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Analysis Of Gene And Phineas 'Denial In John Knowles' A Separate Peace

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Author Simon Mawer once said, “The speed of the human mind is remarkable. So is its inability to face the obvious.” The words of this well-renowned author connect to John Knowles’ novel A Separate Peace. Main characters Gene Forrester and Phineas [also known as Finny] were both high school students at the Devon school in Massachusetts that struggled to live with their everyday choices and the repercussions they produced. Jealousy and fear are but few examples of the truths Gene and Phineas struggle to accept. Unable to accept these truths, Gene and Finny both suffer from a psychological term known as denial. Denial is one of the brain's defense mechanisms that protects one from stressful memory. Because of this, neither of them are able to …show more content…

In celebration of the first allied bombing of central Europe, Finny wore a pink shirt and a school tie as a belt. Mr. Patch-Withers entered the conversion on the bombing and his wife noticed the tie belt. This was seen as disrespect of the school. Gene was waiting for Finny to get in so much trouble, so his jealousy could be put at ease. However, as a good conversationalist, Finny once again talks his way out of trouble by making Mr. Patch-Withers laugh. Engulfed by more denial Gene plays off his jealousy: “[Gene and Finny] left the party, both of us feeling fine. I laughed along with Finny, my best friend, and also unique, able to get away with anything at all… He got away with everything because he was an extraordinary kind of person” (Knowles, 28). Gene is dealing with the denial of fact again. As said in Mr. Hogan’s denial worksheet, “Someone who is in denial... [will go along] to avoid facts they think may be painful to themselves or others.” Gene who was waiting for Finny to get in deep trouble had his mind set on getting Finny screwed over. But Finny was able to get away again, forcing Gene to play along as a good friend. It is Gene’s denial of jealousy that forces further to further dislike Finny, and compromise the

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