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Gene's Jealousy In John Knowles A Separate Peace

584 Words3 Pages

Emerson states that “envy is ignorance, imitation is suicide” (370). In A Separate Peace by John Knowles, New England. Gene is a follower. He would like to be in a bad situation just to be in one, He is jealous of Finny and insecure to the point where it drives him crazy. A Separate Peace shows how Gene’s envy and imitation of Finny affect him, affect his relationship with Finny, and his lack of peace.

Gene’s envy and imitation of Finny affect him. Gene is mostly affected emotionally rather than affected physically, “I looked for and finally found his pink shirt.. It’s high, somewhat stiff collar against my neck, the wide cuffs touching my wrists” (Knowles 62). That piece of evidence explains how emotionally he was affected by guilt and he is continued by wearing his clothes. Gene’s envy and imitation of Finny affects him by him ending up losing his real best friend. “... this enemy who never attacked that way- if he ever attacked at all; if he was indeed the enemy (Knowles 204). Gene’s jealousy was so bad that the life of his best friend came to an end. After he was injured multiple times. Gene’s …show more content…

When Gene admits to making Finny fall off the tree and shatter his leg it causes conflict. “”Of course you didn’t do it. You damn fool. Sit down, you damn fool.” “Of course I did!”” (Knowles 70).Gene’s jealousy got the best of him and he made Finny fall out of a tree and injure himself and it made them get into an argument. Gene being so jealous messed up a great relationship. Finny was never in competition but Gene was. “Phineas’ imaginary worlds create peace separate from the world at war, and he invites others, especially Gene into this peaceful sphere” (Alton). This piece of evidence explains how Gene’s envy got in control of him and that Finny never thought of their friendship as a competition. Gene’s envy and imitation of Finny lastly affected Gene’s lack of

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“There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide” (Emerson). The character Gene learns of this not until after many trials and a great tragedy. In A Separate Peace by John Knowles, the idea of self-reliance is greatly stressed. The novel A Separate Peace conveys how Gene’s envy and imitation of Finny affect him, how Gene’s envy and imitation affect their relationship with Finny, and Gene’s achievement of peace. The envy towards and imitation of Funny greatly affect Gene.

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They are supposed to be best friends, but Gene envies him and thinks he is trying to make him look bad. After Finny’s accident, Gene struggled with guilt and his life was changed because of it. “I spent as much time as I could alone in our room, trying to empty my mind of every thought, to forget where I was, even who I was. One evening when I was dressing for dinner in this numbed frame of mind, an idea occurred to me, the first with any energy behind it since Finny fell from the tree. I decided to put on his clothes” (Knowles 29).

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After Finny’s accident they became a lot closer. Alton states,” Phineas, too, feels their connection: after the accident, he informs Gene he must become an athlete in Finny’s stead. ``(Alton) Finny’s accident caused him to open up to Gene and reveal what his dream was. When Finny asked him to help achieve his goal Gene thought of himself as an extension of Finny. When Finny learned the truth their friendship was broken.

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