The Friendship Of Change In the coming of age novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles, a struggling friendship of a change of heart between characters Gene and Finny takes place. In the beginning of the novel, Gene’s envious mindset and lack of communication with Finny, results in a one sided friendship where Gene does not share the same feelings of their companionship as Finny. By the end, Gene grows up to recognize that his childish ways were wrong, and how blinded he really is from reality. After all of the inner struggles, realizations, and bonding, Gene and Finny both came together as equals in love for one another. Before Finny’s accident by falling out of the tree, Gene is kept in the darkness by his envy. Because, he can not see what
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He can not hold in his feelings anymore, and he jounces the limb so that Finny would fall. Later in the book Leper calls Gene a savage, “Laughing and crying, he lay with his head on the floor and his knees up, ‘... always were a savage underneath” (Knowles 145). He is blinded by lies and envy that clouded his vision of what is actually happening. Gene made himself unaware of all of the good Finny does for him, and turns his resentment into an evil that fuels him. Finny is always a good friend to Gene. He does not blame Gene for the accident, and trusts him that he did not mean for him to fall. He is good person who stood by Gene no matter the circumstance. He includes Gene in all of his activities so he would not feel left out, and has been great friend to Gene from the start no matter what Gene thought. After the accident, Gene started to change his perspective of everything. He finally sees who Finny really is to him, and everything that he did wrong. Because of this, the bond between Gene and Finny grew stronger and they began helping each other, “In addition to my own work… flashing progress where we had been bumblers once before” (Knowles 119). Where Gene thought they were competitors, they now have come …show more content…
Happy for each other, for what they have accomplished, and even for a moment have time of A Separate Peace during the storm of worries. Together yet separate they both found peace within themselves, and in each other. Through the blossoming friendship that is being formed there are conflicts. Brinker continuously forced the subject of the accident on Gene and Finny, and only wanted to know the facts. After learning what really happened, Finny forgave Gene after seeing how much he has changed. Even after all of the twists and turns, it can be said that in the end they were true friends, after Gene changes his heart for Finny. In the beginning, Gene thought that Finny is his enemy, “I never killed anybody… if he ever attacked at all; if he was indeed the enemy” (Knowles 204). His perception of an enemy is someone who does not match him. To bring them down to the point where they are equals, or to give up and take in that they are better. In the end, Gene and Finny were equals. They both cared for each other equally after understandings, and the forming of a friendship. Gene’s so-called enemy turned out to be his greatest ally, and his best friend. The real enemy is himself. His war is at school, and what he
He can not hold in his feelings anymore, and he jounces the limb so that Finny would fall. Later in the book Leper calls Gene a savage, “Laughing and crying, he lay with his head on the floor and his knees up, ‘... always were a savage underneath” (Knowles 145). He is blinded by lies and envy that clouded his vision of what is actually happening. Gene made himself unaware of all of the good Finny does for him, and turns his resentment into an evil that fuels him. Finny is always a good friend to Gene. He does not blame Gene for the accident, and trusts him that he did not mean for him to fall. He is good person who stood by Gene no matter the circumstance. He includes Gene in all of his activities so he would not feel left out, and has been great friend to Gene from the start no matter what Gene thought. After the accident, Gene started to change his perspective of everything. He finally sees who Finny really is to him, and everything that he did wrong. Because of this, the bond between Gene and Finny grew stronger and they began helping each other, “In addition to my own work… flashing progress where we had been bumblers once before” (Knowles 119). Where Gene thought they were competitors, they now have come …show more content…
Happy for each other, for what they have accomplished, and even for a moment have time of A Separate Peace during the storm of worries. Together yet separate they both found peace within themselves, and in each other. Through the blossoming friendship that is being formed there are conflicts. Brinker continuously forced the subject of the accident on Gene and Finny, and only wanted to know the facts. After learning what really happened, Finny forgave Gene after seeing how much he has changed. Even after all of the twists and turns, it can be said that in the end they were true friends, after Gene changes his heart for Finny. In the beginning, Gene thought that Finny is his enemy, “I never killed anybody… if he ever attacked at all; if he was indeed the enemy” (Knowles 204). His perception of an enemy is someone who does not match him. To bring them down to the point where they are equals, or to give up and take in that they are better. In the end, Gene and Finny were equals. They both cared for each other equally after understandings, and the forming of a friendship. Gene’s so-called enemy turned out to be his greatest ally, and his best friend. The real enemy is himself. His war is at school, and what he