A Separate Peace: Finny - How Things Change Essay example -- essays re

A Separate Peace Finny - How Things Change     In the novel "A Separate Peace," by John Knowles, a boy named componentvisits his high schooltime 15 years after graduating in order to find an interior peace.While attending the private boys school during the second World War, Genesbest friend Phineas died and Gene knows he was partially responsible. Phineas,or Finny as he was sometimes called, was the most popular boy in school. He wasa handsome, taunting, daredevil athlete. Gene, on the other hand, was a lonely,self-sufficient intellectual. Somehow the two became honest friends, or so Finnythought. Gene, unfortunately, was bitten by the green-eyed monster of jealousy.Gene just couldnt come to grips with the idea that a person of Finnys staturewould want to be his friend. Genes envy grew to a point where he was willingto severely injure Finny for being too perfect. Unfortunately for Finny, Genesucceeded. Finnys apparent perfection, his strong beliefs, and his ability toforgive trace his ripening throughout the novel.     Finnys seeming perfection was the basis for Genes resentment towardshim. Gene thought that everything Finny did was perfect, which just upset Geneall the more. Finny was so perfect that he didnt lot what others thought,like when Finny wore a pink shirt as an emblem after the bombing of centralEurope. " ...Pink It makes you look like a fairy Does it? He utilize thispreoccupied tone when he was thinking of something more interesting than whatyou had said." One time Finny and Gene were at the swimming pool when Finnynoticed that a boy named A. Hopkins Parker had the record for the 100 yards freestyle. When Finny realized that A. Hopkins Parker had graduated before theycame, he remarked, "I have a feeling I can swim quicker than A. Hopkins Parker."He was right. Gene was ecstatic that Finny could do such a thing without anytraining or anything. All Gene could say was, "Youre too good to be true." Incertain ways he was.     Throughout the book Gene knows that Finny has some strong beliefs. Thefirst three he noticed were "never say you are five feet nine when you arereally five feet eight and a half" "Always say some prayers at wickedness because itmight turn out that there is a god" an... ...y?"     "I believe you. Its okay because I understand and I believe you.Youve already shown me and I believe you." Finny forgave Gene and all was well,at least for a little while.     Finnys development can be seen throughout the novel by tracing hisseeming perfection, his strong beliefs, and his ability to forgive. Finnychanged from being the best athlete in the school to being the only one whocouldnt go to the war. Finny was a very good person. Finny was a very firmbeliever in what he thought was right. Finny was a very forgiving person,believing in the forgiveness of frien ds. Unfortunately, Finny died due to thenegligence of the school doctor. When Finnys leg was being set some bonemarrow escaped into his blood stream stopping his heart. When Gene heard thisnews he didnt cry. Gene felt that, along with Phineas, he himself had died,and you dont cry at your own funeral. Gene went back to his school to come togrips with the fact that he was partially responsible for Finnys death. Finnywas not perfect Ds on his tests and bad grades show that. But to Gene, Finnywas perfect and always would be.