5.) What is the significance of Gene and Finny’s training? How is related to their conversations about war? What does it reveal about their relationship? (Rebecca Mironko)

            Finny and Gene's training helps them forget about the war and focus on what matters to them. Finny claims that the war isn't real, Gene doesn't believe him but he goes along with it. In chapter 8, Finny decides to train Gene for the 1944 Olympics, their training is a way to deal with the war, and bond as friends. Gene sees Finny's plan as a silly dream at first: "I went along, as I always did, with any new invention of Finny's. There was no harm in taking aim, even if the target was a dream." (Knowles 117) Throughout the book, Finny has given Gene direction and motivation, when Finny was gone Gene was without that, nut now that Finny is back he plans to give Gene a goal: the 1944 Olympics.
            Finny is in denial about the war because he cannot enlist, he tells himself it's all a lie, and focuses his life elsewhere. Finny knows what he likes and doesn't waste his time on much else, he discovers that he likes coaching Finny in the locker-room when Gene is doing chin ups. " until he sang out 'thirty!' with a flare of pleasure." (Knowles 117) Finny then decides that that is what he will now focus on; before it was sports, now it is training Finny.
            Gene went along with Finny's crazy idea at first, but he later realizes that the training is good for him, as well as his relationship with Finny. Gene discovers just how great he is when Finny describes his feelings accurately. "'You found your rhythm didn't you, that third time around'... 'Yes, I have been'... 'now you know'." (Knowles 120) Finny is talking about the feeling of being a good athlete when he says 'now you know'. He is showing Gene how it felt to be that good. Gene now has a better understanding of what exactly he took away from Finny. They become closer during there training, and by the end of the chapter, they have both disregarded the war.

What does the conversation about enlisting reveal about Finny and Gene’s relationship (p107-108)? Provide at least two specific examples. (Reina)

Gene and Finny’s conversation reveals that Finny needs and wants Gene more than Gene thinks. Gene is often skeptical of his relationship with Finny. It is clear that Gene admires Finny to the point of jealousy. Gene wants to be Finny’s best friend and even states it as “a compliment to me, as a matter of fact, to have such a person choose me for his best friend” (Knowles 11). Gene often attempts to identify himself as Finny by dressing in his clothes and acting like him and it is evident that he needs Finny to push him out of his boundaries.

However, in this exchange between  Finny and Gene, a different side of their friendship is shown. Finny is for shown to actually care about the consequences. Although the consequences are different as opposed to getting in trouble by a teacher, he fears for losing Gene. “‘Enlist!” cried Finny at the same time. His large and clear eyes turned with an odd expression on me. I had never seen such a look in them before…”You thought you might sign up?” he went on looking carefully away” (Knowles 107).

Gene is surprised to learn that Finny was afraid. Finny is not afraid to get in trouble or fall out of a tree, but the idea of losing Gene scares him. It is only now that Gene sees that Finny actually cares about being without him. “Phineas was shocked at the idea of my leaving. In some way he needed me.” This causes Gene to completely rule out the idea of enlisting and it shows that Finny still influences Gene more than anything else.

Assignment #7 Question #3 How does Finny feel about the war? How do you know this? Why does he act this way? Does it feel consistent with his character? (Anya Chung)

Finny believes the war is a conspiracy theory. When he and Gene are in the locker room, Gene brings up how things like sports don't seem that important now that the war is going on. Finny automatically states that there isn't any war. "'Don't be a sap,' he gazed with cool self-possession at me, 'there isn't any war.'" (Knowles 115). Gene is taken aback, and he assumes Finny is joking. However, it becomes apparent that Finny is serious. 

Finny acts like this because he is trying to convince himself that nothing has changed, although lots of things have. First Finny was betrayed by Gene, who he thought was his best friend. This resulted in never being able to play sports again, which is another major change in Finny's life. He comes back to Devon expecting it to be the same place he left it, but arrives to find Gene about to enlist. "Phineas was shocked at the idea of my leaving...He needed me." (Knowles 108). All these changes came very suddenly to Finny. Little changes, like the maids leaving, cause Finny to become distraught. Although it is obviously very simple to go on with life without maids, Finny is upset about the changes going on at the school. He doesn't want to accept any of these changes, so he convinces himself, and tries to convince Gene, that the war is not real.

This behavior is very unlike Finny. Before he broke his leg, Finny was very interested in the war. "'I was reading in the paper that we bombed Central Europe for the first time the other day.'...'Well, we've got to do something to celebrate.'" (Knowles 25). Now he is hurt and everything is different, but Finny doesn't want to show any kind of weakness. Instead, he uses his trademark charm on himself, to comfort himself into believing that none of the war, both between the world and between him and Gene, is real.

Assignment #6: Quetion #5 - Gene's feelings about war (Anthony LaMonica)

Gene does not like war at all. On page 101 Gene talks about how deadly things always wind up in his life some how. "The war would be deadly all right. But I was used to finding something deadly in things that attracted me; there was always something deadly lurking in anything I wanted, anything I loved. And if it wasn't there, as for example Phineas, then I put it there myself". Deadliness and despair have been recurring factors throughout the story. This quote shows that Gene doesn't like war, the bloodiness, the deaths, and the despair. This is why he had gone to Devon School in the first place, to try and escape all of that. The peaceful surroundings and the careless peace of the Devon summer. But now the war is coming toward him. The deadliness and despair follows him. The war, in my opinion, is the climax. All the other events, such as Blitzball and the incident at the tree, were all leading up to this war. Finny has been Genes  rock, his foundation holding him together. With his injury, and how Gene has been pondering it non stop, combined with the despair of war, is going to drive Gene crazy. If the war gets the best of Gene I fear bad things will soon come to happen to him.

How is Leper charcterized-Caleb assignment 6 Question 4

Part of this reading focuses on Leper. How is he characterized? What do we learn about him? Provide some specific details from the reading to support your answer.

Gene describes Leper as if Leper lives in his own world. Leper often just stares around and does whatever he feels he should do, regardless of what other people would think. "You know what? I did find it, "his smile was wide and unfocused, as though not for me alone but for anyone and anything which wished to share this pleasure with him, "and it was really interesting to see" (Knowles 99). When I picture Leper, I think of somebody who is always looking around, unfocused, not paying attention to anyone but himself. Once Gene explains how during Chapel Leper is just sitting by himself drawing sketches. Leper is characterized as a person who seems a little out of it and lives in his own world.

Assignment 6: Question 4: Characterizing Leper

In chapter seven of A Separate Peace, John Knowles begins to elaborate on the character of Leper, a slightly timid yet thoughtful boy with a personality that sharply contrasts from Devon's predominantly tough, war focused young men. When Gene first encounters Leper since the Summer Session, he describes his voice as "mild tentative" (Knowles 94). As their conversation continues, even more of Leper's humbly innocent personality show through, especially when he voiced his opinion on modern day skiing. " "They're ruining skiiing in this country, rope tows and chairlifts and all that stuff. You get carted up, and then you whizz down. You never get to see the trees or anything. Oh you see a lot of trees shoot by, but you never really get to look at trees, at a tree. I just like to go along and see what I'm passing and enjoy myself." " (Knowles 95). Leper's poetic views on the necessity of acknowledging life's small beauties seem to be a rare occurence in comparison to most of the other Devon boys. While Leper acts for the sake of his own relaxing exploration, the rest of his class ties most of their actions back to one common theme: war. During this era, jumping out of trees is to escape a sinking ship and common ball games are named after bombing strategies. In this context of the story, Gene encounters Leper on his way to shoveling out the railroad tracks with the rest of the boys, a task of grueling manual labor, not as an act of charity for his neighbors, but for a payment. Meanwhile Leper is merely excercising for pleasure. As the Summer Session at Devon has ended, so has Gene's version of easy going freedom from the harsh repurcussions of the war. However, John Knowles character of Leper Lepillier has still retained a quiet hold on this delicate innocence by living a lifestyle as free of such anxieties as possible; in other words, he still resides in his own separate peace.

Assignment #6 Question #3 Explore and explain the significance of the scene in the Butt Room.(Rei Halloran)

In chapter 7, Gene and Brinker go to the Butt room to go smoke a cigarette. There were a few other kids there smoking as well, and Brinker brings up Finny and the incident. Gene ends up telling the "story" about the accident. At first he tries to make up a story by saying, " I - all I did was drop a little bit.... a little pinch of arsenic in his morning coffee." (Knowles 89). But Brinker stops him and tells him that he was there when the accident happened. Gene says this beause he feels guilty for doing this to Finny and he really doesn't want to people to know it was him, Finny's best friend, that really did this. Once Gene finds out that most of the people in the Butt room were at the 'crime scene' when it happended, he tells the truth. However, Gene leaves out one part, the part about how he shook/pushed Finny out of the tree. Gene tries to have them guess how Finny fell out of the tree, " 'What did I do then?' I demanded. 'I'll bet you've got a lot of theories. Come on, reconstruct the crime. There we were at the tree. Then what happened, Sherlock Holmes?' " (Knowles 91). One of the kids actually guessed correctly, but Gene lies and answers, "You lose. I guess you're Dr. Watson, after all." (Knowles 91) Gene tries to avoid any other conversations with anyone in the room and leaves.
Before this whole conversation, Brinker tells Gene, "But the truth will out." (Knowles 88). Gene was affraid the truth would come out and he would be thought of as the bad guy at Devon. In the end most of the truth did come out, except the most important part. Gene was affraid that if he talked to someone about that night, the real truth would have come out, and everyone would know that he was the bad guy who hurt his best friend, Finny.

Assignment #5 - Why does Quackenbush use the word “maimed”? Explore the significance and connotation.- Alexandra Brizius

Quackenbush uses this word to offend Gene. During the reading, Gene starts the academic school year. He does crew, which takes place on one of the Devon Rivers. Because Gene is not very athletic, he decides to be the assistant crew manager, which means he is involved with the sport, with out actually participating. On his first day on the job, he meets Cliff Quackenbush, the crew manager. Quackenbush as a reputation of being picked on, "For Quackenbush had been systematically disliked since he first set foot in Devon." (Knowles 78). The two boys get in a fight, and Quackenbush calls Gene maimed, which means being disabled. Quackenbush calls him this, because jobs like assistant manager, and jobs where you aren't actually participating in the sport are for boys who are injured or disabled. Gene takes this personally because of the state Finny is in. "I fought that battle, that first skirmish of a long campaign, for Finny." (Knowles 79). Finny will never people to play sports again, and this is Gene's fault, so he stands up to protect his friend.

Magnus Aske Assignment 5, question 3 Explore the significance/symbolism of the Devon River?

Explore the significance/symbolism of the Devon River?

          Throughout "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles, Gene has had a clear obsession with his best friend Finny. Not only does Gene like the way that he interacts with teachers and students, but he also admires his ability to maneuver his way out of situations. In addition to social skills, Finny excels at athletics, which is the region of life which he considers the purest and is one that he is attempting to get Gene interested in. In the second and third readings, Gene notices his extreme admiration for Finny. He tries to do exactly the opposite of what Finny is doing before he intentionally jounces the branch that they are both standing on causing Finny to fall and shatter his leg. After this incident, Gene reflects about his actions and tries to convince himself that he did not do it and that it was not his fault. If one recalls the moment of the incident, after Finny falls, Gene jumps into the Devon River and after his jump acts like nothing has happened as shown on page 60 by John Knowles, "I moved out on the limb and jumped into the river, every trace of my fear of this forgotten." (Knowles 60) This quote shows that the Devon river soothes and washes away all of Gene's worries away. In addition to washing away his worries, the Devon River was the place of the jouncing incident where Finny was injured, one of violence and evil.

           In tonight's reading, Quackenbush calls Gene a "maimed son-of-a-bitch..." (Knowles 79) This sparks an anger in Gene which leads him to hit him hard, which causes a fight. In the skirmish Quackenbush lunges and sends both boys into the water. As I said in the prior section of my post, Gene's feelings were washed away as he jumped into the Devon River. This same effect happens to Quackenbush as he falls in on page 79, "The dousing extinguished Quackenbush's rage, and he let go of me." (Knowles 79) Apart from this, the river also has another significance in terms of violence and malicious intentions. Gene's evil actions happened by the Devon River as well as Quackenbush's insulting words to Gene. Both events involved violence, pain, and suffering in addition to their setting, the Devon River.

Assignment 5 Question 4 Re-read the last sentence of chapter 6 (p84-85). Explain what is happening in the quote (establish context) and then explore and explain the last part “I lost part of myself to him then, and a soaring sense of freedom revealed that this must have been my purpose from the first: to become part of Phineas” (85)

Gene receives a call from Phinny who is still bedridden in his house. They begin talking about Gene’s rooming situation, and how Phinny can move back into their room because Gene has no roommate. Phinny soon brings the topic of sports and Gene confesses to him that he is not playing a sport, but instead he is assistant managing the crew team. Gene does not want to play a sport because, “ They were barred from me, as though when Dr. Stanpole said, ‘ Sports are finished’ he had been speaking to me” (Knowles 84) which Phinny thinks is crazy. Though out the book Gene has had some sense of “being” Phineas or Phineas wanting to be him. They were they same size, same height, and according to Gene often wore each other’s clothes. Being a part of Phineas is all Gene really wants, when Phinny says,” Listen, pal, if I can’t play sports, you’re going to play them for me,” (Knowles 85). This gives Gene the idea that Phinny wants him, to be him and take over his role in athletics and at Devon because Phinny is unable to be there.

Rahul Manwani- Explore the significance of the fight with Quackenbush. Why does it happen? What exactly sets Gene off? How is related to his narrative earlier in the chapter? Why might Quakenbush be so disdainful of Gene?

Gene fights Quackenbush because he can no longer separate his identity from Finny’s. What sets him off is when Quackenbush calls him “maimed” (Knowles 79). This is because Finny is maimed, and Gene is fighting as if he is Finny. The reason he is so offended is because he wants to be Finny so badly and ends up copying everything he does. There is a sense of irony in this because the reader is led to think that Gene is trying to escape Finny’s shadow by avoiding athletics and becoming a manager, but it is later revealed that those who are disabled do the managing jobs. Finny is the disabled one not him. He simply cannot separate his identity from Finny.

It relates to his earlier narrative because he is envisioning a godly figure of Finny and later he tries to be this figure. In chapters before this Gene’s power hungry and competitive nature is obviously expressed. Gene wants to be Finny so badly he was even trying his clothes on on page 62 to see what it would be like to be Finny. Earlier in chapter 6 when Gene is observing the lake and envisioning Finny he says, “balancing on one foot on the prow of the canoe like a river god” (Knowles 75). He envisions Finny everywhere and views him as a god. Gene is greedy and wants to be Finny and possess the abilities Finny does. Gene wants to be Finny so badly that he takes on Finny’s problems and takes offense to the statement of being maimed.

Quackenbush was most probably so disdainful of Gene because the assistant manager jobs were “usually taken by boys with some physical disability” (Knowles 77). From the way Quackenbush addresses Gene so offensively and disrespectfully it is implied that boys with disabilities are most likely viewed as inferior. For example Quackenbush uses “maimed” (Knowles 79), as an insult and then curses at him.

Assignment #4: (pg. 61-71) What is symbolic in that fact that the summer session is coming to an end?

During the “summer session” of 1942, the Devon School did not uphold its long-lasting traditions and rules as much as it typically did during the standard school year. The school’s new, but short-lived, outlook on student’s discipline was very conducive to Phineas’ lifestyle. As a very “free spirited” boy, he loved to show the extent to which his flouting of authority could reach before he was reprimanded. To the boys around him, the summer of 1942 felt like “his moment”. Because of this, they felt that Phineas was their leader. He directed the summer’s goings on for the few boys that were there. Later on, Gene remembered this and said, “Still it had come to an end, in the last long rays of daylight at the tree when, Phineas fell,” (Knowles 74). While idolizing Phineas, Gene hated him too for the same reasons. Life in its entirety was simply a competition to him. He could not live with someone being better than he was, even if that person was his best friend. Throughout the summer, their friendship flourished. However, the session started coming to an end, so did the friendship. Gene let his competitive feelings get the best of him and ended the summer by sending Phineas home, and effectively terminating their relationship.

Assignment #4 What is guilt? Do we all have it? Is it part of being human? Can someone live guilt free?

Guilt is the emotion that one perceives after committing a wrong doing, and is one of the major themes in A Separate Peace. Guilt is one of the many attributes all human beings have, and is characterized as one of the most hurtful. Everyone feels guilt after achieving lower expectations, as it is a reminder that you have fallen short of perfection. Guilt is also recognized as a feeling that can make someone full of sorrow. This type of guilt is seen many times in A Separate Peace.  One example is when Gene tries on Finny’s clothes. “I was Phineas, Phineas to the life. I even had his humorous expression in my face, his sharp, optimistic awareness. I had no idea why this gave me such intense relief, but it seemed standing there in Finny’s triumphant shirt, that I would never stumble through the confusions of my own character” (Knowles 62). The quote is significant because it helps Gene overcome his guilt by stepping into Finny’s shoes. Guilt can also be bottled up, but only for a certain amount of time, as it can eat a person away.

Assignment #4 (pg. 61-71): While Finny is in the infirmary, Gene is paranoid that people will be suspicious of him, and then he dresses in Finny’s clothes and feels better. Why does Gene do this? Why is this significant? (Joey O'Brien)

Gene dresses in Finny’s clothes because it makes him feel as though Phineas had never broken his leg. Gene is the same height as Finny and the two “wore the same size” (Knowles 62) clothing. He feels as though these facts would allow him to pass as Finny if he put his clothes on. Gene also went out of his way to find a specific article of Finny’s wardrobe, the pink shirt. This is because the top is something only Finny would wear. If Gene wore the pink shirt, he felt that there would be no doubt that he would pass as Finny. After he put the shirt on, he declared to himself “I am Phineas.” (Knowles 62). Additionally, the persona of Finny overtook him, as seen in the quote “I even had his humorous expression on my face, his sharp, optimistic awareness” (Knowles 62) Gene also skipped dinner that night, an action that Finny would do. When Gene went to bed and awoke the next day, though, he had to stop lying to himself and realize that the real Finny had a broken leg and resided in the infirmary. The guilt Gene felt had returned, and he stated “I was confronted with myself, and what I had done to Phineas.” (Knowles 62).

Why does Gene’s “fear” disappear at the end of the chapter? What was the fear? How is it connected to what happened in the tree? (Reina)

On page 60, when Gene and Finny are climbing the tree to jump off, they plan to jump together. However, Finny loses his balance and falls to the ground. Gene claims his fear disappears. Gene says this because this is the first time he sees Finny make a physical mistake. The rest of his peers in their grade respect Finny and like him because he has a certain “shining” effect (Knowles, 40). Finny falling was the first time Gene sees him as something other than this perfect athlete.

Gene is extremely jealous of Finny and turns their whole friendship into a competition. Gene believe Finny thinks this way for awhile also, which makes Gene feel like he is someone to be jealous over and that he is not so bad for constantly competing with Finny since Finny does it too.“Finny had deliberately set out to wreck my studies...he wanted to share everything with me, especially his procession of D’s in every subject. That way he, the great athlete, would be ahead of me...the sweat of relief when nausea passed away; I felt better...The deadly rivalry was on both sides.” (Knowles, 53).

Gene compares himself with Finny in every instance in his mind; he is always trying to be better than him. “I was more and more certainly becoming the best student in schooll Phineas was without question becoming the best athlete...But 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.” (Knowles, 55) By seeing Finny lose balance and fall, and Gene remaining in contact with the branch, he believes he is inferior and no longer is in fear of being worse than Finny.

What is the significance of the incident at the swimming pool? What does the reveal about Finny and Gene and what does it add to our understanding of their relationship? (Rebecca)

                Gene's admiration for Finny grows after the pool incident because of Finny's humility. In chapter 3, the reader learns that winning at sports comes naturally to Finny. "You always win at sports... " (Knowles 35) This shows that Finny almost always expects himself to win. Finny beats the record so naturally that Gene not only looks up to him more, but envies him more too. "You're too good to be true."(44) The fact that Finny beat a school record in one try amazes Gene, but when Finny decides to keep it a secret, Gene feels even more jealous of Finny's modesty. Throughout the book, the reader can see that Gene is more competitive with Finny that Finny is with Gene. Finny does enjoy competition and rivalry, but Gene sees more of a need to be better than Finny. "Was he trying to impress me or something?" (44) Gene sees this as a competition, but Finny is more relaxed about it and thinks of it as more of a game.

                Finny sees winning as an important thing, but Gene is surprised when Finny doesn't feel the need to tell everyone. One of Finny's 'Commandments' is to always win at sports, however, this incident proves that he wins for himself, not anyone else. Showing off seems like something Finny would do a lot, because so many people admire him, but modesty shows that he doesn't only act based on what others think. "Perhaps for that reason his accomplishment took root in my mind and grew rapidly in the darkness where I had been forced to hide it." (44) Finny counted on Gene to keep this secret, which makes Gene feel closer, and more trusted by Finny. The two of them seem to be a team yet rivals. Finny's modesty stands prominent in Gene's mind, making him respect and envy Finny at the same time.

On pages 52-54, how does Gene’s view of their relationship change? (Be sure to explain his usage of enmity). What does he think of it? How do you know this? Why does he feel this way? Do you think it is accurate? Why or why not?(Rahul)

After Gene asks Finny what he would do if he wound up on the top of the class, Finny says, “I’d kill myself out of jealous envy” (Knowles 52). Gene draws the conclusion that Finny envies him in Academics just as much as Gene envies Finny in athletics. Gene loves the fact that Finny looks up to him on this front because it equals the playing field for both of them. In Gene’s mind, Finny no longer has the upper hand in the relationship.

Gene is so in love with this moment because he views Finny (who he calls his best friend) as a competitor or enemy. For example Gene says to himself, “You and Phineas are even already. You are even in enmity.” (Knowles 53). Firstly Gene uses the term “ already” as if he’s been waiting for a while to get on Finny’s level. Secondly, he describes their relationship as an “enmity” as if he and Finny have some sort of animosity toward each other, despite them being best friends and roommates. Gene then goes on to say “You did hate him for breaking that school swimming record, but so what? He hated you for getting an A in every course but one last term.” (Knowles 53). He feels as if Finny resents him for getting an A in every course, however I do not think was serious when he said he’d “kill himself”. He was indeed joking.

Gene isn’t accurate in the fact that Finny hates him for “getting an A in every course” (Knowles 52). A couple pages after Gene’s epiphany, Finny and Gene get into a small argument. Gene wants to stay in his room and study, whereas Finny wants him to come with him to watch Leper jump off of the tree limb. At the end of the argument Finny says “Don’t go. What the hell, it’s only a game” (Knowles 57). Finny later goes on to say “I didn’t know you needed to study.” (Knowles 58). However Gene goes to watch Leper jump. If Finny really didn’t want Gene to be better at academics, then why wouldn’t Finny force Gene to stop studying?. Finny is not jealous of Gene, Gene is wrong. Gene simply draws this conclusion because he is thinking immorally and competitively. The fact that Gene would stop studying is also quite symbolic. He would stop doing something that is very important to him and makes him better than Finny, in order to be at a social event and establish himself. Even when Finny is giving him a free pass to keep studying. Gene is blinded by his own envy. By calling Finny jealous he justifies his own unrightful jealousy.

(Anthony LaMonica) Assignment #2 Question #5: How would you characterize Gene at this point (the end of the reading)? Provide two specific examples from the story to support your answer.

Gene can be characterized in a numerous amount of ways based on how you perceive him. At this point in the story, we know that Gene is the narrator. But we also know that he is very fearful. During the flashback to summer, Gene repeatedly talks about how he fearful he is. On page 10 it says “Looking back now across fifteen years, I could see with great clarity the fear I lived… I felt fear’s echo along”. Just within these two lines from page 10, Gene states that he lived his life a very timid person. Throughout the story, I also feel Gene is Submissive. Throughout the flashback to summer, Gene is constantly letting Finny take the lead on. On page 33 it says “Yes, he practically saved my life. He had also practically lost it for me. I wouldn’t have been on that damn limb except for him. I wouldn’t have turned around, and so lost my balance, if he hadn’t been there”. Leading up to this quote Finny asked Gene if he was afraid of jumping out of the tree still. This caused Gene to feel like he had something to prove and climb the tree. On the limb he nearly falls but Finny catches him. If Gene wasn’t so easily controlled he wouldn’t have felt the need to climb the tree. This is one of the many quotes that shows Gene’s submissiveness.

-Anthony LaMonica

Assignment #2 (pg 21-40): Question #1 Who is Finny?

Through Gene’s perspective of his best friend, Phineas, or Finny, John Knowles created a character that was not only well adored by his teachers, but also by his classmates which he led around with a gregarious manner. “The Devon faculty had never before experienced a student who combined a calm, ignorance of the rules with a winning urge to be good, who seemed to love the school truly and deeply, ... The faculty threw up its hands over Phineas, and so loosened its grip on all of us.” (Knowles 22).On numerous occasions, Finny has used his casual honesty and smooth charisma to talk himself out of several run ins with his superiors, such as how he easily got himself and Gene out of trouble for missing dinner to go swimming. Such evidence of Finny’s confident attitude can be found on page 25 when he decided to wear a wild pink shirt. “He did wear it. No one else in the school could have done so without some risk of having it torn from his back. When the sternest of the Summer Session Masters, old Mr. Patch-Withers, came up to him after history class and asked about it, I watched him drawn but pink face become pinker with amusement as Finny politely explained the meaning of the  shirt.” (Knowles 25). Even with his bold and somewhat embarrassing fashion choice, his confidence never wavered. All throughout the day he managed to pull it off without any hesitation, even in the face of a strict teacher. Inevtiably, Finny’s magnetic personality also attracted the admiration of his other classmates, which began hang on this excting boy’s every word. His command expanded to becoming the ring leader of a large group, especially in the new game he created called “blitzball”. “ “Stop, stop!” cried Finny in a referee’s tone. Everybody halted, and Finny retrieved the ball; he talked better holding it.” (Knowles 39). To begin with, the author compared Finny’s voice to that of a referee, a person who has absolute power in a match, just as his character is a leader to the boys. The next key word in the phrase was “everybody”, another sign of the control Finny held . Lastly, even his body language suggested immense dominance, as holding the ball was a metaphorical way of displaying that he, Phineas, was the alpha and was in charge of the game. In conclusion, Gene’s best friend, while easily mislabeled a mere supporting character, can be distinguished as a persuasive and alluring commander. 

Assignment #2 Question #3 (Rei Halloran)

3) Re-read the opening paragraph of chapter 3. Explore and explain the quote “Yes, he had practically saved my life. He had also practically lost it for me” (33). Explain what Gene is saying and why he is saying it at this point. What are the larger implications of what he is saying? 

“Yes, he had practically saved my life. He had also practically lost it for me” (Knowles 33) Gene says this at the beginning of chapter 3 about Phineas. Gene is blaming Phineas for the little accident that happened the previous night. Although Phineas saved Gene's life, he also almost made him kill himself. If it wasn't for Phineas's 'Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session', Gene would not have been up in the tree talking to Phineas, and he wouldn't have lost his balance. He starts to realize that Phineas is pressuring him to do these stupid things. "I wouldn't have been on that damn limp except for him." (Knowles 33) Gene begins to understand that Phineas is the dominant one in their friendship. "I noticed in that he did abide by certain rules, which he seemed to cast in the form of Commandments." (Knowles 35) Gene feels that he needs to do what Phineas says or he will lose the tight bond they have. "At that time it would never have occurred to me to say, 'I don't feel like it tonight', which was the plain truth every night. I was subject to the dictate of my mind, which gave me the maneuverability of a strait jacket." (Knowles 34) A lot of the time Gene does not want to do what Phineas is doing, but because of the fear of losing his best friend, he goes ahead and does it anyways. Gene knows that Phineas is a kind person and a great friend. "He got away with everything because of the extraordinary kind person he was. It was quite a compliment to me, as a matter of fact, to have such a person choose me for his best friend." (Knowles 29) Now he feels the need to do these foolish stunts with him because Phineas choose him as his best friend. 

Caleb Post 2 19-40 question 4 Realtionship between Gene and Fin

4) How does the invention of and the playing of Blitzball impact the relationship between Finny and Gene?

After seeing Finny create a new game and perform so impressively in it Gene becomes insecure and jealous.  Blitzball is a very important symbol in this book. It symbolizes the personalities of each person based on the way they play it. Finny, for example, is not afraid of the challenge and works hard to make sure he is the best. The way Finny plays completely displays his personality, he is one to take charge and face a challenge. Others like Leper are scared of the ball and refuse to carry it. Gene however is in the middle. He watches Finny perform amazingly and shows everyone how talented he is athletically. I believe this, like other traits Finny possesses, is what Gene is so jealous about. Gene claims he is happy for his best friend (Knowles 40) but in reality he is hiding his jealousy. He wishes he could have the personality and talents of Finny. I think Gene hides his real emotions in the book.
"It was good that Finny could shine at it. He could also shine at many other things" (Knowles 40)
Do you think that Finny is actually showing his real emotions and is truly happy for Finny, or is he just finding a way to mask his jealousy.

Magnus: Assignment: 1 Question: 2

Magnus Aske

2.)   Gene is narrating his own story of what happened when he was in high school. How do a. his perspective (1st person narration) and b. the retrospective (looking back and telling a story as if it were the present) influence you as a reader and how does it impact the credibility or integrity of the story being told?

         

          The first person narration in A Separate Peace adds a personal aspect and insight into Gene's experience at the Devon School. In addition to this, the fact that he is returning fifteen years later allows the reader to have a deep look into how the Devon School has changed Gene, how Gene has been affected by Phineas to this day, and finally how Gene has grown. One example of this happens on page fourteen as Gene 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." (Knowles 14) As shown by this quotation, not only has Gene physically changed, but mentally changed due to it. Apart from his physical change altering his mindset, The Devon School has also done the same, and sprouted a love in him for the campus as seen on page 13. "With nothing to block it the wind flung wet gusts at me; at any other time I would have felt like a fool slogging through mud and rain, only to look at a tree." (Knowles 13) This comment made by Gene shows his love for The Devon School and the memories that he has had on its vast campus. He would be willing to freeze and trudge through muddy wet grass, while howling wind threw water at him. This is the dedication that he believes his memories with Finny and company deserve and why his love for his high school experience is so obvious. Another reason that the first person narrative is a strong aspect of the book is that the information about his Devon experience seems very accurate and detailed, as he is the on who lived through it. Especially on pages fourteen to twenty, his description of his jump and the pressure from Finny made the reader truly engaged which strengthened the connection to Gene. Gene is a sentimental character which not only loves The Devon School but interacting with those reading about his experience.

assignment # 1 question 3: Two specific things Gene notices/ realizes and why Knowles might have done this.

The two places Gene visits at Devon are the First Academy Building and the tree.  Gene enters the First Academy Building noticing the marble stairs, and how hard they are because, “ They were old stairs, the worn moons in the middle of each step were not very deep” (Knowles, 11). The stairs, which he had walked on everyday, were unnoticeably the same, and Gene begins to feel older.  Meanwhile Gene starts his “ long trudge across the fields” (Knowles, 12).  Gene although covered in mud and rain continues his trek to a tree. The tree, which loomed in his memory looked the same as al the other trees alining he riverbank. When the tree is discovered Gene describes it has, “ The giants of your childhood…but that they are absolutely smaller, shrunken by age” (Knowles, 14).  I think Knowles might have included these too specific examples because the marbles stairs are something that will never change to the school or in Gene ‘s memory.  However this tree, which Knowles makes a significant part of Gene’s relationship with Phineas, a ever changing symbol. One that was once huge and overbearing, now old and ‘ shrunk by age’. Knowles also ends Genes reminiscing with him saying, “So the more thing remain the same, the more they change after all” (Knowles, 14).

Assignment #1 (pages 9-20) Question #3 (two specific things Gene notices when he revisits TFAB and the tree)

When Gene revisits Devon, he goes to two specific places: The First Academy Building, and the tree that he and Phineas dared to jump off. As he is visiting these places, he notices how much he has changed since he has last been there. Upon arriving in the marble foyer of The First Academy Building, he thinks about how hard the stairs must be, because so many students have walked on them. Gene reminisces about how he walked those stairs multiple times a day. The stairs have remained the same, but Gene has changed. He is now "taller, bigger...had more money and success" (Knowles, 12). After visiting The First Academy Building, Gene determinately trudges to the tree by the bank. He is stunned at how many identical trees there are lining the bank, because in his memory the tree is the only one there is. When Gene finally reaches the tree, which is extremely illustrious in his mind, he observes how feeble and weak the once-intimidating tree it used to be. Knowles had Gene realize how much he had grown, both physically and mentally, since he was last at the school. Things (such as the tree) that once felt so frightening, now seemed old and worn down. The memories that Gene had of Devon are redrawn in his mind when he visits his old school.

Assignment # 1 (9-20) - Why does John Knowles begin the novel this way? What is the purpose and effect? - Alexandra Brizius

John Knowles begins the novel with present day Gene visiting the school he graduated from 15 years ago, Devon. The story opens up with Gene walking around the school, reflecting on his past years there.  John Knowles begins the novel this way to foreshadow the other half of the chapter, which is a flash back of him self attending the school. The first half of the chapter is Gene revisiting the school and at the very end of that Gene is thinking and looking at trees. “I began to examine each one closely, and finally identified the tree I was looking for by means of certain small scares rising along its trunk, and by a limb extending over the river, and another thinner limb growing near it.” (Knowles, 14) Right at the start of the second half, it opens up with Gene and his friends; Finny, Leper, Elwin, Chet and Bobby climbing trees in the forest near The Devon School jumping off the exact tree into the river.  The effect it give us is a taste of the younger Gene and then the Gene a decade and half later. Just in the first chapter we can get a little more of a understanding of Gene’s personality, while in other stories we might not get that. The purpose of John Knowles starting the novel with present day Gene is to foreshadow the other half of the chapter.