Chapter 5: Briefly explain Gene’s visit to the infirmary. How does Finny act? Why? Does this feel “realistic”? How does Gene’s visit impact Finny?

In the beginning of Chapter 5 Gene is told that Finny's leg has been shattered. When Gene learns this he starts to feel a tremendous amount of guilt on his shoulders since he was the one who caused Finny to break his leg. Gene starts to worry if Finny told others that it was Gene's fault and Gene becomes more paranoid and anxious. After a few days Dr. Stanpole tells Gene that Finny wanted to especially see him and Gene figures that Finny wanted to confront him face to face. This seems so realistic because Gene is about go face to face with Finny for real for the first time after the fall. But before Gene goes in to see Finny Dr. Stanpole tells him that Finny will not be ever able to play sports again and will take a long time just for Finny to be able to walk. The fact that Finny could not play sports ever again, the only one thing he was good at, Gene felt even more guilt for the fact that he was the one that made Finny lose his only ability.

When Gene enters Finny's room he sees that Finny is wired up to machines from his body and sees that Finny was not his usual glowing self, but rather weaker and less vibrant. Finny acts nice to Gene by saying jokes and seeming to care more about Gene's health than his own . Finny acts this way because he did not think that Gene had anything to do with him falling out of the tree and rather feels guilt that he had a feeling that Gene caused it. As soon as Gene sees how Finny is acting towards him he becomes more anxious and asks Finny what was the reason that he fell. When asked this Finny says, "I don't know, I must have just lost my balance. It must have been that. I did have this idea, this feeling that when you were standing beside me, y-I don't know, I had a kind of feeling. But you can't just say anything for sure from just feelings. And this feeling doesn't make any sense. It was a crazy idea, I must have been delirious. So I just have to forget it. just fell. "I'm sorry about the feeling I had."(pg. 66) When Gene hears Finny say this it shows how much a loyal and better friend Finny is than himself and that Finny was feeling guilt and was a apologizing to Gene for having feelings that were right on the truth. After Finny says this Gene is pushed over the edge with guilt and is about to tell Finny the truth when he is interrupted by Dr. Stanpole. In this visit it is ironic because instead of Gene confessing and apologizing to Finny, Finny is the one who is feeling guilty and is the one who is telling Gene that he should have never felt that way even though his feelings were right. Do you think this incident will permanently damage Gene's and Finny's friendship? Do you think Gene should have told Finny the truth in the beginning of the visit? Did you ever cause anyone harm and fell guilty about it?

Chapter 5: What is the symbolism of the fact that Finny’s leg was “shattered”?

The word shattered comes with a large amount of imagery. You think shattered glass, shattered dreams, but most importantly, you think of something that can never be put together again. If you've ever seen shattered glass, you know immediately it can never be fixed back to the way it was originally. After Gene jounced the limb and Finny fell off the tree, everything in Gene's life seemed shattered. Shattered is worse than broken; this is because broken can be fixed. Finny's shattered leg symbolizes their shattered friendship. By the end of this reading, we can tell that they are not comfortable in the presence of one another. Gene is afraid to be honest with Finny. Their trust was always broken glass, held together by glue with a few cracks, yet their trust wasn't shattered until Finny fell off the tree.

At the end of the chapter, Gene went to visit Finny in attempt to piece together what Gene already knew was a broken friendship. Finny would not allow himself to accept the fact that his best friend Gene made him fall and shattered his dreams of being an athlete. He would not allow himself to believe that all the trust he had put into his best friend was shattered. "I would have to make every move false (p. 71)", Gene tells the reader while trying to get out of the conversation. Gene is now aware of their shattered, hopeless friendship. This seems to be a foreshadow for many lies soon to come. The action Gene made can not be forgiven, and an apology will not fix this. Check out this image of shattered glass. Do you think if it were not for the tree, this friendship would have lasted? Will Gene and Finny ever be able to be good friends again? If you believe good friendships are built on trust, do you think they were great friends in the first place?

Chapter #5- What is guilt? Do we all have it? Is it part of being human? Can someone live guilt free?

Guilt is an awful feeling. It starts with an action or a lie and then you start to feel it build up inside you. Then all it wants to do is explode. For example, in A Separate Peace when Gene and Finny were up in the tree together about to jump, Gene takes a step closer to Finny, and then jounces the tree causing Finny to tumble to the ground. After the accident, Gene learns that Finny’s legs are shattered. For a few days before he sees Finny in the infirmary, Gene lives in a worrisome state filled with awful guilt. Through out the passage the guilt builds and builds until it explodes and he tells Finny he did it. Many people find them selves in that state when they are filled with guilt. People get them selves in deep trouble with guilt then ruin many things trying to get rid of it.

Despite what some people may say, everyone has or had guilt in their lives. For some people it may be a big thing, for others the smallest thing fills them with guilt. Guilt is part of being human, because everyone has lied or made a bad choice and behind all of those is guilt. Though, guilt can differ from person to person. Some people like to get rid of the guilt immediately. Some hold that feeling inside them till the day they die. People can live guilt free for moments, but everyone in their lives will have moments when guilt will weigh them down. Are there other moments in the book that people have the feeling of guilt? How does guilt make people act? Why? Does guilt ever disappear when not spoken aloud?

On pages 52-54, how does Gene’s view of their relationship change? Chapter 4

On page 52 of A Separate Peace, Gene asks Finny if he would mind if Gene became the head of class. Finny sarcastically says that he would kill himself out of envy, but Gene sees through his sarcasm and knows that Finny was not kidding at all. It takes Gene a minute, but he starts to see an elaborate plan that Finny created to make him better than Gene. Gene being better than Finny at academics, but still good at sports, in Finny’s mind, made Gene a better person than he is. So to stop Gene from becoming his full potential as head of class, and better than he is, Finny started dragging Gene into activities to prevent him from studying. One example of Finny preventing Gene from studying was convincing Gene to go to the beach with him. Had Gene not gone he would have been able to study for his test, but instead he went to the beach and as a result failed his test.

Gene feels tricked and let down by Finny. He believed that they were best friends and that the reason Finny would share everything with him was just out of kindness. You can tell that he feels this way because he starts to study harder and begins to compete with Chet Douglass for better grades, so there is no possible way of Finny catching up to him academically. Gene’s assumption is not accurate because later in the chapter Finny says that it is all right if he doesn’t want to come to the Super Summer Suicide Society meeting, which Gene thought was one of Finny’s ways of keeping him from studying. Do you think that Gene and Finny will grow further apart or remain friends? Is Gene imagining Finny’s plan or is it real? How will Gene’s assumption about Finny change their friendship?

Chapter #3-4. What exactly happened in the tree and who do you think was responsible? Why do you say this?

What happened in the tree was the result of the tensions building up inside Gene's head in the beginning of chapter four. Earlier in the chapter, Gene, while trying to catch up with the trigonometry test that he failed, begins to suspect that Finny is trying to stop him from being head of the class. As they chat while studying, he interprets every casual remark that Finny makes as further evidence of Finny trying to hinder him, and drives himself paranoid trying to become Finny's "Equal". Gene comes to the conclusion that "Finny had deliberately set out to wreck [Gene's] studies," (p. 53) and decides that Blitzball and the Super Suicide Society were all just distractions to keep him from studying. In order to foil any more of Finny's sinister attempts at his grades, Gene redoubles his effort in studying, and sees Finny's subsequent increase in studying effort as final proof of his theory.

Through all this conflict, Gene continues to attend all S.S.S.S.S. meetings, in order to not let on that he has figured out Finny's "secret". This conflict comes to a head one day as Gene is trying to study for an upcoming french exam. Finny asks him to proceed to the tree for the next meeting, and Gene finally says no, he has to study. To Gene's total shock, Finny tells him to continue studying as long as he needs to. This is a huge moment for Gene, because all of a sudden he realizes that he has been wrong all along, and Finny only wants what's best for Gene. Instead of considering himself Finny's equal now, he suddenly sees himself as "not of the same quality as [Finny]" (p. 59). As he realizes that Finny has been virtuous all along in his games and activities, and it was him who actually had the evil thoughts, a huge wave of jealousy rolls over him. Caught up in the moment, Gene makes the decision to shake the branch, causing Finny to fall to the river-bank below. At the last second, Finny turns his head to look at Gene, realizing that he is responsible, and that at that moment their entire friendship had changed forever. Why do you think Gene went with Finny to the tree, even after Finny said he shouldn't? Do you think that their friendship could have carried on as before if Gene hadn't gone to the tree that time?

Why does Gene's fear disappear at the end of the chapter- Chapter 4

Throughout the story Gene would constantly look up to Phineas because of his incredible athletic ability. He always assumed that Phineas was the one that continued to impress and amaze people until Gene discovered that he possessed talent in academics. In the passage , Gene and Phineas both climbed the "tree," and Phineas fell down preforming an awkward landing. This action destroyed Gene's fear because he learned that Phineas was capable of doing poorly in his strengths as well. "With unthinking sureness I moved out on the limb and jumped into the river, every trace of my fear of this forgotten."(p. 60)

Prior to this event Gene had reached the conclusion that Phineas was sabotaging his success in academics by distracting him with athletics. While they were both on top of the "tree" Gene displayed a side to him that we have never seen: he fought back. He shook the limb which caused Phineas to lose his balance and fall down. This act showed Gene that he was also capable of sabotage thus destroying his fear of Phineas's power against him. This deed foreshadows the upcoming events because his action made him become a stronger individual. Gene is now able to stand up for himself therefore Phineas can't have power over him any longer. What conflicts between Gene and Phineas do you think were destroyed and/or will come after this event?

Chapters 3-4. Why did Gene jounce the limb?

Through out the entire novel Gene has been envious of Finny even though Finny was his best friend. The reason that Gene decides to knock Finny off the branch is because he hates Finny for not being envious like Gene is. Every little thing Finny got away with or was able to do on the sports field bothered him. All of those little incidents kept stacking up in Gene's mind.

When Gene asked Finny if he would mind if Gene graduated at the top of the class. Finny told Gene "I'd kill myself out of jealous envy.(p.52)" Finny was joking as he often does but Gene thought the joking act was just a screen. Gene then let his thoughts go, never questioning anything that entered his mind. He thought that Finny only included him in activities like blitzball and the suicide club to make sure Gene wouldn't study. Gene thought Finny was envious of his grades. Gene also thought Finny tried to keep Gene from studying. Gene now thought Finny was no better then him, Finny was envious too.

Gene became obsessed with being better then Finny and everyone else at schoolwork. He worked twice as hard on his assignments so that he could be better then Finny. Gene thought, "While he was a very poor student I was a pretty good athlete, and when everything was thrown into the scales, they would in the end tilt definitely toward me.(p.55)" His whole life at Devon became being better then Finny and he thought it was the same way for Finny.

When Finny tried to get Gene to come to a suicide club meeting the night before one of Gene's exams, Gene thought Finny was trying to stop him from studying and he said so to Finny. Finny was confused and he then said that if Gene had to study then he should study. Finny explained how he didn't know Gene had to study, how he thought school just came to him.

Gene realized Finny wasn't jealous of him, Finny never had been. Gene couldn't stand it. He hated Finny for being such a good friend because Gene knew that he wasn't a good friend to Finny. He hated that he envied Finny because Finny didn’t envy him. He hated Finny for being so perfect, he could never live with it. Gene had to take it from Finny. So when he stood next to Finny high up in the tree where Finny had saved him, Gene bounced and watched as his friend lost his balance and fell.

Will Gene regret his decision to betray his best friend? Will Finny tell people what Gene did or will he stay loyal to Gene? Will Gene continue to try to become top of class? Why or why not?

Chapters 2-3: What is Gene trying to say when he states "Yes, he had practically saved my life. He had also practically lost it for me” (p.33)?

When Gene and Finny decide to jump off of the tree branches again, Gene is hesitant. Gene turns around loses his balance, causing him to almost fall off of the tree and die. Finny catches him and they proceed to jump off of the tree again. During the aftermath, Gene is questioning why he almost fell out of the tree. He is questioning Finny's influence on him, and why he was doing this just because Finny suggested it.

Gene is beginning to realize that what Finny tells him isn't always safe or practical. Then again, he thinks that Finny is a good friend to him, because after all, he did end up catching him. The fact that Finny caught Gene symbolizes their bond, and that Finny often get's both himself and Gene out of serious trouble. Take for example when they missed dinner. Finny had convinced Mr. Prud'homme to not get them in trouble. Then on the other hand, Gene is beginning to realize that Finny is always the one to get him in trouble, and that all of the dangerous and stupid things that Finny convinces him to do could lead to consequences. Finny always seems to get him out of trouble, though, so Gene continues to listen to him.

There is also a slight amount of anger towards Finny in the statement: "I shouldn't feel any tremendous rush of gratitude towards Phineas," on page 33. He is angry due to the danger Finny has put him in. After all this time being friends with Finny, Gene is finally starting to realize that Finny may not be a very good influence, and that his actions are dangerous. Looking back at Finny's past actions, would you be so quick to follow him into his dangerous antics?

Assignment 2: (pg. 21-40) Question 3: Why was the talk with Patch- Withers so important? What do we learn about Gene, Finny, and the faculty?

Finny can get away with anything. For example, when Mr. Prud'homme found both of the boys, he had planned on punishing them for missing dinner the night before. But because Finny is such a calm, sly character, he was able to escape punishment by making up a story that was not entirely true, but very believable. (pg. 22) "The real reason sir was that we just had to jump out of that tree... We had to do that, naturally because we're all getting ready for the war. What if they lower the draft age to seventeen? Gene and I are both going to be seventeen by the end of the summer, which is a very convenient time since it's the start of the academic year and there's never any doubt which class you should be in." Finny was also able to escape when Patch-Withers caught Finny wearing the Devon tie as a belt. He said he could not find his belt and would much rather not have a tie than have his pants fall down in front of Patch-Withers and his wife.

I'm sensing jealousy coming from Gene. Most people in the Devon school appreciate Finny and his athletic appearance as well as his calm and sly tactics. Finny is a kid that is popular but does not like to brag about it. On page 29 Gene says, "It was quite a compliment to me, as a matter of fact, to have such a person choose me for his best friend." Gene said this almost as if Finny took him under his wing and raised him to be the person he is today. Sort of like Gene is a sidekick or a follower, yet he is the main character of the novel. I'm assuming that Gene will get sick of being a sidekick and betray Finny later on in the book.

Name a moment when you feel like you've been someone's sidekick, follower or third wheel. Explain how that felt. Or, if you have not been one of these three, name a moment when you felt like you were a leader or a main character to put in into different words. Explain how that moment felt.

Assignment 2 (p.20-40), #5: What is Gene implying when he claims that Finny saved his life and almost lost it (p. 33)?

When Finny encouraged Gene to climb a tree and then jump out into the water, Gene almost fell out. If Finny hadn't grabbed Gene's arm to secure his balance, Gene could have been seriously injured. Gene spent a great deal of time reflecting on the moment with Finny, claiming, "Yes, he had practically saved my life. He had also practically lost it for me (p.33)." Despite his peer-pressure antics, Finny is a good guy. When Gene was pressured into jumping off of a tree, he felt a sense of fear and distrust in Finny. Finny portrayed the intimacy of his relationship with Gene when he grabbed his arm, showing he supports Gene.

Gene implied the the constant risk of having a roller-coaster relationship with Finny when he explained how Finny saved his life but almost took it away. The feeling of fear distrust in Finny is similar to the reaction Gene had when he was first pressured into jumping off 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?(p.17)" Finny also saved Gene's life, showing support and a core friendship trust. Although Gene was merely recounting a social experience, the quote foreshadows the relationship between Finny and Gene. Gene always has to live in the possible scrutiny of making a mistake by trusting Finny but also enjoys the relationship they have already developed.

Have you ever had a relationship when a simple experience or quote meant much more then what it was in its context? How did it effect your judgement of the person in the relationship?

Assignment #2) Question # 2 Pages 20-40

2.) Explore Finny’s influence on other students – provide two specific examples and explore what they reveal about him and the other students involved.

Ever since we are first introduced to Finny, we see how much power and influence he possesses over the other students. One time we see this is when he starts the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session with Gene, and as he tells all of the kids about it, they instantly want to join. Even Gene listens to everything Finny tells him to do for this club, even though he realizes how much he doesn't want to jump of a tree every day or how board he gets participating in a daily club he barely takes interest in. Finny can influence anny kid at Devon to do anything he wants them to do, and he knows without any doubt that they will listen.This certain instance reveals that Finny is controlling, and feels that he is the leader of the school. It also reveals that the students are so eager to be Finny's friends or just look cool that they will listen to every stupid and dangerous thing he says, while never even considering the foolishness in their actions.

Another example is when Finny invents Blitzball, and in an instance everyone starts to play, and they listen to every new rule Finny makes up. Throughout their games of Blitzball, Finny commands everyone on what to do, and just yells at them throughout the game. He has so much power and influence over these kids that they will literally tackle each other or pass the ball without thinking on it the second Finny says to do so. If you were one of these kids (not including Gene), would you listen to everything Finny says and do it just to fit in and be in his group, or would you stand up and risk everyone disliking you to voice your opinion about how ridiculous Finny's authority is. Please be honest.

The novel opens up with Gene narrating his return to Devon 15 years after he graduates . Why does John Knowles begin the novel this way?

For the first 5 pages of the novel, Knowles tries to hook the reader to the novel. He does this subtly however; he doesn't include dialogue or introduce any main charachters so the reader doesn't become overwhelmed with the story. This is a nice way to start the story, because it gives you time to soak in the information and feel comfortable with the start of a new book (which can be challenging at times). By having the main character walk through the well pictured town, a reader also gets a sense of the authors style.

John Knowless chose to start the book in mid november during a rain storm. The benefits that he got from that setting, were that it help to form the basic feel of the story. If Knowles had started the story in a sunny august setting, the story would be more fast paced; Gene wouldn't have to dodge puddles or get his shoes dirty, and the imagery wouldn't develop as well.

Overall i believe that Knowles was attempting to get the readers more comfortable with the beginning of a new book, as well as attempting to help the readers imagine the novels tones and styles.

Chapter one: What did Gene notice about the tree and the academy building when he returned to Devon and why did Knowles feel this was important?

There were two places Gene visited when he returned to Devon, 15 years after he graduated.The school was much different because when Gene was there, the war was going on. One place was the Academy building, and the first thing he noticed were the marble stairs. The moons in the stairs weren't very deep, which means they must be unusually hard. He didn't remember the stairs to be like that, but other than that nothing else had changed. It wasn't the building that changed, but it was Gene.

The other place he visited was the tree. Gene had a vision that the tree was huge, yet when he found it, it was much smaller then he remembered. To him it seemed like the tree had shrunk, similar to the people he considered giants of his childhood. This could be foreshadowing. I also think Knowles did this because he's trying to show the readers how you have a different perspective on life when your younger. Knowles says on page 14 " So the more things remain the same, the more they change after all." Can you relate this quote to your own life? How? How do you think these two places will affect the book?

Chapter 1 Pages 9-20 How Do a. His Perspective and b. The Retrospective Influence You As A Reader And The Credibility of the Story Being Told?

Gene is back to visit his old school after 15 years, to relive the memories held in the stairs he once walked on and the tree he bonded with his friends over. This novel is told in first person, by the protagonist Gene. It is important that it is told in first person, because otherwise the reader would not be able to understand Gene's opinions or thoughts. His thoughts provide insight to the story of him and his friends in 1942. In his story, he has opinions on everything. For example Gene says, "I didn't entirely like this glossy new surface, because it made the school look like a museum, and that's exactly what it was to me, and what I did not want it to be." (Page 9-10).

His retrospective on the story lets the reader know that he may not be telling the story truthfully, because it was 15 years ago. It is hard to believe everything that he is telling you. Gene likes to exaggerate the truth, like how small the trees and how hard the stairs are. He also likes to use metaphors. For example, he says "This was the tree, and it seemed to me standing there to resemble those men, the giants of your childhood, whom you encounter years later and find that they are not merely smaller in relation to your growth, but that they are absolutely smaller, shrunken by age. In this double demotion the old giants have become pigmies while you are looking the other way." (Page 14).

Do you think it helps the story that Gene is so opinionated? Why or why not?

Do you, the reader, believe the story Gene was telling? Why or why not?

Chapter 1: What Does Gene Realize About the First Academy Building and the Tree When he Visits Them Now? How Has His View Changed?

Gene is back at the Devon School fifteen years after graduating. He notices changes in the school, it is "more perpendicular and strait-laced (Page 1)." The school looks "as though a coat of varnish has been put over everything...(Page 1)." The school looks better because the war has ended and people now have many resources, not everything is sent off to use in the war. Gene realizes that he lived his whole live at Devon in fear, and did not even know it at the time. Gene decides to visit two places, both remind him of that fear.

The first place Gene visits is the white marble staircase in the First Academic Building. Gene notices that the moons carved into the stairs are not deep; he did not realize this as a teenager. He also notices that the stairs must be made of unusually hard marble. Gene is surprised he did not think about this before. The other place Gene visits, and is also associated with the fear of his adolescence, is the tree he jumped from into the river. He recognizes the scars on the trunk and the branch which juts over the river. He realizes that the tree is not isolated. He previously had thought that it was the only tree by the river. He also comments on how the tree is not as large as he remembers. Gene compares it to a giant of childhood and as an adult the giant is now small. He believes this is partly due to his growth. Knowles did this to show how Gene became more observant. He also did this to show how these places greatly affected Gene as an adolescent and adult. Why are these places so significant to Gene? Why did he return there alone as an adult? Why did Gene live his adolescence in such fear?

Welcome...

Welcome to Mr. Rossiter's A Separate Peace blog. This blog will allow us to explore John Knowles famous novel in an interactive way. We will all learn from each other. As we discussed in class, I hope you will approach your posts and comments seriously, but also take advantage of all the different ways that blogging can enhance literary analysis and discussion. It will also allow you to work on sharpening your analytical writing.