A Separate Peace Essay
In the novel, A Separate Peace written by John Knowles, the protagonist, Gene Forrester goes through the struggle to achieve and maintain a separate peace. Gene's soul becomes a battleground where jealousy, fear, love, and hatred combat for control of his actions. And amidst the turmoil of his adolescence, it is the victory of the “dark forces” of human nature that make Gene realize that each person is alone with his enemy, that the only significant wars are not made by external causes, but "by something ignorant in the human heart" (193). The novel's conflict arises out of Gene's refusal to recognize his own feelings of jealousy and insecurity as the "real enemy." Instead, his fears are projected onto his closest companion, Phineas, whom Gene suspects of possessing his own feelings of envy and self-loathing. With Finny as the enemy, Gene is put into a world of competition and hatred, where the only crucial elements worth preserving are his own survival and superiority. This act of self-deception drives Gene to evil thoughts and behavior, destroying any feelings of affection and friendship that he might have once had for Finny. Upon realizing his mistake and discovering that Phineas does not share Gene's envy and hatred, Gen
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Approximate Word count = 1063
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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