that when Finny said that the war is just a joke
made up by old men, he was right, it is a game, and their sons are playing in that game
and they are dyeing not for their country, but for the sins of others. He realized it but
didn't believe it, Gene feels that wars are made by something ignorant in the human
heart. Gene was ready for the war now, he was ready to face new problems, new enemies,
Finny took problems a little at a time, and that's how Gene has changed-he is taking that
same approach also. Hate, anger, fear jealousy, and the enemies in the human heart are
gone from Gene now, Finny has taken them with him to his grave