A Separate Peace: Finny - How Things Change Essay example -- essays re

A Separate Peace Finny - How Things Change     In the novel "A Separate Peace," by John Knowles, a son named Genevisits his high check 15 years after graduating in order to find an inner peace.While attending the private sons cultivate during the second World War, Genesbest friend Phineas died and Gene knows he was partially responsible. Phineas,or Finny as he was roundtimes called, was the most popular boy in school. He wasa handsome, taunting, daredevil suspensor. Gene, on the other hand, was a lonely,self-sufficient intellectual. Somehow the two became good friends, or so Finny survey. Gene, unfortunately, was bitten by the green-eyed monster of jealousy.Gene just couldnt come to grips with the idea that a person of Finnys staturewould want to be his friend. Genes envy grew to a efflorescence where he was willingto severely injure Finny for being too ideal. alas for Finny, Genesucceeded. Finnys seeming perfection, his strong beliefs, and his abi lity toforgive trace his reading throughout the novel.     Finnys seeming perfection was the basis for Genes resentment towardshim. Gene thought that everything Finny did was perfect, which just up slew Geneall the more than. Finny was so perfect that he didnt care what others thought,like when Finny wore a pink shirt as an image after the bombing of centralEurope. " ...Pink It makes you look like a pouf Does it? He used thispreoccupied tone when he was thinking of something more interesting than whatyou had said." One time Finny and Gene were at the swimming jackpot when Finnynoticed that a boy named A. Hopkins Parker had the record for the 100 yards freestyle. When Finny recognize that A. Hopkins Parker had graduated before theycame, he remarked, "I have a look I can swim faster than A. Hopkins Parker."He was right. Gene was rhapsodic that Finny could do such a thing without anytraining or anything. All Gene could think was, "Youre too good to be true." Incertain ways he was.     Throughout the book Gene knows that Finny has some strong beliefs. Thefirst three he noticed were "Never say you are five feet nine when you arereally five feet ogdoad and a half" "Always say some prayers at dark because itmight turn out that there is a god" an... ...y?"     "I believe you. Its okay because I understand and I believe you.Youve already shown me and I believe you." Finny forgave Gene and all was well,at least for a little while.     Finnys development can be seen throughout the novel by tracing hisseeming perfection, his strong beliefs, and his ability to forgive. Finnychanged from being the best athlete in the school to being the only one whocouldnt go to the war. Finny was a very good person. Finny was a very firmbeliever in what he thought was right. Finny was a very forgiving person,believing in the forgiveness of friends. Unfortunately, Finny died due to thenegligence of the school doctor. When Finnys leg was being set some bonemarrow escaped into his blood stream lemniscus his heart. When Gene heard thisnews he didnt cry. Gene felt that, along with Phineas, he himself had died,and you dont cry at your own funeral. Gene went back to his school to come togrips with the fact that he was partially responsible for Finnys death. Finnywas not perfect Ds on his tests and bad grades show that. But to Gene, Finnywas perfect and always would be.