A Seperate Peace Essay Research Paper Gene

A Seperate Peace Essay, Research Paper

Gene s Enemies

Adam and Eve had a perfect Garden of Eden, until Eve ate the apple and contaminated the garden. In being tricked by the snake, Eve betrayed God s word. Mankind has often betrayed others because of the darkness in their heart. In A Separate Peace, John Knowles uses Phineas as a sacrificial lamb to portray Gene s savage side and demonstrate that peace can never be achieved at a worldwide level until man accepts the darkness in his own heart.

Gene believes that Finny and he hate each other, until he realizes Finny s pureness, which Gene can not stand. At first, Gene believes that Finny wants to exceed him, and that the two are rivals. Everyone at Devon likes Finny. The teachers adore him, the students look up to him, the athletes aspire to be like him. Finny has no enemies. Gene, however, sees through Finny s cover and thinks they hate each other. He hates Finny for beating A. Hopkins swimming record, and for making him jump from the tree, and for being better than Gene. When Finny takes Gene to the beach, Finny tells Gene that they are best pals. Gene does not respond to Finny s sincere gesture because he thinks Finny wants to sabotage him. Gene realizes that he and Finny are even after all, even in enmity. The deadly rivalry was on both sides after all (46). Gene has no proof of Finny s hatred, but Gene needs to find a way to be even with Finny. Once he decides they are even, he must now surpass Finny, so he jounces the limb. Gene s hatred takes over, only now he realizes that the hatred only comes from one side. Finny is pure. He never hates Gene; he loves Gene like he loves everyone else. Gene creates a monster, jealous and hateful, like himself. Gene can t stand Finny’s pureness and Finny turns into the sacrificial lamb who becomes the target of Gene s aggression. Finny absorbs Gene s hate and sin, and continues to love Gene unconditionally. The name Phineas dates back to biblical times. The character Phinehas from the Bible never acts from any private jealousy or sense of personal wrong. His interest lies in the honor of God and the safety of God s people. Phineas, a popular name among Puritans in the 17th century, perfectly fits Finny s pureness. In killing Finny, Gene destroys something beautiful. Gene is not of the same quality as he [Phineas] (51). Even after everything Gene has done, Finny still forgives him before dying because Gene does not know what he did. Finny takes Gene s burden with him and removes Gene s sin, as Jesus did for mankind when he was crucified on the cross. Finny and Gene show man s inner capacity to hate and demonstrate how mankind always ruins what they can t understand.

Gene must confront the darkness in his heart or he will always be his own worst enemy. When Gene jounces the limb and causes Finny s fall, he brings out the darkness in his heart and capacity to hate. By committing such a savage act, Gene loses his innocence, as well as his hatred. Although Gene appears to be a defensive, sarcastic young man, with an inner hatred not even he knew he possesses. Finny, of course, refuses to accuse Gene despite Gene s attempt to confess to Finny at his home. After Finny shows sincere and unconditional love, Gene still hurts him. Gene s last name, Forrester, hints a deeper meaning about the forest. Gene longs to run to the uninhabited primeval forests of the north, where he can live in primordial peace. Gene realizes that There is no such grove, but the morning I returned to Devon I imagined it might be just over the visible horizon, or the horizon after that (144). Gene wants to escape his hate, and always avoids the truth. Gene s burden will continue to rest on Finny s shoulders as long as Finny refuses to tell. Gene attempts to confront Finny about the incident and even tries to take the blame, but Finny refuses to listen. Finny suspects the truth, but can t let his best pal end up being a Leper, outcast from society. When questioned in the Butt Room, Gene covers up his tracks with sarcasm. Gene protects his secret from himself, as well as others. He, like most people, doesn t want to know the truth. Gene symbolizes mankind. He shows that everyone has a capacity to hate. Eventually Gene admits to himself what he has done and realizes that, there was always something deadly lurking in anything I wanted, anything I loved. And if it wasn t then, as for example with Phineas, then I put it there myself (92). Gene realizes the darkness in his heart and he is scared by what he has uncovered. Furthermore, Gene can t seem to accept Finny s pureness because Gene doesn t have it himself. He tries to set up a defense to hide the truth. However, Gene will never move on with his life until the burden is taken off Finny s shoulders and set aside, which can only be done by confronting his sin.

Knowles demonstrates the truth about life by using Finny, Gene, Leper, and the setting as biblical symbols. Leper, Gene, and Finny demonstrate how people must evolve or perish . Finny symbolizes the sacrificial lamb. A Christ figure, Phineas represents the goodness in man. He throws himself down the stairs sacrificing himself for Gene, as Jesus did for man. Gene represents mankind and man s capacity to hate. He shows how man can destroy, as in war, and that man must remove hate in order to achieve a separate peace. Finny sacrifices himself so Gene doesn t end up like Leper, the outcast of