Gene’s Separate Peace Envy can drive a man insane. John Knowles, the author of A Separate Peace wrote a story that takes place during WWII where everything changes. Gene, who is a brilliant kid, is best friends with the coolest kid in his grade, Finny. Gene believes Finny is jealous of him, for his excellent skills in school. Truly though Gene envy’s Finny. Gene loses a part of himself with Finny. Gene gets so involved with Finny that Gene loses himself. Gene then realizes that Finny gets away with everything. In the story it reads, “He gotten away with everything. I felt a sudden stab of disappointment.” (Knowles 13). Finny never got in trouble. He was the perfect poster child. Gene’s deep hatred for finny led him to shake the tree branch that made Finny fall. The narrator says “knees bent and I jounced the limb. Finny, his balance gone” (Knowles 32). Gene wanted to feel better than Finny. Gene wanted Finny to finally fail at something. Gene needs to act like his own individual, and not like Finny. …show more content…
Gene is questioning Finny’s intentions with him. The story says “That explained blitz ball, that explained the nightly meetings of the Super Suicide Society, that explained his insistence that I share all his diversions.” (Knowles 28). Gene believes Finny wants to throw him off track with distractions. Truthfully though, Finny loves Gene, and he is his best friend. Gene begins to hate Finny because he realizes he is perfect. Knowles wrote “It had, in one word, glamour, absolute schoolboy glamour.” (Knowles 23). Gene can’t stand the fact about how great Finny is. Finny is superhuman to him. Gene is about to see how non-perfect Finny really