A Separate Peace Essay Research Paper For

A Separate Peace Essay, Research Paper

For my .A Separate Peace. essay I will be summarizing the book. In chapter 1 the narrator, Gene, returned to the Devon School in New Hampshire, where he was a student with his friend, Finny, 15 years prior, just as World War II began.

The narrative went back 15 years, to Gene’s days with Finny. On their first attempt to jump off a huge tree into the river, Finny, being the daredevil, went first and Gene was the only one who followed. Gene was normally a cautious type of person, but around Finny, he broke the rules more often.

In chapter 2, Finny was an exception at Devon; he was a good student and athlete, but also a charming, likeable rule-breaker. The substitute headmaster, Mr. Patch-Withers noticed that Finny had used the school tie as his belt, which was a heavy offense. Finny made some excuse, at which Mr. Patch-Withers was taken by surprise, and did not punish Finny.

Finny and Gene came up with the idea for a “Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session,” a group for exciting and dangerous things. To be in the club you had to jump off the tree limb into the river. Gene went onto the tree limb with Finny, and lost his balance; Finny stoped Gene from falling, and Gene soon realized that his friend saved his life.

In chapter 3, some of Finny and Gene’s friends had begun to join their new club. Finny made up a game called “blitzball,” sort of a variation on rugby and football; the game was a hit that summer.

Finny easily broke a school swimming record; Finny refused to do it again and to have it count. Finny proposed that they go to the beach, which meant big trouble if they were caught; Gene decided to go along. That night, Finny admited that he considered Gene his best friend, which touched Gene deeply; but somehow Gene couldn.t say the same thing.

In chapter 4, Finny mocked Gene’s scholarly ambition, and Gene begun to believe that Finny was trying to come out ahead. Finny was the best athlete in the school; Gene knew that he could be the best in academics, if Finny wouldn’t take up so much of his time. Gene found it hard to compete with Finny, but continued to improve.

When Finny asked Gene to come see a friend jump from their tree the night before exams, Gene objected because he thought this was Finny’s way of trying to sabotage his grades. Finny said he thought that Gene never needed to study. Gene, somewhat appeased, went to the jumping tree with Finny. Gene and Finny decided to jump off the tree together. Once they were on the tree, Gene shakes the limb, and Finny lost his balance and fell.

In Chapter 5, Gene learned that one of Finny’s legs had been shattered in the fall. Gene felt very guilty about what he did. At last, Gene was allowed to visit Finny in the infirmary. Gene learned that Finny would no longer be able to play sports. Gene wanted to tell Finny the truth but, he didn.t get the chance, and Finny was sent home.

Summer School ended, and Gene returned home. After summer was over he went back to Devon. On his way, he went to Finny’s house to see how he was doing. Finny felt weak. Gene told Finny that he caused the accident, and Finny denied this confession.

Chapter 6, Gene arrived at school, but without Finny. Gene got the same room he had during the summer, but no new roommate. Gene went to crew practice, which was run by Quackenbush, the captin that everyone disliked. Quackenbush immediately challenged Gene; they had a fight, and both tumbled into the water. Gene then quitted crew.

Finny called Gene long-distance because he was worried that Gene would replace him with a new roommate, though Gene wouldn.t. Finny was relieved. When Gene told Finny that he wasn.t participating in sports, Finny got upset. He told Gene that Gene has to participate for him, and Gene decided to grant Finny this request.

In chapter 7, Brinker Hadley started accusing Gene of arranging Finny’s accident in order to get a room to himself. Brinker’s accusations troubled Gene a great deal. Fall passed, and the war remained distant. The first snow fell, and soon Gene and the boys spent a miserable day at the railroad yard, shoveling snow. Soon, enlistment fever stroked a few of the boys, especially Brinker and Gene. Gene felts that enlisting would give him a sense of purpose. But, then he went back to his room, and found Finny there; suddenly, he had a purpose to stay at Devon again.

In chapter 8 Gene was surprised at Finny’s sudden return. Gene was happy that Finny was back; however, he still felt guilt. Finny was not pleased with the idea that Gene might enlist. Finny was upset because Gene wan.t doing sports like he promised. Finny went off on a rant about how the war was designed to keep people in their place. Gene didn.t believe him, and asked Finny how he knews all this stuff that nobody else did. Finny then said, “because I’ve suffered.”

Finny said he wanted to coach Gene for the 1944 Olympics. Gene knews there wouldn.t be any Olympics due to the war. Gene and Finny kept training, doing long runs in the morning. Gene thought he couldn.t do them, until one morning he just amazed himself and it came naturally to him, just as it did with Finny before.

Chapter 9, Leper was convinced by a video of American ski troops that he must enlist. Leper left school a week later, the first of Gene’s class to enlist. Leper became a sym