As I was looking through the choices of coming of age novels, A SEPARATE PEACE by John Knowles caught my eye and I decided that would be the book I would read. When I read the first few pages I was disappointed, as I read on it got better. The story takes place in 1942 during WW1,and is told by Gene, who had a complicated friendship with his best friend Finny. Gene was the friend with the brains and Finny the friend with the great athletic abilities, who feared nothing in the world, and had the disarming personality. Gene goes mad because of Finny's disarming personality, leading him to push Finny off a tree and breaking his leg. Don't get it twisted, Gene did not mean any harm, he had just had enough of it. Gene tells Finny the truth about what happened on the tree. Finny denies the truth saying that that's not true Gene couldn't do such a thing they were pals. Of course deep inside he knows what Gene said was true.
The incident at the tree was where Gene came to really realize that something was not right in his friendship with Finny. There was no more denying it. The fact that he was able to confront Finny about the real intentions he had shocked me. Gene believed that it was Finny's right to know what really happened that day. He would not be able to look at him in the eyes if he hadn't spoken up. I was also very proud of him. It was already a sign of him growing.
What I found interesting is how Finny discarded the truth and believed that Gene did not want to push him off the tree, that it was all an accident. Deep inside he knew that wasn't true. He had known Gene all his life and found it hard to lose his great pal. It would be hard to lose part of himself, so he believed what he wanted to believe. I also found it interesting how Finny's absence at school helped Gene understand what he was feeling inside, it gave him time to reflect and grow. Gene realized that Finny wasn't a person that couldn't be broken down. He realized that Finny needed him just as much or more then he needed Finny. One could not be without the other. He understood that now. There was never really a competition between the two of them. They pushed each other to out do themselves. With Finny having broken leg he could not participate in all his sports and of course he could not participate in the Olympics like he dreamed he would. to fulfill his dream he told Gene that he would take his place in sports. he said it like he just expected for Gene to say yes. In the end Gene did not refuse. Gene now felt that Finny would live through him and that was his purpose in life.
John Knowles does not provide a mentor for Gene in this book, like in many other books. This makes it relate able to many people, not everyone has someone that they can confide in. everyone goes through a coming of age but everyone has a different journey. Gene's has a lot of questions and doubts about the situation he is in, just like everyone else. Only difference is that he has to come up with the answers himself. There's no one to guide him. He can make make up answers to his questions and they may turn out to be wrong it's all part of the process. I guess what I'm trying to say is that coming of age is different for everyone.
