At the very core of human nature, emotions can be narrowed down to two categories: those that associate with love and those which associate with hatred. All other emotions stem from these two categories and in the case of John Knowles’s A Separate Piece, protagonist- and at times antagonist- Gene experiences how the darker emotions stemming from hatred affect himself and his relationship with fellow student Phineas. Transcendentalist writer Ralph Waldo Emerson once remarked that “envy is ignorance; imitation is suicide,” and Julie Taylor’s article “Envy: Is it hurting or [surprise] Helping You?” can substantiate this claim in regards to Gene’s actions. Even though envy and imitation are words heavily embedded in the story, the beginning of …show more content…
He and Finny are described to be the epitome of what best friends should be. The couple even wrestled until it became pitch-dark. However, there seems to be a tinge of resentment. Gene describes Finny to be “rolling forward in his white sneakers with such unthinking unity of movement that ‘walk’ didn’t describe it.” (6) Of course, there is the obvious feeling of admiration; however, the way that Gene repetitively “admires” Finny, evokes a feeling of jealousy. So, Gene and Finny continue their adventures and eventually end up on the beach. Finny admits that he dragged Gene there and boldly admits that he is his best friend. One would assume that Gene would return the favor but he does not. At this point, he realizes that there may be some “level of feeling deeper than thought, which contains the truth” (25). It is a rather pivotal point in their relationship because here is where envy begins to take over the innocent …show more content…
At the end of their conversation, Finny tells Gene that he must play sports in Finny’s place. Well, Gene accepts and recognizes that his “purpose from the first: to become a part of Phineas” (48). The first step to metaphorical suicide is completed with this proposal. Later on with the coming of winter, Finny makes an addition to his prior proposal: set Gene up physically for the Olympics of 1944. In doing so, Gene is giving up more of his individual self to imitating and becoming Finny. This action helps their relationship since Gene no longer feels utter resentment to his former “competitor,” but now feels pity. He ruined Finny’s life so imitating and becoming like him is the least Gene can do. So pity continues to be the new base of their friendship up until the moment that Finny passes away. His purity and innocence until death becomes a focus for Gene. He says that amongst all the evil and hatred in the world, nothing “even about the war had broken his harmonious and natural unity” (122). Because of Gene’s imitation of Finny and to some extent becoming him, Gene was able to kill his own impurities that were hatred. His fury committed suicide once he let Finny’s harmonious unity in. Along with this accomplishment, he now fully understands the darker side of human nature. He understands its role in the human mind and how it can destroy someone. Because of this knowledge,
Before Gene and Finny went to perform a double jump off the tree, Gene again starts contemplating ways that Finny is jealous of him. Gene states, “The thought was, You and Phineas are even already. You are even in enmity. You are both coldly driving ahead for yourselves alone. You did hate him for breaking that school swimming record, but so what? He hated you for getting an A in every course but one last term. You would have had an A in that one except for him. Except for him” (Knowles 53) . Gene knew that he had an immense amount of jealousy towards Finny, so instead of trying to remove it, he comes up with a plethora of ideas to try and justify it. Gene thinks of these ideas right before he jounces the tree limb. Gene narrates, “Holding firmly to the trunk, I took a step toward him, and then my knees bent and I jounced the limb(Knowles, 60). Gene’s differing feelings are expressed in a small gesture which demolishes Finny’s life. Seeing Finny fail briefly relieved Gene’s anger and jealousy. Gene says, “It was the first clumsy physical action I had ever seen him make. With unthinking sureness I moved out on the limb and jumped into the river, every trace of my fear of this forgotten” (Knowles, 60). This is the first time that Gene jumps off the tree with complete confidence. The failure of his lethal rival allows Gene to behave as Finny, and ultimately become
Gene was only a mediocre athlete and is always jealous of Finny. They form a Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session which includes jumping from a tree into a river as its initiation. Eventually, Finny falls from the tree fracturing his leg. This leads to Finny’s death and Gene struggle to find himself. The relationship between these two boys proves my thesis statement; a friend and an enemy can be one in the same.
First, I believe that Gene and Finny were not sincerely friends throughout the novel due to their relationship being driven by competitiveness. Along with the competitive atmosphere came jealously, envy and enmity. Gene created a rivalry between him and Finny. Since Finny was
Have you ever read a book where one of the main characters was so envious of another? Well, here you have it. In John Knowles “A Separate Peace”, Gene is all for the jealous rage and resentful ways. Throughout the book, Mr. Knowles places the boys in a boarding school and sets the tale so that the reader knows all the focus is set upon Finny and Gene’s relationship. Speaking of relationships and Gene’s way, the storyline takes a turn and Finny actually ends up being almost physically pushed out of a tree. I say that shows a large characteristic of Gene. He is without a doubt, resentful towards Finny.
Throughout A Separate Peace, John Knowles effectively uses his characterization of Finny to teach one of life's greatest lessons. Although at times Gene and Finny appear to be enemies, the tests and challenges Finny presents to Gene actually cause him to blossom, making him a stronger person. Despite Finny's death, his wisdom, courage and actions live on in Gene. Gene learns that throughout life accomplishments that one works for and achieves will provide much more reward than those handed to a person. Many times, the greatest reward is finding one's true self and discovering his or her capabilities.
Chapter 7: After the Fall also claims that Gene “wants to become what Finny was as a means to escape from himself”, however, the novel presents evidence that Finny was the one who tried to become Gene. The literary analysis claims Gene’s signing up for extracurricular activities and his wearing of Finny’s shirt suggest that Gene is
In the beginning of the novel, Gene, is a clueless individual. He sees the worst in people and lets his evil side take over not only his mind but also his body. During the tree scene, Gene convinces himself that Finny isn’t his friend, tricking himself into thinking that Finny is a conniving foil that wants to sabotage his academic merit. Gene is furthermore deluded that every time Finny invites Gene somewhere it’s to keep him from studying and doing well. Finny has a reputation for being the the best athlete in school, and Gene attempts to counterbalance Finny’s power by being the best student. After a while of joining Finny’s activities, Gene thinks that Finny is intentionally trying to make him fail out of school. He starts to dislike Finny and his activities, and Gene starts interrupt...
Someone once said that, “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” However, in a book set about 10 years before this quote came about, it worked the opposite way. A Separate Peace by John Knowles, is a coming-of-age novel set in 1957 during the time of World War II. Gene, the main character, attends a boys’ boarding school in New England called Devon. There he rooms with his friend Phineas, both whom are complete opposites. As drafting into the war becomes closer and closer and other pivotal events occur among the boys, Gene and Finny’s friendship begins to rip at the seams. Although it is not a major event, Gene and Finny’s trip to the beach provides a pivotal moment in Gene’s future psychological and moral
Although Gene hurt Finny, he never questions Gene's loyalty and friendship. Showing how true friends will always believe and trust each other. During a school
Knowles further manipulates Finny and Gene’s relationship in their escapades together. At the beach, Finny shares his inner emotions with Gene, an act likened to “the next thing to suicide” (48). Surprised, Gene attempts to share his own feelings, but hesitates and does not follow through. Knowles uses Gene’s hesitant, distrusting nature, to suggest dishonesty in his relationship with Finny. In the scene where Finny saves Gene from falling out of the tree, Knowles continues to imply power disparity. Realizing that “Finny had practically saved [his] life” (32), Gene feels personal debt to Finny. This widens the power gap even further ...
Insidiously and pervasively, Gene's original doubt creeps into his mind while at the beach, when Finny confesses that Gene is his best pal, yet Gene's hesitation holds him back, stating that “perhaps [he] was stopped by the level of feeling, deeper than thought, which contains the truth” (50). By pondering his motivations, Gene reveals that he truly does not believe that Finny considers him his best friend; Gene doubts Finny because he believes that hate forms the cornerstone of the relationship, which in turn leaves no room for love. Instead, Gene believes the confession of friendship serves the purpose of disillusioning him, that, as a conniver, Finny wants Gene to falsely trust him. Through a lack of communication, neither boy truly knows where they stand as a friendship based on trust and mutual affection fosters no home for envy, and yet Gene believes that Finny is his adversary. Finally, Gene ponders how he “might have asked, 'Who are you then?'” while realizing that Finny cares more about him than the fake rivalry; as Finny's personality seems to suddenly veer away from competitive, Gene feels he “was facing a total stranger” (50). Because Finny fears destroying the friendship by addressing its problems, he never empathizes with Gene and therefore does not see Gene's deluded misinterpretation of the association or the hatred that he fosters towards Phineas. Finny throws Gene off guard as he expressed his true feelings because, fed by doubt, Gene does not believe that Finny truly cares for him. Again, Gene's fears escape his mind as he exclaims “to drag me down too!” (57) when Finny talks of how he could have reached out to Gene in the moments before his fall. In his mind, Gene molds Phineas into a resentful person, so he automatically assumes the worst with Finny's intentions. Like an animal of prey, Gene retreats suddenly when
In the early pages of the novel, Finny confesses that Gene is his best friend. This is considered a courageous act as the students at Devon rarely show any emotion. And rather than coming back with similar affection, Gene holds back and says nothing. Gene simply cannot handle the fact that Finny is so compassionate, so athletic, so ingenuitive, so perfect. As he put it, "Phineas could get away with anything." (p. 18) In order to protect himself from accepting Finny's compassion and risking emotional suffering, Gene creates a silent rivalry with Finny, and convinced himself that Finny is deliberately attempting to ruin his schoolwork. Gene decides he and Finny are jealous of each other, and reduces their friendship to cold trickery and hostility. Gene becomes disgusted with himself after weeks of the silent rivalry. He finally discovers the truth, that Finny only wants the best for Gene, and had no hidden evil intentions. This creates a conflict for Gene as he is not able to deal with Finny's purity and his own dark emotions. On this very day Finny wants to jump off of the tree branch into the Devon river at the same time as Gene, a "double jump" (p. 51), he says, as a way of bonding. It was this decision, caused by Finny's affection for Gene and outgoing ways that resulted in drastic change for the rest of his life.
Additionally, Gene justifies his hatred towards Finny by assuming Finny feels hatred towards him because of his excellence in academics. At this moment, Gene does not attempt to deny his shadow. Rather, he embraces his shadow completely, allowing it take him over and make false accusations against his own best friend. In Gene’s mind, “Finny had deliberately set out to wreck my studies. That explained blitz all, that explained the nightly meetings of the Super Suicide Society, that explains his insistence that I share all his diversions.
Gene jounces a limb of the tree he and Finny were standing on, causing Finny to fall and break his leg. Gene's jealousy of Finny's perfection causes him to have childish feelings of resentment and hatred. After Finny's leg was broken, Gene realized "that there never was and never could have been any rivalry between" (Knowles 51) him and Finny. Gene looked at himself and became conscious of what a terrible, self-absorbed friend he had been. Understanding there was no competition caused him to discard the majority of his feelings of jealousy. Getting rid of these feelings made him grow-up because he was no longer spending countless hours believing a childish game was being played between Finny and him. Gene began to understand more of Finny's goodness and love towards all, making him strive to be more like Finny.
We have all had that feeling of envy, the strong desire to obtain or wanting something that someone else has. Whether, it is someone’s traits, status, abilities, or situation we have all had that feeling at least once. Envy is a curse of us human beings, although being envious is quite ugly, it also very blinding. Feeling envious allows us to feel and want what someone else had because we have some insecurity about the exact thing we desire however; we never see the great things in which we posses and qualities in which are unique to us. “But it’s what everybody wants. It’s the nasty secret at large in the world. It’s the unspoken tidal desire in every room and on every street. It’s the unspoken, the soundless whisper….millions upon millions of people longing hopelessly forever to stop being whatever they are and be beautiful” (1108).