A Separate Peace Chapter 1 Summary

In chapter 1 of A Separate Peace, the narrator, whom has yet to be named, begins telling of when he last visited his school of his high school years, which happened to be during World War II. It had been fifteen years since his last appearance. On his trip of touring the school for the first time since his departure, he had wanted to see two specific places. One of these places turns out to be a tree near the edge of a river, where he and his friends, more specifically his best friend, Phineas or “Finny”, would jump from into the water below. As the narrator stands at the tree he remembers one particular summer night in 1942, in which he and Phineas had jumped from the tree for the very first time. The narrator says at the time of the jump, “At that moment, we were the best of friends.” The narrator and his friends head back …show more content…
For the few days agter the incident no one is allowed in to see Finny, but it’s rumored that his leg has been shattered. One morning, Gene speaks with the doctor, who seems optimistic that Finny will walk again, meaning that Finny will never play sports again. Finny asks to see Gene and Gene feels he wants to see him to accuse Gene of making him fall. When Gene walks in and asks Finny what had happened Finny just replies with, “I just fell.” Gene wants to tell Phineas the truth, but as soon as he is about to he is rushed out of the room. Phineas is taken home to Bostone and the summer session closes. Gene goes home for a month vacation and goes right back to school. On his way to Devon he makes a visit to Finny’s home. Finny, expecting Gene’s visit, wants to know all about his vacation home. While Gene, wanting to get out the truth, quickly states he was why Finny fell. Upset, Phineas tells Gene to leave and that he won’t hear it and doesn’t believe it. Gene, knowing he hurt Finny more, makes a few more remarks and departs to