ELA 3201 Novel Study
A Separate Peace
By John Knowles
Nothing endures, not a tree, not love, not even a
death by violence.”
A
Separate Peace
About the Author
John Knowles
• Born in West Virginia on
September 16, 1926
• Knowles was educated at Phillips
Exeter Academy, which served as a
model for the setting of A Separate
Peace.
• A Separate Peace was Knowles’
first work, which earned him the
Rosenthal Award of the National
Institute of Arts and Letters. This
established Knowles as a
successful author.
Phillips Exeter Academy
• Devon School, the setting of A Separate Peace, is based
heavily on the Phillips Exeter Academy.
Phillips Exeter Academy
Setting
• Devon School in New Hampshire
• The central story begins less than a year after
December 7, 1941, the Japanese attack on
Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii.
A Separate Peace
• War is in the background of this “bubble” –
it affects the boys, but not directly
– Main characters are juniors.
– They attend an elite private boarding school.
Plot Overview
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•
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Story is told as a flashback to 16 years ago from Gene Forrester’s
perspective
Gene was a quiet, intellectual student at the Devon School in New
Hampshire.
During the summer session of 1942, Gene becomes close friends
with Finny, his daredevil roommate
Finny prods Gene into making a dangerous jump out of a tree into a
river, and the two start a secret society based on this ritual.
Gene becomes jealous of Finny’s athletic accomplishments and
convinces himself that Finny is trying to distract Gene from
achieving academically. While Gene’s jealously turns into hate, he
carefully maintains a relationship with him.
Gene admittedly watches as Finny falls from the tree, breaking his
leg and ending his athletic prowess
Gene Forester
•
Unreliable Narrator/protagonist
•
Gene is in his early thirties, visiting the
Devon School for the first time in years.
•
Flashbacks to a story of his childhood from
the vantage point of adulthood.
•
Has love-hate relationship with his best
friend Finny
•
Gene is also often jealous of Finny because
he is good at everything and so carefree
Finny
• Honest, handsome, energetic, selfconfident, best athlete in the school
• Extremely likable – able to talk his
way out of any situation
• Gene describes Finny like that of a
Greek hero (always excelling physically,
always spirited.)
• Finny loves the thrill of competition
and does not care about
winning/losing
• Always thinks the best of people,
counts no one as his enemy, and
assumes that the world is a
fundamentally friendly place.
Ellwin Leper Lepellier
•
Quiet, peaceful, nature-loving boy
•
Shocks his classmates by being 1st in
Devon to enlist in the army
•
Shocks them again by deserting army
shortly after joining
•
Leper has hallucinations that reflect
the fears and angst of adolescence
•
He fears transformation of boys into
men—and, in wartime, of boys into
soldiers, which causes anxiety and
inner turmoil.
Brinker Hadley
Cliff Quakenbush
• Manager of the crew team
• Boys at Devon have never
liked Quackenbush
•frequently takes out his
frustrations on anyone whom
he considers his inferior
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•
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straight-laced and
conservative.
complete confidence in his own
abilities
believes in justice and order
and goes to great lengths to
discover the truth when he
feels that it is being hidden
from him.
Chet Douglass
• Gene’s main rival for the
position of class valedictorian
• excellent tennis and
trumpet player and possesses
a sincere love of learning.
Dr. Stanpole
Mr. Ludsbury
The master in charge of
Gene’s dormitory
Stern disciplinarian
Mr. Patch-Withers
• Devon’s resident doctor
• The substitute headmaster
• Caring man who laments the
troubles that afflict the youth of
Gene’s generation.
of Devon during the summer
session.
• Operates on Finny after his fall
out of the tree
• Runs the school with a
lenient hand
Literary Context
• A Separate Peace belongs to a
genre of literature called
Bildungsroman. This is a German
term which describes a novel
whose main character matures
over time, usually from childhood.
• The novel is based on events that
happened during Knowles’ years
at the Phillips Exeter Academy.
• Similar to Lord of the Flies, A
Separate Peace deals with children
coming to terms with their identity
set against the backdrop of World
War.
Main Themes
Loss of Innocence.
The plot is dominated by Gene’s progression toward maturity.
The relationship between war and peace.
The backdrop of the war plays a vital role in the novel.
The nature of friendship (tie in loyalty, envy, jealousy, etc….)
The relationship between Gene and Finny is the novel’s focus.
People’s ability to change.
Is change really possible?
- The recognition of one’s true nature
- How understanding conflict within oneself is part of
growing up
- The acceptance of responsibility for our behaviors
Historical Context
World War II
• Began in 1939 when the Germans invaded Poland, and officially
ended in August 1945, when the Japanese surrendered.
• A Separate Peace takes place during the summer of 1942, directly
in the center of World War II.
In America:
In order to cope with the war, America instituted rations on books,
sugar, coffee, and other goods.
• To conserve gasoline, a national 35 MPH speed limit was
implemented, and driving for pleasure was banned.
•Most young men were drafted into the war effort at the age of 17
• By the summer of 1942, many Americans realized that the war
was far from over.
Home Front Society
Plot
• Structure
– ______________
• Protagonist’s life is in relative order, although he may not be
satisfied
– Gene is a young man.
» Follows the rules, likes order, hard worker.
» Has a perfect best friend in Finny
– _________________
• Something disrupts the status quo and creates conflict
– Finny is a foil for Gene, upsetting Gene’s life
– Gene perceives that Finny is jealous of Gene, whereas the
opposite is true
– Gene’s jealousy consumes him.
– Gene’s reliability as a narrator???
Gene – Chapter 1
• -Feels like school “blinked out like a candle
after he left” p.10
• -Talks about how he has escaped from living in fear in
his Devon days (grows up) p.10
• - 2 “fearful sites.” Gene is deeply affected by these
places. p. 11 & 13
• -Sarcastic. “That was my sarcastic summer” p. 15
• -First time Gene seems resentful of Finny. “Naturally
Finny was going to be…” p. 15
• -During his first jump, Gene is numb. Goes into a state of
shock due to his fear. P. 17.
Gene – Chapter 1
• - Wonders if Finny has a “hold over him” p. 16
• -worries about being late, not a fan of rule
breaking. “we’d better hurry or we’ll be late” p.
18.
• -First sign that Gene is studious. Boys reading
together p.20.
• -Moment of rebellion, “resented the bell” when
they were late for dinner because he was having
fun. P. 19
Finny -- Chapter 1
• -Voice like a “hypnotist’s eyes” p. 14
• -First to suggest they jump out of the tree. Brave, Daring,
Crazy. P. 14.
• -Physical - Not overly built, 5”81/2, 150lbs p. 16
• -Confident, sure of himself. Not ashamed of being short.
“were on the short side” p. 16
• -Takes responsibility for Gene’s jump. “oh yes I did…”
p. 18.
• -Calm, collected & graceful. “just walked serenely on, or
rather flowed on” p. 18.
Finny – Chapter 1
• -Mischievous – trips Gene. “his right foot
flashed into the middle of my fast walk…”
p. 19
• -doesn’t wear pajamas because had
“heard they were unmilitary” Attempt at
patriotism. p. 20.
Leper Lepellier – Ch. 1
• -Leper is introduced: Elwin—Leper—
Lepellier p. 17.
• -Introduces the aspect of competition. “I
think that was better than Finny's” p. 17
• -non confrontational. “he didn’t argue or
refuse.” P. 17
• -is already 17, draft-able. p, 22
• Similar to Bobby and Chet, afraid to jump
Mr. Prud’homme
• - lenient, because it’s summer. Also
recognizes that many of the boys will be
drafted into war the following year p. 23
• - falls for Finny’s charms which is a
catalyst for Gene’s growing conflict. p. 2223
Mr. Patch-Withers (The Dean)
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•
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•
•
-House is detached from the student body. He is
distant. “would probably live entirely encased in a
house of glass” p. 12
-The real Dean is away “doing something for the
Government” p. 19-20. Also uninvolved.
-The “sternest of the summer Masters” p. 25
Internal Conflict
• -Gene notices he is so easily swayed by
Finny’s persuasive nature. P. 14-15
External/Interpersonal Conflict
• -Finny tries to get all the boys to jump, but
Bobby, Chet & Leper refuse. P. 17.
• - Gene mentions the war draft. In the back
of many of the boy’s minds
Theme -- Competition
• -Finny dares Gene (and the others) to jump from tree. P.
16-17
• -Leper says Gene jumped better than Finny igniting the
competition. p. 17.
• -Finny takes responsibility for Genes jump, Gene is
Offended. “I never backed away from anything in my
life” p. 18
• -Finny trips Gene and a wrestling match ensues. P. 19
Theme -- Friendship
• -Finny approves of Gene’s jump. “We
were the best of friends in that moment” p.
18
Theme – Growing Up
• School “blinked out like a candle” when Gene
left. P. 10.
• -Gene “looks back” and realizes he has overcome the
fear he used to live in. p. 10
• -Tree seems much smaller now. Going back to a
childhood place you see how much you’ve changed
like the “giants of your Childhood, whom you encounter
years later…” p. 14
Atmosphere – Present Day
• -School grounds look better than they did 15 years ago.
p.9
• -Wartime was destructive even on the home front.
“perhaps varnish, along with everything else,
• had gone to war” p,9
• -Atmosphere—“wet…self-pitying…dirt stands out clearly”
p. 10
• -fields “reached soggily and emptily away” (Atmosphere)
p, 13
• -school is in session but feels deserted. “everyone was
at sports” p. 11
Atmosphere – 1942-43
• -Summer session at Devon School in New
England.
• -Circumstance- summer session because boys
need to graduate before enlisting in the army
next year. P. 15
• -Fields then: “the healthy green turf was
brushed with dew” p. 18. More positive.
• -More signs of “life.” “dim lights
shining…masters at work in their classrooms.” p.
20
Symbol – The Tree
• -In 1942-3: The tree is described as an
“irate, steely black steeple” p 14
• -It has a “soaring black trunk” p.15. Tree
sounds much more significant.
• -A symbol for the excitement, rebellion and
challenges that would come.
The Tree – Present Day
• -In present day, described as a “fearful site” p. 11
• -“It had loomed in my memory like a huge lone spike” p.
13
• but now it looks like all the rest. Gene is almost
• offended that nature has not paid it the respect it
deserves.
• -It was stripped by the cold, looked “weary from age,
feeble, dry” p 14
• -Symbol of everything that happened “that summer”.
Symbol of change.
Gene – Chapter 2
• -Gene is jealous of Finny’s ability to talk his way out
of trouble. “I couldn’t help envying him” p. 25
• -Very particular. Notices minute details about Finny’s
appearance. Ears “fairly small and set close to his
head” p. 26
-Gets excited at the prospect that Finny may finally
get in trouble. P. 27
• -Sarcastic. Gene used sarcasm to say what he really
• thinks about Finny talking too much. Passive
• Aggressive behavior, enables him to act “tough”. P 29
• -Realizes that Finny saves his life when he stops
him from falling. P. 32
Finny – Chapter 2
• -Finny is charismatic. He explains their way out of trouble
for being late. P. 20-21
• - Likes new and exciting things. He would have liked
punishment if it was in a “novel and unknown way” p, 22
• -Likes challenging people. Once they were out of trouble,
he then confesses the real reason they were late—which
was a worse infraction. P. 22
• -Naturally confuses people by saying whatever goes
through his head, whether is makes sense to them or not. P. 23.
• -Confident. Finny is not offended that people may think
he is a “fairy.” Instead, he is curious to know. p. 25
Finny – Chapter 2
• -Uses his charisma to get out of trouble
with the dean for wearing a pink shirt and
a school tie as a belt. P 28
• -Skeptical about whether the allies really
bombed Europe. P. 29
• -Comes up with the idea to form a secret
society. P. 31
Mr. Patch-Withers (The Dean)
• -The “sternest of the summer Masters” p.
25
• -House is not welcoming. The tea visit
seems mostly for show. P. 27
• This is reflected in how uncomfortable the
boys are while in attendance
Internal Conflict – Ch. 2
• -Gene is disappointed when Finny does
not get in trouble with the headmaster,
because he wanted more excitement, “that
must have been it” P. 28
• “This time he wasn’t going to get away
with it. I could feel myself becoming
unexpectedly excited at that” p. 27
Theme -- Competition
• -Tension about whether Gene is still afraid
to jump.
• Challenge each other. P. 31
• Society naming: Gene and Finny “oneupping” each other for the best name. p.
31 – ‘The Super Suicide Society of the
Summer Session’
Theme -- Jealousy
• -The older men wish they could be part of
the war; they are envious of the boys’
youth and opportunities.p. 24
• Gene is jealous of Finny’s ability to talk his
way out of trouble. “I couldn’t help envying
him” p. 25
• “He had gotten away with everything. I felt
a sudden stab of disappointment” p. 28
Theme -- Friendship
• -Gene and Finny share clothes p. 25
• -Gene thinks of Finny as “my best friend,” and that it is a
compliment to him that Finny has chosen him as a best
friend. P. 28-29
• Trust—when Gene almost falls and Finny catches him
his “panic immediately disappeared” p. 31
Theme - Loyalty
• -The formation of the “Super Suicide
Society of Summer Session” shows loyalty
between all the boys. They are expected
to participate in order to be in the club. p.
31
Theme – Growing Up
• -As an adult, Gene realizes that sarcasm
is “the protest of people who are weak.”
He used sarcasm to say what he really
felt. P. 29
Gene – Chapter 3
• -Resentful. Doesn’t want to owe Finny for
saving his life. P.33
• -Is shocked and becomes physically ill
from his confusion about Finny and the
swim record. P.45
• Shows the darkness in his heart when
stating “his accomplishment took root in
my mind and grew rapidly in the darkness
where I was forced to hide it” (p. 44)
Finny – Chapter 3
• -Likes breaking rules and making up his own p.35
• -holds such power over everyone, when he throws away
the birdie (badmington) it’s like the whole sport is gone p.
36
• -his decisions are infectious as if the world changes with
them.
• The other boys sensed he was up to something p. 37
• -blitzball- chaos, makes up random rules p.37-38
• -“never tired…never restless” p. 39
• -Breaks swimming record and wants Gene to keep quiet
p. 43-4
Internal Conflict
• -Gene is subject to “the dictates of his
mind” p. 34
• -Gene wrestles with the possible reasons
why Finny wants to keep record a secret
p.44-45
• Starts to confront his personal
demons/insecurities/the darkness of his
heart – parallels with Macbeth? LOTF?
Theme -- Jealousy
• -Finny jokingly acts jealous about people
staring at Gene’s tan p. 47-48 (helps to
show how one character/theme develops
another)
Theme -- Competition
• -Gene thinks finny has an edge on him since he saved his life
p.33
• -Gene always jumps so he won’t “loose face” with Finny. p. 34
• -Finny says “you (collectively) always win at sports.” Not being
competitive, genuinely likes sports. P.35
• -Finny accepts Lepers idea for a blitzball rule but
not Gene’s p.38
• -“since we’re all enemies, we can and will turn on each
• Other all the time” p. 39 foreshadowing?
• “and there were few relationships at Devon not based on
• rivalry” p. 45
• -Gene compares himself to Finny’s physical abilities. P.45
Theme -- Friendship
• When Finny believes (genuinely) that
people are looking at Gene, not himself
“Everybody’s staring at you” and not
realizing his own allure/appeal
• -Finny tells Gene he is his “best pal” which
was a “courageous thing to say” p. 48
• -Gene does not say it back, due to a gut
feeling that it isn’t true for him. P. 48
Theme -- Loyalty
• When Finny breaks the swimming record:
• “It was an insult to the class (that no one
had beaten the record previously) and
Finny had tremendous loyalty to the class,
as he did to any group he belonged to…”
p. 42
• Finny to Gene “the proper person is your
best pal…which is what you are” p. 48
Gene – Chapter 4
• -Gene is less persuaded by Finny’s charms and does not
go swimming again at the beach p. 50
• -Gene perceives Finny as being jealous of his grades.p.
52
• -keeps attending society meetings so everything “seems
normal”. P.56
-Gene “jounces the limb” and Finny falls out of the tree
onto the riverbank! P. 60
• -Once he sees Finny have his first “clumsy” actionhe
doesn’t feel intimidated anymore p.60
Finny – Chapter 4
• -Finny thinks academics come naturally to
Gene, like sports to to him p. 58 “Why
didn’t you say you had to study before”.
Reaffirms Finny’s innocence and purity of
character.
• -Before he falls he looks at Gene with
“extreme interest”
• Did he know he did it on purpose? P.60
Leper – Chapter 4
• -considered a coward p. 57
• “I didn’t believe it. Leper Lepellier would go
down paralyzed with panic on any sinking
troopship before making such a jump”
• *Foreshadowing*
• Called “lily-liver Lepellier” by Gene when
he becomes angered
Theme -- Jealousy
• -Gene thinks Finny is jealous of his grades p. 51
• -Finny sarcastically says “I’d kill myself out of
jealous envy” p. 52 But Gene thinks he is serious.
• -Gene realizes Finny is Genuine and the rivalry
is in his head p. 45 and 59
Theme – Competition
• -someone’s got to be head of the class” p, 51
Gene wants the top spot.
• -Finny says “ we would be even” if Gene was the
top academic and he was the top athlete. P. 52
• -Gene’s academic competition with Chet heats
up. P. 54
• He feels that Chet’s genuine enjoyment of
learning is a weakness, which also shows that
Gene does NOT have a love of learning.
• -Gene think Finny is studying harder. Perceived
competition p.55
Theme -- Friendship
• -Genes feelings of friendship are “in ruins”
and he thinks he has no one to trust p. 53
• When Finny realizes that Gene needs to
study, he immediately relents and
encourages his “friend” to stay back and
work on improving his marks (p. 58/59)
• “…pal, you’re going to study” (p. 58)
Theme – Darkness of Man’s
Heart
• Concludes their friendship was a farce by
Finny. In fact, it was “cold trickery, it was
all calculated, it was all enmity” p. 53
• Gene is so preoccupied with this
perception, he begins to rationalize all
aspects of their sudden “rivalry” p. 55
• “Jounces” the limb and lets Finny fall p. 61
Internal Conflict
• -Gene is conflicted about whether or not Finny is jealous
of him trying for top of the class p. 52.
• -Gene thinks that Finny tried to wreck his studies on
purpose p.53
• -“The deadly rivalry was on both sides after all” p. 54.
• This conflict is all in Gene’s head.
• -Tries to convince himself that Finny is as low
as he is. P.56
Finny shatters this illusion when he recognizes Gene needs
to study and insists he does so. This deeply impacts Gene
Internal Conflict
• Gene refuses to recognize his own feelings of
insecurity and jealousy as his real enemy. This
subconscious denial begins to lead to the
downfall of his friendship with Finny. Gene dealt
with this inner conflict by projecting his fears
onto Phineas, his closest friend.
"He [Finny] had never been jealous of me for a
second. Now I knew that there never was and
never could have been any rivalry between us. I
was not of the same quality as he" (59).
Interpersonal Conflict
• -Gene and Finn have their first real argument
out loud (p. 57) over Gene’s studying vs. going
to watch Leper jump from the tree
• The resolution of this conflict, however, brings
about a deeper understanding in Gene about
Finny:
• “He didn’t yet know that he was unique” p. 58
• “I was not the same quality as he. I couldn’t
stand this”. (p. 59)
Symbol – The Grey Sunrise
• -The sun rising like a “strange gray thing”
after the night at the beach is a symbol of
Gene’s growing negative feelings towards
his friendship with Finny. P.49
• The darkness of Gene’s inner turmoil
Gene – Chapter 5
• -when trying on Finny’s identity, Gene hopes he will
never have to “stumble the confusions of my own
character again” p.62
-On way to visit Finny at infirmary, afraid that Finnyis
going to denounce him p. 63 and accuse him p. 64
-Gene tries to tell the story of what happened to make it
seem like an accident p.65
• -vacation seems like it’s not real. Going through
the motions—like the first jump p.67
• -Instead of going straight to Devon, takes a side trip
• to visit Finny. P. 67
• -Confesses the truth to Finny for the first time p.69
Finny – Chapter 5
• -Finny’s leg is “shattered” like his dreams as an athlete p.61
• -He physically seems less impressive than he did before p.
64. He has changed.
• -Is drugged when Gene visits, still a little hazy about what
happened p.65 “What are you looking so sick about”?
• -He mentions the expression on Gene’s face before he fell,
implying that may know the truth p.65
• -At home, Finny is still bedridden and to Gene “looks like an
invalid, house bound”. P.68
• -Is in denial about the truth. Acts like a child when
Gene confesses. P.70
Dr. Stanpole
• Breaks the news to Gene about Finny’s condition p.63
• Shows kindness and compassion which startles Gene.
• His purpose as a character is to:
1) act as a catalyst for Gene’s recognition about himself
(his self-hatred after receiving the news; his inner
demons)
2) To give the news about Finny’s condition and the
permanancy of Gene’s selfish actions
3) Helps to build atmosphere and suspense as Gene
enters Phineas’ room
4) Serves to develop Gene’s character further through
dramatic irony A visit from “a pal or two would do him
good” p. 63
The School Masters – Ch. 5
• The school masters are deeply affected by
Finny’s fall. They see it as a great loss of
opportunity for a young man to be “free
and happy” in the months leading up to
being drafted into war. P. 61
Internal Conflict
• - Gene tries to “forget who he is” by trying on Finny’s
clothes and becoming him. P. 62
• -Gene is no nervous about seeing Finny that he almost
faints. P.64
• -***FINNY is conflicted about what he remembers from
the incident. Thinks he had a feeling that Gene was at
fault, but it doesn’t make sense to him p. 66
• -Gene wants to start talking about the incident, but is
conflicted about how he should bring it up p.69
• ***Finny’s denial causes Gene to question his own
memory of what happened p.70
Interpersonal Conflict
• Gene tells Finny he jounced the limb on
purpose, and Finny argues with him and
denies the truth p.70
• For different reasons, both boys have
difficulty coping with the “truth” of this
situation and what it would imply.
Theme -- Friendship
• -Finny feels crazy for thinking Gene was at fault,
because in his mind a best friend wouldn’t do such a
thing. P. 66
• -Gene does not bring Finny any gifts when he goes
to visit, which is what one usually does for a sick
friend (p.69), likely demonstrating his guilt.
• “It struck me then that I was injuring him again…this
could be an even deeper injury than what I had
done before (p. 70)
Theme -- Friendship
• Consider this…in Chapter 2 when Gene is
falling from the tree, Finny grabs his arm
and saves him. In Chapter 5, when they
are discussing Finny’s fall, Finny says he
“reached out to get a hold of you”
• Gene’s reaction: “To drag me down too!”
• Finny’s response: To get a hold of you, so
I wouldn’t fall off” (p. 65)
Theme -- Loyalty
• Finny does not believe Gene would ever
hurt him and actually apologizes for “that
feeling I had” (p. 66) about how he fell
• -Finny says “that’s loyalty for you” when
Gene says he thought about him on
vacation p.69. Chooses to think of Gene
as a friend and trusts him, even though it
appears he may have doubts
Theme -- Guilt
• -Gene is confronted with what he has done to Finny p. 62
• -Gene realizes that Finny will never play sports again and
becomes upset p.63
• -Before he sees Finny, Gene bursts into tears p. 64
• -Gene says he is sitting there in a “pool of guilt” p.66
• -Gene is shocked to see Finny still in bed when he
visits him at home. (p. 68)
• -Gene feels like “a wild man.” Losing his identity
because of what he has done p.69
- When trying to confess to Finny he realizes that he was
“injuring him again…an even deeper injury than what I had done
before (p. 70).
Theme – Darkness of Man’s
Heart
• “I cried for Phineas and for myself and for this doctor
who believed in facing things. Most of all, I cried because
of kindness, which I had not expected.” p. 64
• When Finny discusses trying to save himself, Gene
instinctively accuses him “I flinched violently away from
him. ‘To drag me down too!’” (p. 65)
• Finny notes Gene’s expression “Awfully funny
expression you had. Very shocked, like you have right
now. (p. 65)
Theme -- Deception
• Gene lies on several occasions before he can
acknowledge the truth: “How could you fall off
like that”/ “I reached out but you were gone” /
“What happened there at the tree?” (p. 65)
• Believes that Phineas would have “told me the
truth” – shows a growing recognition of his own
nature (p. 66)
• When Finny asks him if he’s going to “live by the
rules”, Gene says he will not, then
acknowledges it was “the most false thing, the
biggest lie of all.” (p. 71)
Atmosphere (change) – Ch. 5/6
• -Atmosphere on the way back to school from
vacation is less idyllic, more industrial. p. 67
• The class leaders in the winter session were
more “in charge”… “if you broke the rules, they
broke you” at the sermon on p. 74
• A “leaderless, (free) band in the summer with
the exception of the eccentric notions of
Phineas” (p. 74)
Symbol – The Summer Season
• The Summer Session at Devon: Rules
are relaxed. The weather is nice. Students
like Finny excel. It is symbolic of childhood
innocence.The summer session
symbolically ends with Finny's fall from the
Suicide Tree.
Symbol – The Winter Season
• Rules are enforced. The weather is
depressing. Students like Brinker Hadley
excel. The winter symbolizes the end of
childhood and innocence and the
encroachment of the war.
• We see this change as Ch. 5 ends and 6
begins
Gene – Chapter 6
• -Remembers Phineas like a glowing “river god” p.75. Is
he missing him?
-Wants to be an “automaton” p. 78 so he can
just go through the motions of life without feeling p. 78
-His attempt at ignoring what has happened is disrupted
when Finny phones him. P.82
-feels like he has a purpose again: to “become a part of
Phineas” p. 85
Finny – Chapter 6
• Seemingly has no malice towards Gene
when he learns that Gene does not have a
new dorm-mate in his room “Saving my
place for me! Good old Devon. But
anyway, you wouldn’t have let them put
anyone else in there…” (p. 83)
Leper – Chapter 6
• -Likes nature-collected snails during the
summer p.75
• He’s a naturalist, a “gentle soul”
• His room is taken in the winter term by
Brinker
Brinker Hadley – Chapter 6
• -Sort of replaces Finny as the leader of the
pack p.74
• Gene notes he establishes his
“headquarters” at Devon (p. 74)
-- Note he’s also right across from Gene’s
dorm room
• -Has a “steady wit” and “ceaseless plans”
p. 75
Cliff Quackenbush
• Cliff Quackenbush, is portrayed as a mature and rude
student (76-77). He is the leader of the ship crew
• Quackenbush is not popular among the students at the
Devon school, and these students make their hatred
towards Quackenbush known, “For Quackenbush had
been systematically disliked since he first set foot in
Devon, with careless, disinterested insults coming at him
from the beginning, voting for and applauding the class
leaders through years of attaining nothing he wanted for
himself” (78).
• Quackenbush considers himself inferior to the other
students at Devon merely because they have told him
so, and thus he agrees with the leaders of the school all
in an effort to be liked by the students.
Mr. Ludsbury
• -A master who was away for the summer.
-More strict. Is disapproving of how the
boys behaved during the summer p.81
Internal Conflict
• Notes that when Quackenbush was sizing
him up for physical disability that he would
“never detect my trouble”…his
emotions/guilt/etc…
• Is deeply troubled by what happened over
the summer and fuels his anger onto
Quackenbush once he is bullied (p. 79)
• Believes that he fought that battle “for
Finny” (p. 79)
Interpersonal Conflict
• Finny and Quackenbush are very contrasting
characters…and as such Quackenbush starts
pushing Gene around because he sees Gene as
inferior (senior, picking a “lower” job asst. crew
manager, he’s never really rowed, etc…He misunderstands that Gene has selected this job
really to become an ‘automaton’ so he can just
“go through the motions” (p. 78/9)
• -Gene and Quack argue, and then physically
fight p.79
Theme – Innocence
• In referring to the summer months, Gene states “The
traditions had been broken, the standards let down, all
rules forgotten. (p. 73)”
• Also symbolic of their childhood, of Finny, of a carefree,
fun life, which all ended for Gene with Finny’s (literal)
and his own (metaphorical) fall.
• Finny has no malice towards Gene when he learns that
Gene does not have a new dorm-mate in his room
“Saving my place for me! Good old Devon. But anyway,
you wouldn’t have let them put anyone else in there…”
(p. 83)
Theme -- Innocence
• Finny’s naiveity over both Gene’s
character/intentions and the events at the
tree:
• “I did have a trace of doubt, that was
because you talked so crazy here….I’m
sorry about that Gene. Naturally, I was
completely wrong.” (p. 83)
Theme – Loss of Innocence
• “Still it (the summer/his innocence) had
come to an end, in the last long rays of
daylight at the tree, when Phineas fell” (p.
74)
• His guilt and fear when he goes to see the
long-distance call it “seemed to interrupt
the beating of my heart” (p. 82)
Theme -- Competition
• “The crew waits for no man…This crew is
going to win the New England
scholastics…(p. 77)
• -Cliff is competitive and looks down on
Gene for not being involved in sports p.78
Theme -- Friendship
• -Finny tells Gene on the phone that “roommates
are roommates. Even if they do have an
occasional fight.” This is his way of letting Gene
know they need to move on. P. 83
• Finny to Gene – “if I cant play sports, you’re
going to play them for me”, and I lost a part of
myself to him then…my purpose from the first: to
become a part of Phineas” (p. 85)
Theme -- Loyalty
• -Finny is described as being genuinely
loyal but when Gene tries to be loyal and
defend Finny, he feels like he did it for
himself. Not genuine. P. 79
• -Finny tells Gene he knew he would never
let anyone take his place in their room
(their friendship) and Gene implies he
never would p. 83
Theme – Guilt (and regret)
• -Gene projects his anger and guilt about
what has happened onto Cliff p.79
• -Gene says he is “fighting to endure” his
loss. P. 79. This could be the loss of a
friend, of the freedom of summer
or the loss of himself.
• Gene regrets that he had not “seized and
held the…multitudes of advantages the
summer offered me; if only I had” (p. 82)
Theme -- Fear
• When he goes to see the long-distance
call it “seemed to interrupt the beating of
my heart” (p. 82)
Theme – Identity/Growing Up
• Finny to Gene – “if I cant play sports,
you’re going to play them for me”, and I
lost a part of myself to him then…my
purpose from the first: to become a part of
Phineas” (p. 85)
Irony
• When Mr. Ludsbury tells Gene that the boys did not not
help Mr. Prud’homme and “simply took advantage of the
situation” (p. 82
• Relating to Finny’s fall, Gene’s actions, the fulfilling of his
internal conflict/jealousy/darkness
• Finny to Gene – “if I cant play sports, you’re going to
play them for me”, and I lost a part of myself to him
then…my purpose from the first: to become a part of
Phineas” (p. 85)
Symbol – The Devon River
• Symbolic of moments of peace, goodness,
Phineas, joy (p. 75)
• “Phineas in exaltation….like a river god”
(p. 75)
• “the glory of the summer and offering it to
the sky” (p. 75)
• The river like the tree is unpredictable,
safety is fragile “…and Finny would tumble
into the water, roaring with rage” (p. 76)
Gene – Chapter 7
• -When Brinker calls him out in the Butt Room, he plays
along with the “joke” p. 88
-When a boy is interested in the story of what happened,
Gene finds his interest to be perverse. P.90
-confesses an elaborate web of lies to deflect the boys’
suspicions p.90
-tries to stop the boys from teasing Leper after his ski
trip—feels bad for him p. 98-99
-As soon as Gene sees Finny all his stress about
enlisting is lifted. P. 102
Leper – Chapter 7
• -unfocused, distant from the boys p.93
-interested in nature: likes to sketch birds in his notebook
.93 and curious about a beaver dam p.95
-Taken an interest in “touring,” or, cross country skiing
p.94-5. He prefers this to downhill skiing because it is
safer. He doesn’t like too much excitement.
• When asked where he’s touring, he he states he isn’t
going anywhere. He seems to have no purpose, no goal,
no future, a sharp contrast to Gene
• Does not help the war effort like the other boys (i.e.
digging out the trains after the snowfall) (p. 93). Instead
he could be found sketching pictures of birds and trees.
Brinker – Chapter 7
• -described as preppy and proper p.87
-animated and lively like Finny p.87
-First implies that he thinks Gene is responsible
for Finny’s fall “the truth will come out” p.88
-Jokes with everyone in the Butt Room about
Gene committing “fratricide” p.89
-Snaps and decides to enlist.. Is tired of all the
“draft dodgers” and “naturalists” at Devon p.100
Other – Chapter 7
• -During the summer the war was not really on
their mind but now may of the boys feel that
staying at Devon is keeping them from having
glamorous war stories p.97. Very romanticized
view of it.
• “They seemed to be having a wonderful time”
• “…while the whole world was converging
elsewhere, we seemed to be nothing but
children playing among heroic men” (p. 97)
Internal Conflict
• Gene’s growing guilt is apparent when Brinker ironically
teases that Gene was behind Finny’s fall
• “my own blood-pounded ears”
• “The truth will out” – almost a self-confession, also
foreshadowing
• He decides to play along with the mock trial to hide his
guilt
• After seeing the train troops, sees enlisting in the war as
a chance to “slam the door impulsively on the past”
• “I yearned to take giant military shears to it” (p. 100) –
the past
• The decision to go to war or stay at Devon (p. 101)
Internal Conflict
• -Gene describes what he loved most about the summer
was the “measureless, careless peace” p. 101. The boys
were lucky to have had their own peace, separate from
what was going on in the world. P.101
Irony
• Brinker accusing Gene of responsibility for
Finny’s fall (p. 88, p. 89-91)
• “ ‘Liar’ Brinker glowered…Trying to weasel
out of it with a false confession, eh?” (p.
91)
Atmosphere – Chapter 7
• -Butt Room is given a very grimy and dank
description p.89. Turns into his first “court”
of judgment by the boys, this time in jest.
• -During the night Gene thinks about
enlisting, the stars are described as
piercing. Clear. P. 101
Theme -- Deception
• When Gene plays along with the boys in
the butt room to mask his guilt
• “I had to take part in this, or risk losing
control….”
• “..all I did was drop…a little pinch of
arsenic in his morning coffee” (p. 89)
Theme -- Guilt
• Gene’s growing guilt is apparent when Brinker ironically
teases that Gene was behind Finny’s fall
• “my own blood-pounded ears”
• “The truth will out” – almost a self-confession, also
foreshadowing
• In part of his deception at the mock trial, cannot mouth
the words “pushed him out of the tree” (p. 90)
• The boys note that its “Funny, he came all the way down
here and didn’t even have a smoke” (p. 91)
• Gene is defensive and leaves as soon as he can. The
boys note this.
Theme -- Competition
• -Gene notes that in a competitive school
like theirs people like Leper often get
laughed at but Gene doesn’t (p.96)
• The boys are relentless in their teasing of
Quackenbush (p. 98) – “I thought they
interned all the Quackenbushes the day
after Pearl Harbor”
• They also make fun of Leper, but Gene is
protective of him (p. 99)
•
Theme – Loss of
Innocence/Growing Up/SelfKnowledge
“…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 with Phineas, then I put it there myself.”
(p. 101)
• I owed it to myself to meet this crisis in my life
when I chose, and I chose now (p. 102)
Finny – Chapter 7
• -Gene arrives home at the end of Ch. 7
and Finny is back! He greets Gene with a
“provocative grin,” a sign that he is feeling
like himself again, though in a cast. P. 102
Theme – Friendship
• Brinker describes the tree as “funereal,”
which can symbolize death. At that tree
there was the death of Finny in the sense
that he will never be the same, and the
death of a friendship. P.90
• When Finny arrives back at Devon at the
very end of Ch. 7, it is Gene’s salvation.
He will no longer (leading into Ch. 8) feel
the need to enlist.
Symbol -- Tree
• Brinker describes the tree as “funereal,”
which can symbolize death. At that tree
there was the death of Finny in the sense
that he will never be the same, and the
death of a friendship. P.90
Gene – Chapter 8
• -Tries to explain to Finny that he had
almost enlisted, but fumbles because he
knows Finny would disapprove p. 107
-Is “saved” by Finny once again, because he
didn’t want Gene to enlist. P. 109
-Doesn’t get sucked into Finny’s stories
like he used to. Ex: the fake war. P. 116
-One day while running Gene achieves the physical
prowess Finny once had, feeling stronger than ever
p.120
Finny – Chapter 8
• -Back to normal, teasing Gene, and is healthy and
glowing again even on crutches p. 103-104
-Gets defensive when Brinker asks how he can shower
alone with his cast. He doesn’t want to be considered a
cripple p. 108
-Walks differently from how he used to walk, and it’s not
just because of the crutches, but because he has
changed. P.111
-Needs Gene now to help him catch up with schoolwork.
He didn’t seem to need anybody before. P. 112
Finny – Chapter 8
• Feels that he needs Gene. Is hurt at the thought of Gene going
away to war and leaving him (p. 107-09)
• -Walking to the gym Finny gets tired and sweaty. He would never
have become exhausted so easily before. He is not as back to
normal as he had seemed. P. 112
-Stops often to catch his breath, but pretends to be looking around
p. 113
-Wants Gene to train to be the sports-star now. He needs to live
vicariously through Gene. P. 114
-Outright denies there is a war happening p. 115
-“Punishes” Gene for his suffering with the chin-ups p. 116-117
-Accuses Gene of being in a fantasy for believing the war, but really
it is Finny who is living in a fantasy p.117
• He is living an illusion with regards to his perception of people,
humanity, Gene… he is both innocent (symbolic of even) and naïve.
It will lead to his downfall
Brinker – Chapter 8
• -Is very snide when speaking to Gene “so
your little plan didn’t work so well after all”
p. 106
• The irony in his statements towards Gene
(especially in Finny’s presence) help to
accelerate the plot/build suspense and to
convey Gene’s conflict and Finny’s naïve
nature
Internal Conflict
• Gene feels “at peace” at Devon with Finny’s
return. Phineas has indirectly saved him again.
• In the back of his mind, realizes this is an illusion
and that he will eventually have to face what he
did “I had simply ducked….leaving me peacably
treading water…I did not stop to think that one
wave is inevitably…larger and more powerful (p.
110).
Foreshadowing/Atmosphere
• “And everywhere…the floors and stairs
were of smooth, slick marble, more
treacherous even than the icy walks” (p.
111)
• Marble stairs – “a fearful site”
Motif -- Transformation
• Finny, through Gene’s treachery (fall from
the tree) appears “older that morning and
leaning quietly…he seemed smaller too.”
(p. 121)
• Gene, through Finny’s coaching “inside
the same body, had felt myself at once
grown bigger” (p. 121) as he embraces
athletics and becomes an athlete.
Theme -- Dependence
• Finny needs Gene to help him with his
schoolwork, to live a “normal” life at Devon
(p. 107-108)
• Finny begins training Gene for the
Olympics in 1944. It is futile, but sustains
Finny’s dream.
• “…I was dividing my time between tutoring
Finny in studies and being tutored by him
in sports” (p. 119)
Theme -- Friendship
• -Finny implies he loves Gene as his friend and knows
Gene does too, even if he has a funny way of showing it.
“when you really love something, then it loves you
back, in whatever way it has to love” p. 111
• -Finny acknowledges that he has “suffered” at the hands
of Gene, and then sort of punishes him by making him
do 30 chin-ups. P. 116 Could be the boys’ way of
starting to work things out.
• -Finny and Gene help each other change—Finny helps
Gene excel at athletics and Gene helps Finny with
his studies p. 119
Theme -- Deception
• Finny’s character contrasts Gene’s when it is
noted by the narrator that Finny was “a poor
deceiver, having had no practice” (p. 113)
• This was in reference to Finny trying to mask the
debilitating nature of his injury to Gene and the
other boys.
• “The illusion of strength I had seen in our room
that morning…tremors shook his arms and legs”
(p. 112)
Theme – Loyalty/Trust
• -Gene acknowledges that he is the least
trustworthy person Finny has ever met,
even though Finny trusts him. P.108
• Gene stays with Finny to help care for him
rather than enlisting
• Finny shows his trust in Gene (studies,
getting around, etc..), even if it is
misguided
Gene – Chapter 9
• Gene notes Leper’s enlistment in the war and that he
was captivated (fooled) by the romanticized version
presented to them by recruiters.
• -Observes that everyone at Devon had to be at least a
little bit rude to have a “personality,” except for Finny. P.
133
• Takes part in the Winter Carnival, largely for Finny
• Antagonizes Brinker on occasion – why might he do
this? Guilt? Does he want the “truth” to be revealed on
some level?
Finny – Chapter 9
• Sees winter as fun though everyone else
thinks it is dreary p. 128
• -Comes up with the idea for a winter
carnival to mimic the Olympics. Like
before, his crazy idea goes ahead. P. 129
Leper – Chapter 9
• - After seeing the video of the ski-troops,
decides to enlist. He is enthralled by the
propaganda shown to him. Others had
threatened to enlist but he is the first to actually
go. P. 124-125
• -Leper sends an emergency telegraph to Gene,
saying he has “escaped” and is at “Christmas
location” p.137
• It is interesting to note that he calls himself
Gene’s “best friend” at the end of the chapter.
Why do you think this is?
Brinker – Chapter 9
• Brinker also undergoes some change.
After he decides not to enlist, he changes
and cuts back on his school involvement.
Ex: he quits the debating society, school
newspaper, choir etc. p. 130
• -Acquires the hard-cider for the carnival
and buries it for safe keeping. P.131
• Some of his actions in this chapter seem
rebellious and out of character
Theme – Appearance/Reality
• It is interesting to note that Leper, who is shunned by the
boys, a naturalist, etc…is the first to be accepted to war.
If that is the case and someone like Leper is deemed
“war worthy”, how serious should the other boys take it?
• (i.e. the boys joking at Leper’s expense over an attempt
on Hitler’s life – p. 126; not the big three but the big four
who were running the war – p. 126)
• Leper: I’m almost glad this war came along. Its like a test
isn’t it, and only the things and people who’ve been
evolving the right way survive.” (p. 125)
• Finny? Leper? Simon? Piggy? Macduff’s family? Tom
Robinson? Oedipus?
Theme -- Loyalty
• -The boys play along with the winter
carnival idea because “this is the first time
Finny’s gotten going on anything” since he
came back. They want him to feel normal.
P. 130
Theme -- Jealousy
• -Brinker is jealous that Leper is first to go to war. Deals
with this by starting the trend of telling tales of Lepers
imagined moments of glory in the war. P. 126-127
• -Finny is a little bit jealous that Gene has been hanging
around with the other boys more than he used to, and
“draws him away” into “a world inhabited by just himself
and me” p. 127
Theme -- Friendship
• -Leper signs his telegraph to Gene “your
best friend.” Being someone who is often
alienated from the group, it is interesting
that he chooses Gene as his best friend
(p. 137)
Theme -- Deception
• Leper being fooled by the recruitment
video: “skiers in white shrouds winged
down virgin slopes, silent as
angels…cheerful…clear eyes…white
teeth…It was the cleanest image of war I’d
ever seen” (p. 124)
Significance of Title
• “…it was this liberation we had torn from the gray
encroachments of 1943, the escape we had concocted, this
afternoon of momentary, illusory, special and separate peace”
(p. 137)
• For a moment Finny moves as gracefully as he once did; what
Gene calls his choreography of peace. It is momentary for the
chapter ends with the telegram from Leper sent to Gene (one
misfit to another?).
• Also in this train of thought, notice that there is always
seemingly violence just beneath the appearance of
peace….Gene causing Finny’s fall, the war imagery, even the
violent destruction of the “prizes” that were collected for the
carnival, the above statement by Gene followed by Leper’s
letter?
Gene – Chapter 10
• -Goes to visit Leper in Vermont in response
to his telegram.
-Reveals (from the present) that he spends
all of his military time moving around to bases in
the USA, and never going to the war p. 138
-Assumes that if Leper “escaped” it had to be from spies.
p. 140 Much paranoia about spies in the USA at the
time.
• -Becomes uncomfortable and nervous as the chapters
goes on. He does not like what has happened to Leper
and the implications for what he and the rest of the boys
may be in for with the war.
Gene – Chapter 10
• -Gets angry and snaps at Leper, telling
him to shut up and that he doesn’t care
what happened to him.
His poor reaction shows how Gene
doesn’t know how to deal with his feelings.
P. 151
Symbol -- Vermont
• The austere, simple beauty of Vermont
reflects Leper (p. 140/41)
Leper – Chapter 10
• -The first sign of mental instability is when Leper is
staring Gene down and waving him along as he
approaches Leper’s house.
• -Has developed a physical tick. He involuntarily curls his
lip as if “he was about to snarl or cry” p. 142
• -Provides the first sign that maybe going to war isn’t as
glamorous and glory-filled as the boys had thought. P.
143
• -Tells Gene that he must think he is a “psycho.” P. 143.
He is aware of his psychological problem.
Leper – Chapter 10
• -Confesses that the reason he escaped was to
avoid a “Section 8 discharge.” P. 144. This
would be worse than a “dishonorable discharge.”
• -Leper was always docile and non-confrontational
but now he argues with Gene p. 145
• -Immediately after they fight Leper changes
his tune and asks Gene to stay for lunch.
Mood-swings. p. 146
• -Shows just how unstable he is when he talks
about his hallucinations- like when he sees the
arm of a chair turn into a human arm. P. 149
Other
• Due to the dropping of the Atomic Bomb,
Gene and his “class” (age group) did not
have to go to war (p. 139)
Internal Conflict – Chapter 10
• -Gene acknowledges that maybe Leper is
right about him being a savage. “Leper
was closer to the truth.” He is obviously
conflicted about who he is inside. P. 146
Theme -- Fear
• Gene’s stomach cramps when he sees
and hears Leper’s story. He notes how
Leper has changed and now has to face
the reality of the war and its impact (p.
144)
• Even though it is not directly stated –
Gene’s fear of confronting his own
personal demons plays a role in his abrupt
and cruel responses to Leper (p. 145, 151)
Theme – The Darkness of
Man’s Heart
• When confronted with the truth by Leper
and facing his own “savage” instincts,
Gene responds with violence, deception,
and insults
• “You stupid crazy bastard --” (p. 145)
• I shoved my foot against the rung of his
chair and kicked” (p. 145)
Theme – The Darkness of
Man’s Heart
• Gene’s reaction to Leper is speaking of his
traumatic experiences:
• “Shut up!”…when Leper tries to timidly
continue..
• “Do you think I want to hear every gory
detail. Shut up! I don’t give a damn…I
don’t care!” (p. 151)
• Consider the significance of the
chapter’s final sentences: “What did he
mean by telling me a story like that! I didn’t
want to hear any more of it. Not now or ever.
I didn’t care because it had nothing to do
with me. And I didn’t want to hear any more
of it. Ever.” (p. 151)
- What can we note here about Gene?
Truth – Loss of
Innocence/Acceptance/Growing
Up
• “Sometimes you are too ashamed to
leave. …And sometimes you need too
much to know the facts….That was true
now too.” (p. 146)
• (When referring to Ms. Lepellier) She must
have thought “he is a good boy
underneath”. Leper was closer to the truth.
Theme – Appearance/Reality
• Leper’s idealistic view of war from videos
and propoganda vs. the “real” war which
drove him into psychosis.
• Does Gene’s perception of self and his
self- “journey” after Finny’s fall parallel this
in any way?
Theme -- Friendship
• -While arguing, Leper tells Gene to his
face that he thinks he is a “savage
underneath” and directly mentions how
Gene “knocked Finny out of the tree.” P.
145. Leper, though unstable, is genuine
and not afraid to say what he thinks to a
friend.
Gene – Chapter 11
• -returns to a snowball fight organized by Finny. He is
instantly “happy” when back in Finny’s presence (p. 154)
• -Boys talk about Leper’s condition—talk about how
• much he’s changed. Say he was too afraid to stay in
the army and that they bet he’s crazy p. 157
• -Gene says Leper “cries a lot of the time” p. 157
• -Tries to lie and say he was on the ground at the time
of the incident p.170
Finny – Chapter 11
• -Gene tells Finny he should be careful about
fights because of his leg, but Finny doesn’t want
to be treated delicately. P.155
• -Admits he saw Leper hiding in the bushes p.
163, and that’s when he knew there was really a
war on. Seems to admit reality—the boy’s
fantasies were over p.158
• -Says he had felt like the tree had knocked him
out itself p. 169
Finny – Chapter 11
• His naïve nature when claiming “There
isn’t any war” (p. 158)
• -Finally realizes what Gene did “as though
someone suddenly slapped him” p. 171-2
• -Has an emotional outburst at Brinker—is
angry & crying. As he leaves he falls down
the marble staircase. P. 177
Innocence -- Finny
• In the snowball fight, shows that he has no
real concept of the two sides of a conflict
when he randomly changes between sides
• “Suddenly he turned his fire against
me…Loyalties became hopelessly
entangled. No one was going to win or
lose after all.” (p. 154)
Leper – Chapter 11
• -Is back, and though the boys feel he is
“crazy” he is the one they turn to confirm
what happened in the tree. P. 174
Brinker – Chapter 11
• Shows her percpetive character in this
chapter
• -says Gene is putting off enlisting because
he doesn’t want Finny to feel bad. P. 158..
• -Brinker organizes a panel of judges in the
assembly Room to judge what happened to
Finny once and for all. P166
Brinker
• “…it wouldn’t do you any harm….if
everything about Finny’s accident was
cleared up and forgotten” (p. 160)
• “nobody knows…unless you know” (p.
160)
Internal Conflict – Chapter 11
• Gene does not feel “free” to join the war
effort. The weight of his actions weighs
him down, although it is unclear as a
young man if he fully realizes this (p. 159).
Brinker, however, does.
• -Finny feels conflicted and betrayed by the
revelation that Gene caused the incident
and has an emotional outburst at Brinker
when confronted with a reality he was
unable to face. p. 177
Theme -- Loyalty
• -Finny says he has to believe Gene about
the war, more than anyone else because
he trusts him. P. 163
Theme -- Dependence
• The incident at the tree has really affected both
Finny and Gene (in different ways). Their
reliance on each other is unhealthy and is noted
by Brinker:
• “You’ve put off enlisting…for only one
reason…It’s Finny. You pity him….And if you
don’t watch out he’s going to start pitying
himself…He’s crippled…he’s got to accept it and
unless we start acting …natural about it, even
kid him…he never will (p. 160)
Deception
• Gene is even lying to himself when talking to
Brinker about Finny and the “incident” – “…I’m
his best friend” (p. 160)
• Brinker starts to feel that Gene is hiding
something…”unless you know”. (p. 160). Ties
into his earlier comment that “the truth will out”.
• When Gene finds out Leper is back on campus
(and b/c he knows Gene’s “truth”), he comments
that “he must be crazy” (p. 160). Note that he
remembers saying it “automatically” likely
as a self-defence mechanism.
Deception
In what to do about Leper, Gene shows his
instinctive need for self-preservation when
saying to tell no one because “they would
just scare Leper” (p. 164)
Irony
• The inscription at the First Academy
Building Above the Door:
• “Here Boys Come to Be Made Men”
(p. 165)
- What is the significance of this statement
given Gene’s character/growth/what
occurs in this building?
Theme – Appearance/Reality
Finny finally believes the war has to be real
because:
1) Gene told him and he feels he knows him
“better than anybody” (p. 163)
2) Because Leper has “gone crazy” (p. 163).
If it broke Leper, there must be an
element of truth
Loss of Innocence
• When Finny realizes Gene’s actions in the
tree: “…I said that to you on the ground,
and then the two of us started to
climb…”he broke off (p. 172)
• After Leper’s testimony and Brinker’s
admonishment of Gene. He knows the
truth yet cannot confront that reality “I
don’t care”. In tears he runs out of the
room and then falls a second time.
Significance of the second fall
• Whose fault is this?
First Academy Building -Symbol
• “a fearful site”
• Where Gene is judged for what he has
done
• Contains the marble stairs that Finny falls
over
• Symbolizes Gene’s change (literally where
his and Finny’s lives change, where he is
cofronted with his inner darkness and
forced to accept responsiblity
Symbol – The Marble Staircase
• The Marble Staircase
• -a “fearful site”
• Marble Staircase:
• -Finny falling down the stairs could represent how his
reality “tumbles apart” as he realizes how his best friend
betrayed him
Gene – Chapter 12
• -tries to spy on Finny in the infirmary.
• -Gets into Finny’s room through the window, they have a
confrontation, Gene cries and apologizes p.185
• -Gene gets a note from Dr. Stanpole to bring some of
Finny’s clothes.p187
• -Finally speaks his mind when he tells Finny he wouldn’t
be good in the war. Shocking p.190
• -Says the jounce was “some crazy thing inside”
and that he hadn’t meant to really do it p. 191
Gene – Chapter 12
• -Anxious after he visits Finny and they
reconcile, the day goes by so slowly
(various times mentioned). Everything is
in slow motion. P. 191-192
• -Feels like he is dead inside now that
Finny is dead. He can’t even cry at the
funeral. P. 194
Finny – Chapter 12
• -Just as he was healing physically and dealing with his
emotions he is broken again.
• -Finny gets angry with Gene and falls out of bed trying to
get his hands on him. He is A shell of his former self. P.
185
• -Reveals his desire to join the war effort, that he had
been hiding since his incident p. 190
• -Asks Gene if it was some “blind impulse” that caused
him to do what he did—needs it to be that. He is hoping
that Gene still “loves” him and it wasn’t personal. P. 191
• -Says he believes Gene. Forgiveness. P. 191
• -Dies from bone marrow travelling to his heart. P.193-4
Internal Conflict – Chapter 12
• Momentarily debates escaping this reality and
fleeing Devon but recognizes it would be “an
escape into nowhere” (p. 181). It is not
something physical he is running from.
• - Notes that there was “some ignorance inside
me, some crazy thing inside me, something
blind, that’s all it was” p. 191
• (The war) “should be thought of as minor and
inevitable mishaps…The air around us was filled
with much worse things” (p. 188)
Internal Conflict
• Note Gene’s suffering and its parallels to
Macbeth:
• “They rolled away impervious to me as though I were a
roaming ghost, not only tonight but always…Devon had
been a dream, or rather that everything at Devon…were
intensely real…and I alone was a dream…I felt that I
was not, never had been and never would be a part of
this overpoweringly solid and deeply meaningful world
around me…if these walls could only speak….But I could
not hear, and that was because I did not exist.” (p. 186)
• His conflict? His suffering? That he has lived a lie and is
now detached. Life is meaningless.
Theme – Loss of Innocene
• Finny’s anger at Gene’s arrival:
• You want to break something else in me!
Is that why you’re here!” He thrashed
wildly…(p. 185)
• Finny’s hands shaking (189) as Gene tells
him the whole truth
Theme – Growing Up
• Gene, for first time…apologizes and admits fault “I’m
sorry,” I said blindly, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” (p. 185)
• Gene’s decision to tell the truth (the whole truth) to Finny
on pg. 188/89 despite how hard it is for both.
• - Notes that there was “some ignorance inside me, some
crazy thing inside me, something blind, that’s all it was”
p. 191
• - “I could not escape a feeling that this was my own
funeral…” p. 194
 Interpretations? His innocence/ignorance has died, now
see things as they are, realizes what his envy and
assumptions (internal conflict) has caused
Theme -- Friendship
• Gene’s confession to Finny, and Finny’s
forgiveness before his death (191)
• That Gene gives a truthful assessment to
Finny of his ability to join the war, even
though that truth hurt “You’d make a mess,
a terrible mess, Finny, out of the war” (p.
191)…now he was crying but trying to
control himself.
Theme – Darkness of Man’s
Heart
• “It was just some ignorance inside me,
some crazy thing inside me, something
blind, that’s all it was” (p. 191)
Theme -- Fear
• Gene wants to use the blanket to cover
and help his “friend”, but fears Phineas’
reaction.
“So I kept out of the way” (p. 179)
Theme –Guilt
• -Gene feels responsible for Finny and starts
making up jokes in his head to avoid thinking
about the truth p.182
• -His guilty feelings manifest in maniacal
laughter,he can barely control himself p. 183.
This turns to tears, signifying his deeply troubled
mind “I dug my teeth into my fist to try and gain
some control” (p. 183)
- Notes that there was “some ignorance inside me,
some crazy thing inside me, something blind,
that’s all it was” p. 191
Theme -- Identity
• “I did not cry then or ever about Finny. I
could not escape a feeling that this was
my own funeral, and you do not cry in that
case” (p. 194)
Gene – Chapter 13
• -says that “my fury was gone” and that
“Phineas had absorbed it and taken it with
him” p. 203
- Gene has finally reconciled and accepted
responsibility and matured, but at the cost of
his friend
• -Finny is a part of Gene forever
Internal Conflict
• “I was ready for the war, now that I no
longer had any hatred to contribute to it”
(p. 203)
• His recognition of the “war” he fought at
Devon “I killed my enemy there” (hatred)
• Interpretation? He learned not to
hate/show ignorance, but at a very high
cost
Theme -- Jealousy
• - Notes that there was “some ignorance
inside me, some crazy thing inside me,
something blind, that’s all it was” p. 191
Theme – Darkness of Man’s
Heart
• - “…it seemed clear that wars were not
made by generations and their special
stupidities, but that wars were made
instead by something ignorant in the
human heart” (p. 201)
• --- Connection to the title? World War II?
Gene?
Theme – Growing Up
• In reverance to Finny: “No one else I have
ever met could do this. All others…found
something in themselves pitted violently
against something in the world around
them…when they began to feel….this
hostile thing in the world with them…the
simplicity and unity of their characters
broke and they were not the same again”
(p. 202).
Theme – Growing Up
• “My schooling was now over” (p. 203) –
literally? Symbolically?
• “…my war ended before I ever put on a
uniform; I was on active duty all my time at
school; I killed my enemy there (Note:
hatred/ignorance NOT Finny!) 