Character Analysis: A Separate Place Of Peace

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A Separate Place of Peace
As artist Kahlil Gibran explains grief, “When you part from your friend, you grieve not; For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.” These words vividly illustrate the situation of many of those who lose close family or friends. Mourners understand that loved ones never truly leave them, and can cherish all of the memories they had together. These revelations change the griever, which often leads them into a more independent lifestyle; While the griever will never forget all that the past loved one had done for them, the mourner eventually moves on into the future, stronger than they were before. This limitless and life changing grief is especially evident in the John Knowles’ coming of age novel, A Separate Peace, in which Knowles’ masterfully tells the tale of two friends, Gene and Finny, growing up during WWII and …show more content…

When Finny is gone, Gene can “see the way up the mountain” and how he should keep climbing, keep persevering through life, with or without Finny. Finny’s death forces Gene to create his own identity and to stay strong alone. Gene recognizes all of the flaws and the ideals that Finny had, and Finny helps him see the truth of human nature, how the reality of the world isn’t that bright, because all humans are flawed one way or another. From A Separate Peace John Knowles conveys the idea that humans are meant to struggle through life and how a life without struggles is a meaningless one. Easy decisions that protect oneself in the beginning only end up harming the being in the long run, so the difficult choice is usually the correct one and by turning away from such a decision results in humanity turning away from any lasting

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