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Short narrative Essay examples about friendship
Short narrative Essay examples about friendship
Short narrative Essay examples about friendship
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Showing the hardships of teenagers growing up while war is tearing apart their world, A Separate Peace by John Knowles depicts situations and relationships that many young adults are faced with. A Separate Peace is about a precarious friendship between Gene and Finny, who both attended Devon School. Gene confesses to Finny that he purposefully jounced the tree limb, so Finny would fall. Gene was not completely certain that he did this with malicious intentions. Also, if he had meant to cause Finny physical pain, Finny would have never found out if Gene had not brought the possibility up. Gene confessing this actually hurt Finny more and led to his eventual death. Gene should not have confessed that he was involved in the jouncing of the tree …show more content…
After Gene attempts to confess his supposed intentions and Finny does not even remotely believe him, he thinks, “Could it be that he might even be right? Had I really and definitely and knowingly done it to him after all? I couldn’t remember I couldn’t think” (Knowles, 62). In this passage, Gene clearly shows that his confession is not the indubitable truth. This leads back to the type of person Gene is and the relationship Finny and him have. Gene is undoubtedly jealous of Finny and his athletic ability, but their friendship is very open and important to both of them. For example, Finny shows how he cherishes their friendship here, “ ‘It’s you, pal,’ Finny said to me at last, ‘just you and me.’ He and I started back across the fields, preceding the others like two seigneurs. We were the best of friends at that moment” (10). After the two of them are the only ones to jump out of the tree and into the river, Finny states their immediate relation to each other. Gene also automatically feels as if they share companionship in each other. They have a close friendship, and healthy competition is a component of all relationships. Gene did not have unquestionable belief that he deliberately jostled the limb so Finny would fall and shatter his …show more content…
Finny says this in response to Gene’s question about how he fell from the tree, “ ‘I don’t know, I must have just lost my balance. It must have been that. I did have this idea, this feeling that when you were standing there beside me, y—I don’t know, I had a kind of feeling. But you can’t say anything for sure from just feelings. And this feeling doesn’t make any sense. It was a crazy idea, I must have been delirious. So I just have to forget it, I just fell,’ he turned away to grope for something among the pillows, ‘that’s all.’ Then he glanced back at me, ‘I’m sorry about that feeling I had’” (58). In this passage, Gene listens as Finny hides feelings that Gene could have possibly been the cause of the accident, but the key is that Finny did not genuinely believe Gene could do such a thing so he brushed the feelings away. Also, if it were not for Gene’s confession and the trial held by Brinker, Finny would not have been hurt even more. Here, Gene realizes the pain he is causing Finny, “It struck me then that I was injuring him again. It occurred to me that this be an even deeper injury than what I had done before” (62). Gene was rubbing salt in Finny’s wound by forcing him to doubt their friendship. Later, when he hears Leper’s testimony at the
Throughout A Separate Peace, Knowles carefully, yet successfully develops the inevitable loss of innocence theme. He is able to prove the Latin inscription “Here Boys Come to Be Made Men” (165), by describing the necessity of transition to adulthood. If Finny never accepted the tragedy that occurred to him and the new perspective of the world, he wouldn’t have been able to live beyond his illusion. If Leper didn’t let go of his imaginary world of nature, he would not have been able to become the individual he is at the end of the novel. And if Gene did not try to fight his enemy he would not have resolved the issue of self-identity. Knowles effectively develops the theme, thus portraying it as a necessary part of life.
In the novel A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, the narrator, Gene Forrester struggles to earn and preserve a separate peace. The story takes place in a remote boarding school named Devon, in New Hampshire. While Gene and Finny are in school, World War II is taking place. The author clearly explains an important story about the jealousy between Gene and his best friend, Phineas. Gene suspects that Finny is trying to sabotage his grades, and Gene allows his jealousy to control his actions. Therefore, Gene misinterprets their relationship by thinking that they shared enmity towards each other, and this caused Gene to enter a world of jealousy and hatred, which ultimately leads to Finny’s death. By examining this jealousy, John Knowles
Gene believes that Finny and he hate each other, until he realizes Finny’s pureness, which Gene can not stand. At first, Gene believes that Finny wants to exceed him, and that the two are rivals. Everyone at Devon likes Finny. The teachers adore him, the students look up to him, the athletes aspire to be like him. Finny has no enemies. Gene, however, sees through Finny’s “cover” and thinks they hate each other. He hates Finny for beating A. Hopkins swimming record, and for making him jump from the tree, and for being better than Gene. When Finny takes Gene to the beach, Finny tells Gene that they are “best pals.” Gene does not respond to Finny’s sincere gesture because he thinks Finny wants to sabotage him. Gene realizes that he and Finny are “even after all, even in enmity. The deadly rivalry was on both sides after all” (46). Gene has no proof of Finny’s hatred, but Gene needs to find a way to be even with Finny. Once he decides they are even, he must now surpass Finny, so he jounces the limb. Gene’s hatred takes over, only now he realizes that the hatred only comes from one side. Finny is pure. He never hates Gene; he loves Gene like he loves everyone else. Ge...
In the story, Finny created a counterpart between his athleticism and Gene’s academic abilities. Since sports came easy to Finny, he assumed that Gene was naturally intelligent and smart. Finny eventually figured out that this was not true and that his assumptions were incorrect; “‘Oh for God sake! You don’t know what I’m talking about. No, of course not. Not you…’ ‘I didn’t know you needed to study,’ he said simply, ‘I didn’t think you ever did. I thought it just came to you.’ It seemed that he had made some kind of parallel between my studies and his sports. He probably thought anything you were good at came without effort” (Knowles 57-58). Finny was unable to comprehend that some skills do not come naturally to people. Devoted friendships are a result of having an appreciation for each other. Finny and Gene did not have this nor did they truly know each other very well. A lack of understanding between the two of them provoked various disputes throughout the novel. If Gene and Finny were truly friends, misunderstandings would not have occurred since they would have acknowledged their
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.
Gene believes that people are deliberately out to get him and concentrates only on grasping the evil within his friends. Therefore, Gene decides to defeat his enemies before he gets defeated himself. During the summer session at Devon, Gene encounters a dark suspicion that his friend Finny is drawing him away from his studies in order to make him fail. This makes sense to Gene since he religiously follows the rules to win approval from the staff at Devon, and anyone who persuades him to disobey these rules wishes failure upon him. Therefore, Finny
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...
In conclusion Gene and Finny aren’t friends. True friends do not envy each other, or wage war with each other. True friends would stick with each other to the end, they do not envy, and most importantly they do not intentionally harm each other. Gene and Finny’s relationship is a perfect example of how envy and jealousy can corrupt the minds of everyday people. Just like what Oliver Stone said “ you should never underestimate the power of jealousy and the power of envy to destroy” because in the end it is Genes envy that took Finny’s life, and it is Genes consequence to bear that burden of death he brought upon himself
Gene says about Finny and their friendship, “Finny and I went along the Boardwalk in our sneakers and white slacks” (47). They can overcome their hardships and be friends still after something tragic happens. Their quarrels and trials can’t destroy their friends till the end. Gene says, “It was surprising how well we got along in these weeks” (55). They can still be friends even though Gene pushed him out of the tree. They forgive each other for what they do even though it isn’t right then and there it takes time to heal a deep wound. When they care for each other they can overcome any
The author develops his character to show that he is passive and resentful, but also honest. Finny is able to coax Gene into assenting to his plans whether Gene wants to or not, but Gene never remonstrates. He doesn’t want to cause trouble, but he doesn’t want to speak up and refuse either. As Finny continues to talk his way out of trouble and excel at sports such as blitzkrieg ball, Gene starts to show readers that he resents Finny for being so adept at everything. The story states,” Finny could shine with everything, he attracted everyone he met.” However, even when Gene is becoming more envious of Finny he still considers him his best friend. Gene believes he pushed Finny off the branch, even though we do not know for sure. To try to make this action right and do what a best friend would, he goes to Finny’s house to confess. It may hurt their relationship, but Finny wants to be honest and try to rid himself of the
This passage reflects Gene’s true thoughts on his friendship with Finny and jealousy. His tone in this text is of disappointment and anger as he realized that Finny was never jealous of him. This is a contrast to Gene and Finny’s friendship at the beginning of the book, where the two seem to be best friends with no hard feelings at all. Thus, this shows how Gene’s view of their friendship is slowly reveled, and proves Gene has feelings of jealousy toward Finny. It seems to bother Gene quite a lot that he and Finny were
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
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.