Character Analysis Of Finny In John Knowles A Separate Peace, Phineas

Sometimes people are not who we think they are. In John Knowles’ novel, A Separate Peace, Phineas, also known as “Finny”, was a likable main character. He appears to be everything one would want from a friend. He was personable, athletic and optimistic. He was also genuinely kind. That is what his roommate Gene even felt when they first became friends; however, over time Gene believed that Finny wore a mask and as his mask began to come off, the real Finny was revealed. Even though Finny was a captivating, appealing character who people could not help but like, he was also devious, unfledged and selfish. Finny was not nearly as innocent as he may have seemed. Finny had many personality traits that drew people to him. He was a very

Finny could be manipulative and self-centered. When Finny made up the club, The Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session, he also made up rules. One rule was that he and Gene would jump off the tree into the river together. He did not ask Gene if that rule was okay. Gene felt like he had to do things he did not want to do. In fact, Gene asked himself, “What was I doing up here anyway? Why did I let Finny talk me into stupid things like this? Was he getting some kind of only hold over me?” (5). One night when Finny and Gene were at the beach Finny said that Gene was his “best pal”. Gene never told Finny that he was also his best friend. Ever since that moment Gene felt as if he owed it to Finny, to do what he asked even though he was hesitant to do so. Finny did not consist of only good traits; furthermore, he had flaws just as everyone else. He was selfish, conceited, and manipulative. Multiple times he compelled Gene to do activities when he and Gene both knew that Gene should be studying. One day, Gene discovered this new side to Finny and said, “I had detected that Finny’s was a den of lonely, selfish ambition” (26). Gene realized that his best friend was not truly who he was made out to