It is difficult for many to define themselves during adolescence. It may take long time to discover who they are. In a Separate Peace, Gene Forrester experiences an identity crisis. He struggles with the complexity of his emotions that cause him to make mistakes that are too late to amend, so it is easier for him to transform into another person. The moment when Gene wears Phineas’ shirt showcases his aspiration to take over Finny’s character; through this, Knowles reveals that people who rely heavily on a codependent relationship are likely to alter their identity in order to escape from the realties that they will eventually have to deal with sooner or later in life. Gene wears Phineas’ attire and, subsequently, he feels as though Finny’s …show more content…
Gene’s way of dealing with his guilty subconscious from pushing Phineas off the tree is by trying on Finny’s clothes. For instance, Gene feels like a new person after secretly dressing up into Finny’s pink shirt. He states, “But when I looked in the mirror it was no remote aristocrat I had become no character out of day dreams. I was Phineas, Phineas to the life … 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 again” (Knowles, 48). Perhaps Gene feels as though he can instantly erase his guilt and other problems if he becomes a different person. When Gene dresses up as Finny, he no longer has an envious attitude towards him because he transforms into the person he wants to be, Phineas. It becomes apparent that Gene does not like himself, but is very fond of Finny. Gene’s personal identity is completely indulged into Phineas and the only way to become individually associated with his own identity is to get rid of his best friend. He finds a great sense of accomplishment by losing himself