Summary Of A Separate Peace By John Knowles
Patrick Rothfuss states, “When we are children we seldom think of the future. This innocence leaves us free to enjoy ourselves as few adults can. The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our childhood behind.” In A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, the boys at Devon are confronted with a decision that will affect their future, whether they should enlist into the military, or wait to get drafted. Unrelated to the war, Gene is also faced with choices that will not only have an impact on him and his reputation, but also the people around him. Passing from adolescence to adulthood is a time where people change their personalities into how they want them to affect the world; identity, rivalry, and change are all elements that shape people into who they really are.
For instance, Gene makes an effort to define himself and his identity as he grows into an adult. Unlike his friends and their struggle to find themselves in relation to the war, Gene’s crisis resolves around Finny. He gradually finds himself thinking about his friend as he would himself. John Knowles states: “Phineas seemed older that morning, and leaning quietly against that great tree wrapped in his …show more content…
heavy coat, he seemed smaller too, or perhaps it was only that I, inside the same body had felt myself all at once grown bigger” (121). This is the first instance that shows how Gene is beginning to feel secure about his identity and gaining self confidence about the person that he is becoming.
Furthermore, Gene starts to realize that not everything between himself and Finny has to be a rivalry, and that forgiveness is crucial to keep moving forward.
The transition from the carefree teenage years to the realities of adult life brings to the surface the flaws of enmity and jealousy present in every person. Gene considers: “To keep silent about this amazing happening deepened the shock for me. It made Finny seem too unusual for -- not friendship, but too unusual for rivalry. And there were few relationships among us at Devon not based on rivalry” (45). This is the starting point where Gene starts to view Finny’s actions in a different way, not as a challenge or a competition, but as a part of Finny’s personality. This causes Gene to change his attitude and see his friend in a different
way.
Lastly, Gene recognizes that his perspective has really changed things that have stayed the same. When Gene returns back to Devon fifteen year later, he discovers that everything seems the same, but that it was his perspective that had changed everything. “So the more things remain the same, the more they change after all -- plus c’est la même chose, plus ça change. Nothing endures, not a tree, not love, not even a death by violence” (14). Gene finds comfort in the thought that although the world could have stayed the same, because people change, they can choose to live peacefully with their past or even leave it behind.
As can be seen, Gene’s personality is greatly affected by the people and world around him. Throughout the book, he remains unsure of himself. He constantly compares himself to other people, like his friend Finny. The presence of a growing war brings about an atmosphere of discipline and change in the Devon school. World War II brings about a change in the atmosphere and discipline level at Devon. The atmosphere brought about by World War II causes discipline Rivalries arise between friends and the boys struggle to find their identities in the midst of all that’s going on. However, as Gene matures, he recognizes who he is as a person and realizes how his personality will affect the world around him.
For instance, Gene makes an effort to define himself and his identity as he grows into an adult. Unlike his friends and their struggle to find themselves in relation to the war, Gene’s crisis resolves around Finny. He gradually finds himself thinking about his friend as he would himself. John Knowles states: “Phineas seemed older that morning, and leaning quietly against that great tree wrapped in his …show more content…
heavy coat, he seemed smaller too, or perhaps it was only that I, inside the same body had felt myself all at once grown bigger” (121). This is the first instance that shows how Gene is beginning to feel secure about his identity and gaining self confidence about the person that he is becoming.
Furthermore, Gene starts to realize that not everything between himself and Finny has to be a rivalry, and that forgiveness is crucial to keep moving forward.
The transition from the carefree teenage years to the realities of adult life brings to the surface the flaws of enmity and jealousy present in every person. Gene considers: “To keep silent about this amazing happening deepened the shock for me. It made Finny seem too unusual for -- not friendship, but too unusual for rivalry. And there were few relationships among us at Devon not based on rivalry” (45). This is the starting point where Gene starts to view Finny’s actions in a different way, not as a challenge or a competition, but as a part of Finny’s personality. This causes Gene to change his attitude and see his friend in a different
way.
Lastly, Gene recognizes that his perspective has really changed things that have stayed the same. When Gene returns back to Devon fifteen year later, he discovers that everything seems the same, but that it was his perspective that had changed everything. “So the more things remain the same, the more they change after all -- plus c’est la même chose, plus ça change. Nothing endures, not a tree, not love, not even a death by violence” (14). Gene finds comfort in the thought that although the world could have stayed the same, because people change, they can choose to live peacefully with their past or even leave it behind.
As can be seen, Gene’s personality is greatly affected by the people and world around him. Throughout the book, he remains unsure of himself. He constantly compares himself to other people, like his friend Finny. The presence of a growing war brings about an atmosphere of discipline and change in the Devon school. World War II brings about a change in the atmosphere and discipline level at Devon. The atmosphere brought about by World War II causes discipline Rivalries arise between friends and the boys struggle to find their identities in the midst of all that’s going on. However, as Gene matures, he recognizes who he is as a person and realizes how his personality will affect the world around him.