Do you ever have trouble finding your own identity? In the novel A Separate Peace, the author creates an atmosphere that some characters struggle to find their identities’. One character that can relate is Gene Forester. Gene is a great character, but he struggles with imitation, jealousy, and ignorance. John Knowles depicts how Gene struggles with self-destruction and later finds his peace. In A Separate Peace, Gene has a conflict within himself, because of the resentment he has against Finny. Gene is affected by being a conformist. Knowles writes,” I felt a flash of disbelief that I was doing anything so perilous. But I always jumped. Otherwise I would have lost face with Phineas, and that would have been unthinkable” (Knowles 34).Gene is displayed as a gullible character .He is basically afraid to be his own person and express his true feelings. Gene is also affected at times when he feels like Finny has an upper advantage over him. Knowles emphasizes that,” He had gotten away with …show more content…
Gene and Finny do not have a healthy relationship, but they are oblivious to the fact. Knowles stated,” He did both with such easy, inborn skill that after observing him I had begun to think that I could master either one any weekend I tried,” (Knowles 132).Gene is so worried about being in competion that he forgets what is important, their friendship. He thinks that Finny is being overboard, but it is just his personality. Finny is admired by others more than Gene. One other way their relationship is affected is because of their surroundings. Knowles notes,” We were careless and wild, and I suppose we could be thought of as a sign of the life the war was being fought to preserve,” (Knowles 24). They were caught up in the moment. They had trouble finding who they were, because they did not know how their life would change. Sadly, the outcomes created conflict between both