Summary Of A Separate Peace By John Knowles

Internal struggle and bitter jealousy are complex feelings that can hinder the relationship between family and friends for any individual. These emotions can stem from outward sources such as war or a deep-seated envy that lies within everyone. In John Knowles's A Separate Peace, Gene Forrester is a prime example of this struggle. Due to jealousy of his best friend Finny and his internal struggle to find his true self, the reader is made aware of the the hardships in finding a balance between constant paranoia and true feelings towards Finny, a seemingly impossible task.
Throughout the course of the novel, it becomes apparent that Gene is a very dynamic character with an ever changing disposition. Professor of English James Ellis states in

Initially, Gene was seen as an introvert who kept to himself. He lived by the rules, and he saw them as a set of guidelines. If he stayed within the boundaries that rules had set, he would be on his way to greatness and becoming what he wanted to be, or at least what he thought he wanted to be. Upon meeting Phineas, he slowly becomes a more sociable and outgoing individual. Phineas helps Gene to grow out of his comfort zone and even convinces him to skip school and break the rules with him. As their friendship grows, the reader eventually sees Gene become slightly envious due to the personality traits that Finny had in which Gene did not. The following quote from A Separate Peace is a perfect example of supporting evidence that Gene had began to have a “friendly” envy for what Finny had. “It was hypnotism. I was beginning to see that Phineas could get away with anything. I couldn’t help envying him that a little, which was perfectly normal. There was no harm in envying even your best friend a little” (Knowles 25). The ability Phineas had to talk his

The largest aspect of Gene’s character which provides such complexity is his own struggle to discover who he is. Finny is the primary reason behind the major change in Gene over the course of the novel, and it’s even noticed at the very beginning of their new friendship. “To acknowledge visibly his giving up the rules of Devon, Gene now trips Finny, and the two are united in a boy’s conspiracy to elude adulthood and its rules” (Ellis 81). Through this quotation, the reader can see the small bit of change that begins to happen with Gene that over the course of the novel, develops into a fiasco that grows out of hand. Finny eventually has such an intense grasp over Gene that he even skips class with him on occasion, which is unusual for Gene whom is a character that is used to following the rules. On one such occasion that they skip class, Finny reveals to Gene that he considers him to be his best friend. Upon receiving this information, Gene had nothing in which to say back to Finny. Even though he thought about it, something held him back from repeating those words to him (Ellis 82). Deep down he felt that something was off, and this gut feeling is what prevented him from becoming closer to Finny in this moment. This one scene of the novel is so crucial because it conveys the purity and raw emotion that embodies Finny’s character while