Character Analysis: A Separate Peace By John Knowles

During Gene’s time at Devon, he faced many internal conflicts. Most of which consisted in forms of raging envy for Finny’s unconditional talent for any sport, good looks, and popularity. Instead of accepting the fact that Finny was simply a better human and leaning his focus onto self-improvement, he concluded that Finny must be jealous too. Gene wanted to excel at something related to how Finny had exceeded.Wistfully Gene’s plan later resulted in Phineas’ death; therefore, he clearly did not deal with his conflict in an appropriate way, but Finny’s death did end Gene’s war. Gene later explained, “I was on active duty all my time at Devon; I killed my enemy there.” Although he never got to enlist in war he succeeded in destroying his enemy: his hatred and envy for others. In which his personal war was never actually physical... his war was overcoming a dangerous state …show more content…
In this sense, Gene’s conflict is greater than the conflict of war because it is his fear and jealousy that causes people to react to situations in rash ways, such as the war. Relating to, the Devon School is symbolic of WWII because while there are troops fighting the military war, it almost seems as if each boy at Devon is fighting their own personal war. Gene fights his animosity and resentment for others, Finny fights the war of not understanding that not everybody is as easy going and kind as him, etc. To conclude, Gene’s many internal conflicts are things that people face everyday and may sometimes be greater than we