|
Searching for peace can be a challenge when every thing around you has
something to do with war. Growing up can be difficult as well but through the
tough times people become more knowledgeable. In A Separate Peace, by John
Knowles, Finny, Gene, and Leper each struggle find peace and escape reality
without having to face the truths to their lives. For Leper, Finny, and Gene, it
is hard to find tranquility with a war happening around them. For example, Finny
couldn’t find serenity with himself because of his broken leg and that caused
him to devise the idea of the fake war. It was hard for him to be happy because
of his disability. Because of this, he felt useless and so he produced this idea
so he could be at ease and not be an outcast. In addition, Leper looks for a
beaver dam instead of working to be carefree and escape the war, “…we all
volunteered…But not Leper.” He does this because he is afraid that a change in
his life may disrupt his quiet state. By escaping through nature, he is avoiding
the truths to his life. Furthermore, Gene fins a challenge in being placid
because of his situation with Finny. He is unsure of his own opinion because he
is used to agreeing with Finny, that he never developed his own thoughts and
ideas. It’s not until Finny's death that he finds his peace. With all these
things happening around them they struggle to be mellow but find a similar
relief in the fact that they will always have their own separate peace at Devon.
Through all these events, all the characters suffer their own hardships.
For
example, Gene loses the friend he never knew he had. He was so busy competing
with Finny that he never realized what a true friend he was. All his jealousy
towards him turned to hate and eventually ended in tragedy. In addition, Leper
suffers by discovering things about himself that he never realized. He learns
that he is tired of pleasing other people all the time, “What’s she got to be
pleased about…I’m pleasing myself!”(134). All he wants is someone who cares for
him and that’s what he’s hoping to get when Gene comes to visit him.
Furthermore, Finny endures the pain of realizing that he was misled by the one
he cared about the most. For Gene the friendship was a bitter rivalry but for
Finny, it was the best thing that ever happened to him. They each suffer through
all this, but Finny suffers the most by being forced to face the truth about his
accident. All this shows how they each tolerate pain through maturity, and learn
more about life. As each of the characters grow up, they become more
knowledgeable. For example, Leper truly finds himself when he comes home from
war.
This “crazy” Leper is who he really is. He was never sure of himself
because he was always too busy escaping reality. In addition, Finny becomes more
knowledgeable after he finds the truth about his accident. He was resentful
towards Gene for doing such a thing; “You want to break something else in me! Is
that why you’re here!” (76). His friendship with Gene was part of what kept him
composed and the truth shattered his false representation of reality.
Furthermore, when the truth about Finny’s accident comes out, Gene world is
shattered, and he sees everything around him the way it really is. This view
gives him a better understanding of life. He learns that you can’t just escape
reality because it will always be there. Through all these events these
characters become more knowledgeable by learning more about themselves and the
world around them. Throughout the story, each character finds that growing up is
a complex and hazardous task. In the search for peace, they lose a sense of
reality but gain maturity. They also lose a sense of security that gave them the
common bond they shared at Devon.
|
