Preview

A Separate Peace By John Knowles: Character Analysis

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
403 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
A Separate Peace By John Knowles: Character Analysis
In “A Separate Peace” by John Knowles the reader is left with the question, did Gene Forrester jounce the branch, crippling his roommate in the process, on purpose or accident, trapped in their minds? In 1942 during WW II, Gene Forrester began attending a school in New England called Devon. At Devon, Gene soon finds out his roommate, Phineas also known as Finny, was an extraordinary athlete, quite manipulating and able to talk himself out of any kind of trouble or responsibilities he may have had. This caused Gene to become filled with jealousy and competitiveness because he believed Finny was trying to stay “ahead” of him. This is why the essay will discuss Gene’s jealous and competitive personality which could lead the reader to believe
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Chapter Summary: A Separate Peace By John Knowles
    • 1081 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Chapter Summary: A Separate Peace By John Knowles

    Gene looked up to everything Finny did. Whatever Finny did, Gene felt that he needed to follow his lead and do the same thing. Finny easily convinced Gene to jump out of the tree after diving in the water.…

    • 1081 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Summary Of A Separate Peace By John Knowles
    • 177 Words
    • 1 Page

    Summary Of A Separate Peace By John Knowles

    In “A Separate Peace”,John Knowles shares his experience,and nerves throughout pages in the first chapter. He explains how frightened he was and also joy of old memories. As stated on page 10 “I felt fears echo, and along with that I felt the unhinged uncontrollable joy which had broken out sometimes in those days like Northern Lights across the black sky.” This is shows his feeling when he first comes across the school, which is fearful, but deep down, he seeks joy from past experiences. Some of his good experiences are shown earlier in the chapter and he reveals some of his past.…

    • 177 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Finny In John Knowles A Separate Peace
    • 204 Words
    • 1 Page

    Finny In John Knowles A Separate Peace

    Have you ever heard the saying “ignorance is bliss”? This applies in countless cases, but not in that of Finny, a character from John Knowles’ A Separate Peace. In this text, he, a boy enlisted in a prestigious New England school, scales a tree with his best friend, Gene. Finny, unfortunately, takes a horrendous fall resulting in him breaking his leg. Gene, over come by guilt, profusely tries to come clean about intentionally swaying the limb for the most of the remainder of the tale. However, he fails as Finny refuses to acknowledge this deed because of his ingenuous nature and his desire to see the good in the world.…

    • 204 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Separate Peace Literary Analysis
    • 487 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A Separate Peace Literary Analysis

    One of the most asked questions for A Separate Peace is: who exactly is the protagonist and antagonist? Most would agree that Gene is the protagonist, however is it Gene or Phineas that is the enemy? I believe that the real ‘bad guy’ in this book is Gene. He envied Phineas from the very beginning but didn’t admit it until a little later on. Whether it was getting away from trouble, having a natural athletic ability, or simply being modest and humble about things, Phineas seemed to have been better at almost everything.…

    • 487 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Separate Peace Finny Character Analysis
    • 594 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A Separate Peace Finny Character Analysis

    Every story has a hero, and every hero has a destiny. This is exemplified in A Separate Peace by main character Phineas. What classifies Finny as a tragic hero, instead of just an ordinary hero, is his downfall. As defined by Aristotle, a tragic hero is a character who faces their own destruction due to fate, a mistake, or a personal flaw (Literary Devices). Finny fits the noble and heroic characterization naturally, and it is without a doubt that his demise was certainly a tragedy.…

    • 594 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Of mice and men & A separate peace
    • 709 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Of mice and men & A separate peace

    People who have read Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck should know that there are a lot of similarities and differences compared to the book A Separate Peace by John Knowles. The central message of these two books display some good and bad times of two male friends and the struggle of their friendship. In the book, Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie have a tough time getting along through their journey of living on a farm. In the book A Separate Peace, Gene finds it hard to accept Finny as a true friend, since Gene thinks he is invincible. These books would not be the same if Lennie was not handicap and Finny was not perfect. There are many similar themes that could go along with these books, but only three work best. The story of Gene and Finny’s relationship compared to the story of George and Lennie’s teach many comparable life lessons because they both display friendship, the American dream, and the coming of age.…

    • 709 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Martin Guerre Essay (Character Analysis)
    • 1778 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Martin Guerre Essay (Character Analysis)

    Question: Rewrite your Martin Guerre essay with relevance to whether the ideologies of society if being reinforced or challenged; make sure to mention in respect to the book’s context, contemporary society and your own context.…

    • 1778 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Guilt In John Knowles A Separate Peace
    • 450 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Guilt In John Knowles A Separate Peace

    German author, Eckhart Tolle, once stated,“People tend to dwell more on negative things than on good things. So the mind then becomes obsessed with negative things, with judgments, guilt and anxiety produced by thoughts about the future and so on.” Everyone experiences guilt whether a famous popstar or an average citizen. Guilt is a natural quality that comes and goes in one’s life depending on their actions. Gene Forrester, the narrator of the book A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, resembles the description Tolle describes. In the novel A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, a theme clearly exists where guilt cripples a person emotionally because of situations that happen in the book.…

    • 450 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Imagery In John Knowles A Separate Peace
    • 732 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Imagery In John Knowles A Separate Peace

    In times of world conflict, civilians and soldiers alike try to escape the war through whatever means possible. A Separate Peace by John Knowles takes place during World War II in 1943. The main characters all long to maintain their innocence and separate themselves, and their school, from the war. The boys see the school as becoming corrupt by the war and use the Winter Carnival's festivities to create a separate peace. Nevertheless, Knowles's use of war related imagery through the setting, the boys' behavior, and the prizes used in the Carnival suggests that the peace they see is a facade.…

    • 732 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Jealousy In John Knowles A Separate Peace
    • 182 Words
    • 1 Page

    Jealousy In John Knowles A Separate Peace

    A best friend is someone who is always there for you, someone you can trust and who trusts you- or is it? At least, this is what most people think of when they think of the term ‘best friend’. But what if the person you have always considered your best friend betrays you, becomes jealous of you, doesn’t trust you, and even could have caused your death? Are they still your best friend? Are these behaviors just small mistakes that every human makes or are they really worth forgiving? Can two people with this relationship still remain friends? In the book A Separate Peace, author John Knowles uses his two main characters, Gene Forrester and Phineas to show that friends can have disagreements, but major characteristic differences like jealousy…

    • 182 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Peace Like A River Character Analysis
    • 665 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Peace Like A River Character Analysis

    In Peace Like a River motherly figures play an important role for Reuben, especially during troubling or stressful times. This is shown in the book after Jeremiah's wife, who left after she found that he was no longer going to be a doctor, is explained. This is first shown with Bethany Orchard on page 30, next with Mrs. DeCeuellar on page 81, and finally many times with Roxanne throughout the book.…

    • 665 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Tomorrow When The War Began Character Analysis
    • 644 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Tomorrow When The War Began Character Analysis

    Typical teenagers today are expected to learn the vital skills they need to survive in the world. John Marsden's thrilling novel, Tomorrow, When the War Began explores the vital skills a group of typical rural teenagers need to learn when they become involved in war. They learn to make decisions and plot rebellions they may have never had to face. They fight a battle not only against the enemy but to survive amongst each other. Homer Yannos, a once wild, crazy teenager is the most obviously changed character of them all. He develops into a cunning, brave leader who never ceases to amaze the other characters, especially Ellie, with his sudden change of attitude and how in touch he becomes with his emotions even the love he begins to feel for other characters.…

    • 644 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Separate Peace Novel by John Knowles
    • 2671 Words
    • 11 Pages

    A Separate Peace Novel by John Knowles

    A Separate Peace A Separate Peace is a novel by John Knowles that is about prep school experiences during World War II. This book was a good story about an adolescents attempt to understand the world and himself. I enjoyed reading about Gene's journey towards maturity and the adult world. This book takes place in Devon School, New Hampshire during a summer session when Gene Forrester was sixteen years old. One day Gene and Finny, his friend and roommate, went to a large tree by the river. Finny suggested that they try and jump from the tree into the river below them. This jump was usually for older boys. But they both made the jump successfully, and Finny formed the Summer Suicide Society, which is dedicated to members being initiated by jumping from the tree to the river. Each time, Gene and Finny must go first, but Gene always has a fear of jumping. Finny always was considered the best athlete in school, and Gene tried to counterbalance by being the best student. After a while of joining Finny's activities, Gene thinks that Finny is intentionally trying to make him fail out of school. He starts to dislike Finny and his activities, and Gene starts interrupting his schoolwork to jump from the tree more and more often. On one occasion, he thoughtlessly jounces the limb and Finny falls and breaks his leg. Finny's leg is so shattered that he will not be able to play sports again. Gene is scared that Finny will tell that he intentionally pushed him off the tree. After his first visit to the infirmary, Gene realizes that Finny trusts Gene completely and would never accuse Gene. After summer vacation was over, Gene guilty conscience decides to confess to Finny that he had deliberately pushed him out of the tree. Finny refuses to believe his confession, and demands that Gene leave. Autumn session had started and Gene did not try to go out for any sports. Students volunteered to do jobs left from the…

    • 2671 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Character Analysis Of Clarence In A Tale Of Peace
    • 301 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Character Analysis Of Clarence In A Tale Of Peace

    Clarence’s dream commenced with he had fled from the London Tower, then he recalled the war of roses with Richard on the deck of a boat headed to Burgundy, “There we looked toward England/And cited up a thousand heavy times/During the wars of york and lancaster/That had befall’n us.” (13-16) The bloodiness and the cruelties of the war arouse his self-revelation of guilty he had made through the civil war. The civil war is a representation of the greedy of the humanity, the York and Lancaster’s rivalry for hundreds of years was motivated by the appetency with the power and wealth. Clarence realized that he was once vainglorious during the war, not satisfied with the role of “Duke of Clarence”, he even tried to overthrow his brother Edward IV.…

    • 301 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    A Separate Peace Chapter 1-5 Summary
    • 2936 Words
    • 12 Pages

    A Separate Peace Chapter 1-5 Summary

    CHAPTERS 1-5: • Narrator introduces himself as a detective and claims he craves truth but lies • Manipulates his suspects into giving in and giving him the confession he wants • His name is Adam Robert Ryan • He grew up Knocknaree, Ireland • Book opens and it is 1984 • His best friends were Peter Savage and Jamie Rowan • Went into the woods to play but did not return in time for tea and as the night dragged on their parents grew worried and finally called the police • Adam Ryan was the only one who was found: 4 gashes in his shirt, legs all cut up, shoes soaked in blood, petrified and in shock • No DNA testing in Ireland at the time but blood is believed to be from a 4th person • Jamie and Peter are never found • Adam moves to London for boarding…

    • 2936 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More