Gene Forrester Essay -- Literary Analysis, A Separate Peace

A Separate peaceableness begins with the main character, gene Forrester, travel to the Devon School for boys in search of 2 places from his youth that he has an emotional connection to. The first place is the stain steps of the First Academy Building, and the second is the tree diagram by the river which he finds smaller, shrunken by age (K presentlyles, 14). He comes here so that he can resolve what happened there seventeen years ago and discover on with his life to find peace within himself.Once ingredient has visited the tree, we find him standing before the tree once again, but now in his youth. gene is portrayed as a reserved person, a good student, and a good athlete. We also meet his friend Phineas (also know as Finny), an amazing athlete, not so good of a student, and an out-going, positive, people-person. The two of them stand before this enormous tree that to someone resembling Phineas is an adventure, and to the former(a) boys present is foreboding, just like the future that awaits them. The tree was tremendous, an irate, steely shameful steeple beside the river. I was damned if Id climb it. The nether region with it. No one but Phineas could think of such a gaga idea. He of course saw nothing the slightest bit intimidating well-nigh it. (Knowles, 14) The older, seventeen year old boys lead off out of this tree in training for World War II that looms over the characters during this story. Wanting to jump out of the tree shows the eagerness of younger boys wanting to play their grapheme in the war, like a challenge to prove their manhood. Phineas jumps out of the tree and encourages Gene to do so as well they are the just now ones who jump out of the tree that day and it sparks a bond amidst them.World War II is an important part of this story because it forces Gene a... ...ree. So much has changed since his childhood, but only now does he develop the strength to face what had happened. Perhaps the tree was no longer so massive and menacing because like all obstacles we face in our youth, when returning to it, it always seems a bit silly to have been so competitive, or to have made such a huge deal, or sour so emotional over something so small and insignificant in the scheme of things. The tree itself wasnt what was truly vital it was what it symbolized. It was the struggle surrounded by Phineas and Gene, the blaze of war, and all the trials from adolescence packed into one moment of his history that in reality held the adult Genes attention. Returning to this spot and the marble steps, like the headstone of a grave (the headstone for Gene and Phineas it could seem), finally allowed Gene to let go and create finally for himself, peace.