If you could choose to fail or be perfect, which one would you choose? The fact is nobody likes to fail, but it's the reason we can walk, talk, or learn. In the novel, A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles, the main character Gene and many of his friends are in the midst of growing up. They are living during the time of World War II, 1943, at an all boys school called Devon in New Hampshire. Throughout the book, Gene struggles with friendships and he feels as if he is constantly embroiled in his own inner and external war. First, he struggles with his self worth; next, he succumbs to peer pressure; and finally he loses his innocence. Although difficult, these struggles shape him into a more mature person. First, Gene struggles with self
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His friends are often pushing him into risky situations where he is not comfortable, but does them anyway. For example, his friends pressure him into jumping off of a tree. “What was I doing up here anyway? Why did I let Finny talk me into stupid things like this? Was he getting some kind of hold over me? (17). This quote demonstrates the difficulty of choosing what Gene thinks is right versus impressing his friends. The constant pressure to impress builds up over time, even when his instincts know that his choices are a poor decision. Over time, going with the crowd becomes second nature to …show more content…
And as Gene leans into struggles and failures, he learns from each and is shaped into a more mature person. Gene’s life shows that struggles can be a part of each person’s development. Humans are shaped not only from successes, but also from their failures. People can learn from hardships, change perspectives and be humbled. Just as Gene did in the book A Separate Peace, we each have the ability to choose to lean into a personal response when doubt is present, when we feel negatively influenced by others, or when we experience the hardship of loss. We can choose to not focus in the negative spaces, but instead, look forward towards growth to improve from each perceived failure. The choice to positively lean into a response belongs to each of
His friends are often pushing him into risky situations where he is not comfortable, but does them anyway. For example, his friends pressure him into jumping off of a tree. “What was I doing up here anyway? Why did I let Finny talk me into stupid things like this? Was he getting some kind of hold over me? (17). This quote demonstrates the difficulty of choosing what Gene thinks is right versus impressing his friends. The constant pressure to impress builds up over time, even when his instincts know that his choices are a poor decision. Over time, going with the crowd becomes second nature to …show more content…
And as Gene leans into struggles and failures, he learns from each and is shaped into a more mature person. Gene’s life shows that struggles can be a part of each person’s development. Humans are shaped not only from successes, but also from their failures. People can learn from hardships, change perspectives and be humbled. Just as Gene did in the book A Separate Peace, we each have the ability to choose to lean into a personal response when doubt is present, when we feel negatively influenced by others, or when we experience the hardship of loss. We can choose to not focus in the negative spaces, but instead, look forward towards growth to improve from each perceived failure. The choice to positively lean into a response belongs to each of