Finny's Death In A Separate Peace

In A Separate Peace, the reader can see that Finny’s death was part of a chain reaction caused by Gene. His death shows that a person not knowing their identity and who they are could affect other people and not just themselves. Although Gene didn’t directly kill Phineas, we can see how Gene being so overly obsessed with trying to be someone he’s not affected several people. He lost his identity and it cost someone else’s life rather than his own. In the novel Gene says, “I could not escape the feeling that this was my own funeral,” (pg. 194). Throughout Finny’s life, Gene was constantly trying to do things and be like Finny, and when Phineas died, Gene was so involved in Finny’s life that he claimed he felt dead as well. This shows how little Gene was his own individual. Gene’s actions led to an unfortunate event that not only ruined Finny's life, but ended it. Out of

The way he expresses how even though Phineas is gone and he still wants to be like him, shows that Gene was never himself and still has to try to be like Finny in order to be happy. Gene states, “Phineas created an atmosphere in which I continued now to live,” (pg. 202). Phineas had an impact on Gene whether he was alive or dead. What he thought was a normal friendship was actually a very unhealthy relationship between two people that was eventually ended by jealousy. Their friendship proves that in order to have a healthy relationship you must be true to who you are and stick to what you believe in. Identity is an important factor in life, and not knowing yours affects more than just yourself. Gene and Finny’s relationship is a reflection of real life friendships. While most friendships don't end in one person killing the other, the novel A Separate Peace still teaches the reader what not to do in order to make a friendship