It’s no new concept that man is his own worst enemy. For ages, sayings like, ‘you are your biggest critic,’ have supported this theory. People criticize themselves endlessly, create scenarios in their heads, make false assumptions, and most often, never give the benefit of the doubt. That is exactly what Gene did to Finny in the novel A Separate Peace. Throughout the novel, Finny was portrayed as a character who possessed a childlike ignorance, always acting on instinct and never having any hidden intentions. He befriended Gene in a heartbeat, not once second guessing his decision to do so. In the end, however, it was that same seemingly ‘harmless’ quality that jaded Gene, resulting in an inevitably tragic end. Towards the beginning