In John Knowles novel, A Separate Peace, Phineas has to die in order for the main character and protagonist of the story, Gene Forrester, to finally let go of his guilt and become an adult. Finny’s death brought closure to Gene, as his whole friendship was unstable for the reason that Gene felt jealous of Finny’s ability and life. Gene also could never really forgive himself for the fact that he had made Finny fall out of a tree and break his leg, causing him to not pursue his athletic abilities. He could never truly grow as a person while Finny was his friend because he would always live in the shadow of him and feel the guilt constantly pressuring him. One day Gene says, “I spent as much time as I could alone in our room, trying to empty
