Character Differences In John Knowles A Separate Peace

The John Knowles’ book “A Separate Peace” sets the point of view of the book from the view of the narrator. The book contains the ideal high school life with scenarios that teens can relate to. We are given the knowledge of multiple characters in the book each having their own unique personality. Finny in particular is probably one of the most unique characters mentioned in the book. He sets the image for what we consider to be the ideal high school teenage boy. Throughout the book the author subtly brings out Phineas’ true colors. Although Phineas is the ideal figure for a high school adolescent, his actions appear to be compared to those of a child, which establishes that Phineas has the mental capability of a child rather than those of a …show more content…
That Ideal image consists of being sporty, smart, or someone who can stay true to who they are without losing themselves along the way. In the book, A Separate Peace, that’s exactly how the character Finny comes off, as the ideal high school student. The sporty cool kids that everyone seems to know in high school. He sets the ideal image for these teenage boys because no matter what sport he played or what he did he always came out on top. He managed to get away with almost anything, including ditching school for the beach, Finny has all the traits and quality’s that ever boy aspires to be like once they go to high school. Finny turns out to be envied by so many people even by the person that he considers his best friend. The passage states “It was hypnotism. I was beginning to see that Phineas could get away with anything. I couldn’t help envying him that a little, which was perfectly normal. There was no harm in envying even your best friend a little.” Pg.9. The fact that his upper and lower classmates recognize him as the school’s best athlete, gives everyone the perspective that he surpasses everyone at sports and he had an immense impact on people in the school. Throughout the book Finny stayed true to himself because no matter what he did it resembles his persona. He out of all the characters never aspired to be anyone else but himself. I believe that this makes him ideal for a teenager in …show more content…
He views life as a big game where only winners exist and not losers. Phineas still behaves like a child because of the way he thinks when playing sports where there is no such thing as losing only winning because in his mind you do not lose, you win but in another way. He’s caught up in his own world where he thinks he can do what he wants and that his actions do not have consequences. He believes that no matter, the action committed, he will be granted another life or simply that he’s invincible. I believe that his child like mind allows him to come up with new games as well as putting together a winter carnival for the school. Children tend to live by their own rules, do whatever they want to do and not listen to anyone which perfectly describes Phineas. He also went as far as sabotaging his best friend which shows his immaturity. For example in the text it states “Then a second realization broke as clearly and bleakly as dawn at the beach. Finny had deliberately set out to wreck my studies. That explained blitzball, that explained the nightly meetings of the Super Suicide Society, that explained his insistence that I share all his diversions. The way I believed that you’re-my-best-friend blabber!” Pg. 24. One can tell that Finny likes to be number one for everything, even if it meant bringing his friend down with him. Although the author doesn’t make