Adolescence In A Separate Peace

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A Separate Peace
The novel Separate Peace portrays adolescence as having a sense of wonder and terror showing that adolescents make impulsive decisions. Many events occurred in the novel that demonstrates the wonder that caused the characters actions and the terror of the outcomes. The time period of the novel adds to the accumulation of terror as it continues on. Adolescence is a difficult time considering the lack of experience one might have, making dependence on others inevitable; in comparison to someone who has encountered many conflicts in their life dealing with the world and different obstacles around them.
The novel takes place in the early years of World War II influencing the characters actions and mindset. The two major characters, …show more content…
After Gene shakes the branch causing Finny to fall off the tree and hurt his leg they both show how dependent they are on each other. This eventually causes their identities to become intertwined in a way that one does not feel like himself without the other. Gene starts to dress in Finny’s clothes because it gives him a sense that Finny is still fine and a part of his identity. Finny starts to train Gene to compete in the Olympics, during this time Finny is living through Gene. “…not a hundred per cent sure I’ll be completely, you know, in shape in 1944. So I’m going to coach you for them instead.” (Knowles 117). Finny cannot participate in sports because of his leg so he trains Gene to do them so he can feel like he is still participating in sports. Gene lets Finny train him because he feels guilty because being that he caused Finny’s inability to participate in sports. Their identities being connected to each other causes Finny to react in a concerned manner when Gene tells him he was thinking of enlisting. “Enlist!” (Knowles 107) “You’re going to enlist?” (Knowles 107) Finny reacts in a concerned fashion because he is dependent on Gene and without him he will not be able to achieve his true
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