Реферат: Notes For A Separate Peace Essay Research

Gene’s antagonist is really himself. Although he pretends to be his

friend, he has a deep jealousy for Finny, his roommate. Since

Finny is admired by the teachers and the students for his athletic

ability and his carefree, spontaneous ways, Gene longs to be like

him and tries to imitate him. When he is unsuccessful, he takes his

failure out on Finny, causing him to fall from the tree and become

a cripple. Then Gene must wrestle with his guilt.

Climax:

The climax of the novel is reached during the student trial scene

toward the end of the novel. Several times in the book, Gene has

tried to admit his guilt to Finny, but Finny will not believe him, for

he wants to have total faith in his best friend. At the trial, Finny is

forced to face the fact that Gene has caused his accident. He is so

upset by the realization that he rushes from the room, falls down

the stairs, and re-breaks his leg. Now Gene must deal honestly with

the accident, for everyone suspects the truth.

Outcome:

The story is a tragic comedy. Although Finny dies, Gene does

mature. Driven by guilt, Gene realizes that he is his own enemy

and accepts that a person cannot measure oneself by the abilities of

another person. He accepts that he can only be himself and act

accordingly. It is obvious that he will never totally forgive himself,

as evidenced by the fact that he returns to Devon many years later

to revisit the tree (the scene of the accident) and the First Building

(the scene of the trial and Finny’s second fall); however, he has

come to grips with who he is and what he has done. He also has

refused to let the memories of Finny fade, which is why he has

narrated the story.

PLOT (Synopsis)