Summary Of A Separate Peace By John Knowles

In the novel A Separate Peace written by John Knowles, Gene Forrester is the introverted trouble academic, and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, is the charismatic and widely-admired athlete. Although not explicitly stated, the bond between Phineas and Gene resembles love that is not strictly platonic, as if often leans towards romantic and sexual. Through this novel, gay students can relate to Gene’s struggle of self-acceptance and homosexual thoughts.
Told from the perspective of Gene Forrester, the reader gets unique insight into Gene’s homosexual gaze. As Finny stands atop of the tree for the first time, Gene notes, “We just looked quietly back at him, and so he began taking off his clothes, stripping down to his underpants. For such an extraordinary

Although he compares himself to Finny, Gene’s acute description of Finny’s almost-naked body is rich with detail and admiration, suggesting his underlying homosexual desires. While Gene’s homoerotic gaze lies primarily on Finny, it shifts to Brinker once Finny is gone. Gene states, “The flaps of his gabardine jacket parted slightly over his healthy rump, and it is that, without any sense of derision at all, that I recall as Brinker’s salient characteristic, those healthy, determined, not over-exaggerated but definite and substantial buttocks” (87). Gene makes keen observations on Brinker’s body and puts emphasis on a particular part of the body that is often sexualized. In sum, Gene’s hyper-awareness and admiration of boys’ bodies suggests homoerotic desires that lie beneath the surface of A Separate

After escaping away to the beach together, Phineas confesses to Gene, “ I know I kind of dragged you away at the point of a gun, but after all you can’t come to the shore with just anybody and you can’t come by yourself, and at this teen-age period in life the proper person is your best pal.” He hesitated and then added, “which is what you are,” and there was silence on the dune” (48). Not only are they surrounded by the romantic setting of a beach, but Phineas’s confession to Gene establishes the intimacy of their relationship. By implying that only one person can be someone’s best friend, Phineas admits the monogamous nature of their relationship, indicating an exclusive partnership between the two boys. Despite his desires for Phineas, Gene begins to panic and can’t bring himself to verbally reciprocate Phineas’s emotions. Gene narrates, “I nearly did. But something held me back. Perhaps I was stopped by that level of feeling, deeper than thought, which contains the truth” (48). Gene admits his yearning to reciprocate these emotions, but implies that there is something complex that prevents him from doing so. For Gene, admitting his feelings for Phineas is akin to Gene admitting that he is gay, which comes with stigma that could be detrimental to