Assignment 12, Question 4: Gene reflects on Phineas’ impact on his life at the bottom of page 202 and top of page 203. In this passage, what do you think Gene means when he says “Phineas alone had escaped this” (202)? What did he escape? And did he do so by dying or by the way he lived his life? (see also page 204)

Because of the war, all of the boys at Devon, and indeed all over the world have developed a sad and dismal view of life which has been propagated by anything bad in their lives; Phineas, however, was able to “escape” this and maintain a positive outlook on life. In the beginning of the book, the war seems to be a distant and oppressive fog that has set over the rest of the world, but later, especially in the last chapter when the troops start to move into Devon, Gene realizes how connected to the war everyone really is, and how especially, how he is surrounded by it. It is a terrible thought to be connected to such violence and sadness, and would change anyone’s disposition to life.

            Phineas has gone through life with what seems to be constant happiness and ease. This is mainly what attracted the other boys at Devon to him. His confidence in himself and his talents are a testament to this ability of his to glide through life. As a result this, it is very difficult for Phineas to deal with hardship or tragedy. Both of which came crashing down upon him when his leg was broken after falling off of the tree, and then when Leper returned and made the war feel so unjustly real to him, and finally the last straw was when the idea that Gene, his best friend, a person whom he would think of as “part of him”, broke his leg purposefully. Gene realizes this when he reminisces, “Phineas alone had escaped this…. Nothing as he was growing up at home, nothing at Devon, nothing even about the war had broken his harmonious and natural unity. So at last I had,” (Knowles 203). Since Phineas lacks the life experience to deal with all of these unforeseen happenstances, he started to deny them. First it was Gene’s involvement in the accident, and then it was the war. After being his friend for so long, Gene knows about Phineas’ tendency to block things out; “… a way of sizing up the world with erratic and entirely personal reservations, letting its rocklike facts sift through and be accepted only a little at a time, only as much as he could assimilate without a sense of chaos and loss,” (Knowles 202). Phineas’ inability to see anything but the good in people is what endeared him to Gene, and eventually, what led Phineas to forgive him despite everything.

What does Gene mean when he says “I never killed anybody and I never developed an intense level of hatred for the enemy. Because my war end before I ever put on a uniform; I was on active duty all my time at school; I killed my enemy there” (204). Who/what is his enemy? Why does he contradict himself there? What was his war?

In the quote on page 204, Gene is referring to his inner demons. Gene killed his inner demons at Devon, and one was jealousy. In the beginning of the novel, Gene admires Finny’s suave and carefree attitude.  However as the summer session continued, envy and admiration start to blur for Gene. Gene wishes he could be amazing at something like Finny, but Gene takes this too far. After learning that Finny would “kill himself” if Gene became valedictorian, he takes that too far and is convinced that Finny is trying to steal the spotlight from him. Gene almost gets upset at Finny when he asks if he wants to see Leeper jump out of the tree. One quote that ticks off Gene is when Finny realizes that Gene has to work in order to get A’s. “It seemed that he had made some kind of parallel between my studies and sports… He didn’t know yet that he was unique.” (Knowles 58) This quote is important because it makes Gene even more jealous, because he realizes he has to work in order to succeed, while Finny succeeds in his own way without trying. These feelings of jealousy rise after this comment, and eventually culminates with Finny falling out of the tree.

            Gene contradicts himself because his enemy wasn’t a person; it was jealousy. Devon is an extremely competitive environment and jealousy is always waiting to strike the boys and poison their minds. Gene also never hated jealousy because it controlled him and fogged his mind. However, Gene’s subconscious was always at war with jealousy, because Gene knew that hiding the truth about the incident at the tree was immoral, but his envy refused to let him accept defeat. Gene’s jealousy was destroyed when Finny died, because Gene finally came to the realization that his envy for his friend died with him. Jealousy destroyed Gene’s admiration for Finny and destroyed one of his closest friendships.

Explore the implications and subtleties of the conversation with Mr. Hadley. What does he say about “manhood” (see what he says about the G.I.’s) and how does he feel about Brinker and Gene’s involvement in the war effort? (198-200) (Joey)

Mr. Hadley sees the war as the true test of manhood. He feels as though war-time stories are to be told to prove a man’s stature. When Mr. Hadley hears that Brinker is going to enlist in the Coast Guard, he goes on to say “make sure it’s the right thing in the long run” (Knowles 199). He also states “Your war time memories will be with you forever...people will get their respect for you from that” (Knowles 199). Mr. Hadley feels as though Brinker is not going to see much action in his branch of the military, which will cause a loss of admiration in future years. He also wants to be able to be proud of his son, and he feels that this can only be accomplished through Brinker’s actions in the war. Mr. Hadley is also firm in this belief of his, as seen in the quote “Times change, and wars change. But men don’t change” (Knowles 198). He even wants to join the war, but is burdened by his old age. Mr. Hadley is also afraid that Brinker will not live up to his expectations, for he has been giving Brinker the same lecture repeatedly. Mr. Hadley sees the war as a man’s greatest moment.

Is Finny's fall, and ultimately his death, something you can blame on Gene? Why or why not? If he is not to blame, then who is? -Reina

Finny falls twice in A Separate Peace but only one of the falls was directly Gene’s fault. When Finny falls for the first time and breaks his leg, his movements are limited from sports, to walking. This fall is Gene’s fault directly, because he shakes the branch. If he hadn’t shaken the branch, Finny would not have fallen because he is said to have perfect balance. “I took a step towards him, and then my knees bent and I jounced the branch.” (60 Knowles) Since Finny’s leg is hurt, his walking is not as stable as it once was. “sweat was running like oil from Finny’s face, and when he paused involuntarily tremors shook his hands and arms.” (112 Knowles)

Now that Finny is unable to walk properly, he has to be very careful not to fall (especially on marble.) After the trial on page 176, Finny storms out of the room enraged at Gene because Gene shook the branch. This fall was not Gene’s fault directly because he did not push him or want this to happen. He even thought the trial was a bad idea and did not want to do it. This fall is slightly Finny’s fault for not being careful enough but also Brinker who most likely knew that this situation would make Finny mad.

However, while both the falls were different in terms of whose fault it was, Finny’s death was mostly Gene’s fault. Had he not jounced the branch, none of these situations would have happened. Finny would not have fallen either times. While his death was unintentional and he did not want Finny to die, Gene still could have handled each situation better.

Is Finny's fall, and ultimately his death, something you can blame on Gene? Why or why not? If he is not to blame, then who is? - Rahul

Finny’s fall and death can be blamed completely on Gene. Some may argue that Brinker agitated him and that led him to rush out of the hall. Some may argue that the facts that Leper provided pushed Finny past his boundaries because he showed his hatred of the facts and how Brinker was trying to collect them so vigorously. “ ‘You get all your facts!’ I had never seen Finny crying before” (Knowles 177). However what led to this event and made everything spiral out of control was when Gene “jounced the limb” (Knowles 60). It is always the little things that add up to create the bigger things in life.

It could be said by some, that you can’t trace Finny’s death back so far however I think Gene is 100 percent responsible. His competitive nature and “ jounce” made Finny lose his leg mobility. When Gene and Finny were walking to the gymnasium together in the early part of the winter, Gene thinks to himself, “Phineas had moved in a continuous flowing balance. Obviously the accident this impaired Finny’s coordination and balance, and so therefore he must have had a harder time getting down the stairs. He hobbled now among the patches of ice (Knowles 111).  Secondly this lead to several rumors flying around. One can’t blame Brinker for wanting to clear things up. It may have been an awful way to do so, but that is just how Brinker is. Brinker means well however he carries out his ideas in an ill manor. Leper was just doing as he was told. He never wanted to harm anyone. It was Gene’s actions which made everything spiral out of control and eventually Phineas died because of Gene’s stupidity and jealousy

Explain the significance of the last paragraph: "I did not cry then or ever about Finny. I did not cry even when I stood watching him being lowered into his family's strait-laced burial ground outside of Boston. I could not escape a feeling that this was my own funeral, and you do not cry in that case." (Rebecca)

          Gene feels that he is a part of Finny, and when finny dies, Gene feels a part of himself dies with him. After Finny falls out of the tree, Gene feels like his purpose is to be the part of Finny that he lost when he got injured. “Listen, pal, if I can’t play sports, you’re going to play them for me,” and 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 a part of Phineas." (Knowles 85) In A Separate Peace, Gene goes from being envious of Finny to being a part of him.
          Gene took away a bit of Finny in the accident, now Gene is repaying Finny by being that part and supporting him. Knowles shows that Finny has forgiven Gene through his language and tone. "'Well there's Finny here.' 'Yes,' agreed Phineas in his deepest and most musical tone, 'there's me.'"
           Finny would rather move on and forget about the accident than settle what happened like Brinker wants. When Brinker brings up the accident 'trial' Finny doesn't want to talk about it so he storms out. Finny re-injures himself, right when he is recovering, which undoes all the bonding and forgiving that happened between him and Gene. Brinker injures Finny emotionally and physically by bringing up the past. Gene doesn't cry at Finny's funeral because Finny dies with all their memories and a part of Gene. Finny was never one to feel sorry for himself, so he would never cry at his own funeral. Gene felt that he was a part of Finny so he shouldn't cry at 'his own funeral' either. Knowles uses the words "you do not cry in that case" to sound like one of Finny's 'Commandments'. Gene's language starts to sound like Finny's because they have bonded and become similar to each other. Gene envied Finny's lifestyle, so he made his own 'Commandments' to live by just like Finny. Gene lost a part of himself when Finny dies, just like Finny lost a part of himself when he fell out of that tree.

Anthony LaMonica, Assignment #10, Question #1: At the top of page 155, the snowball fight culminates with everyone turning on Finny. Why does this happen here and why now? How does this moment foreshadow events later in the chapter?

In the opening of this chapter we find out that Finny has organized a snowball fight. Gene was joined in the fight after Finny yells to him to join on his team. When on Finny's, Finny throws a snowball at Gene. "Finny had recruited me and others as allies, so that the two sides fighting it out had been taking form. Suddenly he turned his fire against me, he betrayed several of his other friends". After Finny turned on his allies, Gene and the others "ended the fight in the only way possible; all of us turned on Phineas. Slowly, with a steadily widening grin, he was driven down beneath a blizzard of snowballs". During this part, Finny was once allied with everybody, until they all turned on him. This part foreshadowed the investigation Brinker conducted on page 168. 

In my opinion the investigation is linked to the snowball fight because when Finny first goes into The Assembly Hall, where the investigation was conducted, everybody was his ally. "Finny got up with a shrug and walked to the center of the floor, between us and the platform". As Finny gets up, it made me think of the part during the snowball fight after he switches side and leaves his allies (Brinker and Gene) and moving toward the center, like switching to the other team. On page 168, Brinker says "Today we're investigating you... Investigating Finny's accident". Now, everybody has turned on Finny, just like they had during the snowball fight.

At the top of page 155, the snowball fight culminates with everyone turning on Finny. Why does this happen here and why now? How does this moment foreshadow events later in the chapter? assignment ten Caleb

At the top of page 155, the snowball fight culminates with everyone turning on Finny. Why does this happen here and why now? How does this moment foreshadow events later in the chapter?

Everyone starts to team up on Finny because he betrayed his teammates and started throwing snowballs at them. This is all in a playful manner though, and they end the game laughing and in a jolly mood. Later in the chapter, at the trail, Brinker demands to know all the facts about what happened on that mysterious day when Finny shattered his leg. He interrogates Finny, Gene, and Leper to the point of anger. Unlike at the snowball fight, people are actually very upset with Brinker and not just playing around. At one point Finny, Gene, and Leper are so furious with Brinker and his need to know everything about everyone, that Finny yells in his face, "You collect every f---ing fact there is in the world!" This shows how angry Finny is with Brinker and how Brinker is capable of getting on somebody's nerves without wanting to. The teaming up and betrayal of Finny and his teammates foreshadowed the trial where Brinker betrayed his so called "friends" and pushed them to the point of fury.

At the top of page 155, the snowball fight culminates with everyone turning on Finny. Why does this happen here and why now? How does this moment foreshadow events later in the chapter? assignmnet 10 Caleb

At the top of page 155, the snowball fight culminates with everyone turning on Finny. Why does this happen here and why now? How does this moment foreshadow events later in the chapter?

Everyone starts to team up on Finny because he betrayed his teammates and started throwing snowballs at them. This is all in a playful manner though, and they end the game laughing and in a jolly mood. Later in the chapter, at the trail, Brinker demands to know all the facts about what happened on that mysterious day when Finny shattered his leg. He interrogates Finny, Gene, and Leper to the point of anger. Unlike at the snowball fight, people are actually very upset with Brinker and not just playing around. At one point Finny, Gene, and Leper are so furious with Brinker and his need to know everything about everyone, that Finny yells in his face, "You collect every f---ing fact there is in the world!" This shows how angry Finny is with Brinker and how Brinker is capable of getting on somebody's nerves without wanting to. The teaming up and betrayal of Finny and his teammates foreshadowed the trial where Brinker betrayed his so called "friends" and pushed them to the point of fury.

Assignment 10: Discuss Leper’s return and its impact on Gene and Finny before Brinker’s trial. What does Leper represent now that he is back at Devon and what conversation does his return trigger between Finny and Gene? (see pages 163-164).

When the character of Leper Lepillier returns to Devon in chapter 11, he brings back the reality of the war and the powerful impact it has created, causing Finny to realize and admit the importance of his friendship to Gene. “ “Naturally I don’t believe books, and I don’t believe teachers,” he came across a few paces, “but I do believe -- it’s important after all for me to believe you. Christ, I’ve got to believe you, at least. I know you better than anybody.” (Knowles 163). While Finny has always appeared content to live in a world of glamorous and enchanting fantasy, one that Gene longed to be a part of, Finny is telling Gene of just how badly he needed him to be a steady counterweight to his imagination. This to him is especially crucial to Finny in these wild and confusing times of war. However to Gene, Leper also represents the fragile string that his relationship is built on, a string as weak and whimsical as Leper’s state of mind. As he mentioned when Gene came to visit, Leper was there in the moment that Gene jounced the branch, causing Finny that fateful fall that forever shaped his life. This painful secret that Leper knows of makes Finny’s trust and compassion in his friendship with Gene all the more ironic as it is predominantly based on a lie. The boys, especially Finny, also finally accepted the effects the war had brought on to them. The reappearance of their now mentally unstable friend finally put to an abrupt end all of their fantasies about the war time -- it was evident that Leper was no hero or general, and that despite all of Finny’s coaching, Gene would never actually compete in the 1944 Olympics. Leper is a painful dose of the pain of the real world, forcing Gene and Finny to re-examine the weight their friendship with each other carries; one hand of the scale light with love for each other, the other heavy with Gene’s dark secret of how he maimed Finny. 

Assignment # 10- Name two important events of rising action that Knowles uses to build up to the climax of the fall. If you choose the trial, choose a specific incident to discuss and how it leads to the fall.- Alexandra

       In chapter 11, it is very evident that Brinker suspects that Gene had something to do with Finny's accident. Brinker creates a mock-trial in the assembly hall late at night, and invites some other of the boys at Devon to force Finny and Gene to attend. He plants a "seed" of suspicion, yet there is no one who can really verify the facts, because no one was there besides Gene, Finny and Leper. Brinker states this, saying its "too bad" (Knowles 172) that Leper is not here to reveal the whole truth. However, nobody knew that Leper was actually on campus, besides Gene and Finny, until Finny disclosed this information.
       This led the the boys to go get Leper, who clearly described two figures on the branch the afternoon of the accident, one holding the trunk and one balancing on the edge of the limb. Leper, realized that he was being used by Brinker, saying, "I'm important, you never realized, but I'm important too. You be the fool now. Bastard." (Knowles 176). Without even actually accusing Gene, Finny realized, at that moment, that who he thought was his best friend, actually might've caused his accident. After discovering this, Finny rushes out of the assembly hall, stumbling down the marble stairs in frustration and anger.

Mango - Assignment 9 Question 2.

Explore the difference between what ‘escape’ means to Gene as opposed to what it means to Leper (see usage in context on the middle of page 143).

          For tonights reading, Gene and Leper meet in snowy Vermont, the location of the distress telegram. Leper attempts to explain why he abandoned the ski troop and is received with indignation. The past weeks at the Devon School have been filled with talk of Leper's enlistment. Leper is the school's connection to the war, to the action. As seen in an earlier reading, Gene is still intrigued by the idea of joining the war effort. On the train, after shoveling off the tracks, Leper announces that he will join. This sparks a rush of excitement in Gene, and opens a window for him to join.  When Leper announces his departure from the army, this slams the window right in Gene's face. His hopes of leaving Devon are diminished and he is left with no option but to stay or go and fight alone. In all, this conversation frustrates and angers Gene to the point of violence. For Leper on the other hand his decision to quit is connected to the entire future of his life. If Leper is considered insane and forced to leave, he will be in no position to find a good job or even have a partially successful way forward. Leper has made his choice as a form of survival as shown on page 144. "You can't get a job after that... You're screwed for life, that's what a Section Eight discharge means."

Assignment #9 Question #2 Explore the difference between what ‘escape’ means to Gene as opposed to what it means to Leper (see usage in context on the middle of page 143).

Leper and Gene think of 'escaping' in different ways. To Gene, 'escaping' is a bad thing, but to Leper it is a miracle or a good thing. Gene goes to Leper's house in Vermont, after he receives a telegram saying that Leper needs help. Once he arrives at the house, Gene and Leper talk about Leper leaving the army, which leads to Leper explaining how and why he escaped. Gene gets annoyed and angry at Leper because he is confused about what Leper is saying and why he had to come all the way to Vermont, when Leper's situation could have all been explained in a phone call."'What do you mean, you escaped?' I said  sharply. 'You don't escape from the army'"(Knowles 143). To Gene this 'escaping' from the army is new and like a foreign language. He's confused because Leper wanted to enlist and it was his choice, but now he hates it and has escaped.

Gene and Leper have two different definitions of 'escaping' because they think about the army differently. At the beginning of the novel, Gene knows that the army is hard and requires a lot of work, but now he is invested in believing that there isn't war. Finny has this idea that "there isn't any war."(Knowles 115), and Gene partially believes it. He is trying to make himself believe that there isn't a war because he wants to be Finny, but he still knows that there is a war going on. Before Leper enlists, he doesn't think that the army will be that hard and he thinks that he will be able to ski. Instead, he starts to get visions of people and things, and struggles to keep up in training, which leads to him getting a Section Eight Discharge. Leper says, "A Section Eight Discharge is for the nuts in the service"(Knowles 144).  When Leper starts talking about the army, Gene doesn't want to hear about it. Gene starts to yell at Leper, "Do you think I want to hear every glory detail! Shut up! I don't care!"(Knowles 151) It sounds like Gene is scared to hear about the army and Leper's thoughts. If Gene hears about the 'real army life' he will start to have trouble believing that there is no war. Gene thinks that if he starts believing in the war, he is betraying Finny. He is afraid of not becoming Finny. In the beginning, Gene has a more realistic view about the army than Leper, but now Leper has the more realistic view.

Knowles includes Gene's conversation with Leper in his book because it gives a new perspective about war and characterizes Leper more. Gene and Leper have different views about war and Gene starts to realize that Leper is actually crazy and he is an outlier at Devon. Leper's name shows how he is excluded from many friend groups and becomes an outlier. While Gene is in Vermont, he starts to realize how bad of an idea it would have been to enlist, and gets a new perspective about the war. He starts understanding that the war is real and it isn't just something all the boys talk about anymore.

Assignment #9 Since Leper is “section 8” (“for nuts in the service”), explore the irony of Leper’s statement “always were a savage underneath.” Take into consideration that Leper contacted Gene. Why is this important? (Anya Chung)

Although it is ironic for Leper (who is mentally unstable), to be calling Gene a “savage”, he is not far from the truth. Gene knows this as well. When Gene and Leper are eating lunch, Gene can feel Leper’s mother warming up to him a bit, even after Gene knocked Leper out of his chair. He knows this is because she thinks that he is actually a good kid on the inside, but he admits to himself that Leper was correct in believing that Gene is not a good person at heart. “Leper was closer to the truth.” (Knowles 146).

Leper chooses to contact Gene out of all the people at Devon because he believes that Gene will understand him the most. When Leper is telling Gene about his hallucinations in the army, Gene snaps. “This has nothing to do with me! Nothing at all! I don’t care!” (Knowles 151). Gene loses his temper because he doesn’t want to face the fact that perhaps Leper is right, and that Gene is just as crazy as him. Gene keeps repeating to himself on page 151 that he has no idea why Leper would be telling his story to him. Of course, this is untrue. Gene knows that Leper is telling him this because he thinks they are alike. Gene hastily runs away; he is horrified that Leper might be right.

Assignment #8, Question 2: Leper is the first of the boys to enlist. Based on the conversations and narration in the previous few chapters, what about this is ironic?(123-137)

Leper being the first boy to enlist is ironic because he is always taken-back by change at Devon. This is seen when Gene states “Leper stands out to me as the person who was most often and most emphatically taken by surprise by every shift in our life at Devon” (Knowles 93). When Gene and the other schoolboys travel to the railroads to shovel-out the tracks, Leper does not attend the trip. He rather goes touring, a form of skiing, to find a beaver dam near the school. Leper has no interest in covering jobs left empty during the war, and says to Gene “Have a nice day at it anyway” (Knowles 95). He also does not approve of speed skiing. He states “skiing isn’t supposed to be fast” (Knowles 95). However, after Leper watches a video of the United States ski troops, his instinct is to enlist. His feelings toward speed skiing adapts, as well. He states “And skiing had to learn to move just as fast or it would have been wiped out by this war” (Knowles 125). Leper is now open to change, a notion that he could not comprehend in the past.

Assignment 8, Question 5: The “separate peace” moment is shattered by the arrival of the telegram from Leper. Explore the significance of the timing of the telegram and the content. From was has Leper “escaped”? (123-137)

After his injury, Phineas became a more secluded version of himself. He still had the determination and perseverance of his old life, but he started to become more downcast and cut off. Gene started to realize this when after Phineas was back for several months and he thinks, “He drew me increasingly away from the Butt Room crowd…, into a world inhabited by just himself and me…, just Phineas and me alone among all the people of the world,” (Knowles 127). He has begun to deny the reality of World War II, because he cannot deal with more than one saddening event in his life at one time. Within time, however, he begins to come to terms with his injury. The ambitious winter carnival embodies this transition back to his old outlook on life, and Gene is excited to have his old friend back. “This is the first time Finny’s gotten going on anything since… he came back,” (Knowles 130). When the telegraph comes, he realizes that the world that he saw before, and that he has come to see again comprising of cheerful moments may not exist after all. The message shows a level of sincerity, and fright that even he, in all of his denial, can contend with. Also, Gene has been an integral part of Phineas’ recovery, and in the words of Gene, of Phineas, himself. Throughout his last couple of months at Devon, he has become especially protective of Gene as a best friend. “Phineas took no part in it, and since little else was talked about in the Butt Room he soon stopped going there and stopped me from going as well…,” (Knowles 127). In his telegraph, when Leper refers to Gene as his best friend, this throws another question into his life that Phineas is simply not prepared to deal with.

            Leper has always been thought of as a “wimp” by his classmates. After he joined the army, the boys at Devon were stunned because it seemed like such a daring act. However, after the telegraph he sent to Gene, they are simply flabbergasted. In the first line of his message, Leper writes, “I HAVE ESCAPED AND NEED HELP,” (Knowles 137); Leper had escaped from the war and from the U.S. military after enlisting.. The daring act implied in this line is in such contrast to the Leper that they have come to know that he seems like a different person.

Assignment #8 (123-137) The “separate peace” moment is shattered by the arrival of the telegram from Leper. Explore the significance of the timing of the telegram and the content. From what has Leper “escaped”?

            Leeper’s interruption of the Winter Carnival is similar to the war’s interruption of daily life. During the Winter Carnival, all the boys are having fun and are singing and dancing. This is where “a separate peace” is found for Finny. Ever since Finny has come back to Devon, he has been depressed and has not shown signs of his old charismatic self. However, during the Winter Festival, Finny jumps on the table and begins to dance. This Festival then becomes Finny’s “separate peace.” Before his tragic accident, Finny was able to find peace in sports. However, after falling out of the tree, Finny was bed ridden and could not play sports, the one thing that made him happy. Finny finally found happiness again at the festival, but it was short lived.

            Leeper’s telegram has a direct connection to the war. While most of the boys are celebrating, Leeper is off fighting in the war, but he abandons his fellow soldiers in what appears to be fear. The telegram interrupts the boys' celebration and happiness just like the war. The war has taken over Devon, and has prompted many to consider enlistment. Finny believes that the war is a curse and has destroyed any chance for the boys to have a normal childhood. Finny tries to keep Gene safe by lying to him about the war. ““Don’t be a sap,” he gazed with cool self-possession at me, “There is no war”” (Knowles 115). Finny does this for Gene so that they both can have the most normal childhood possible. The timing of the telegram is ironic because it disrupts the boys’ happiness, just like the war.