Knowles Separate Peace Essays: Maturity in A Separate Peace

Maturity in A Separate Peace In A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, the focus spotlight is quickly turned upon Gene Forrester and his maturity by the novel. He expresses his ideas about the many subjects through the book through his position as the novels narrator. Also, as the book progresses, so does Genes maturity. The first chapter of A Separate Peace establishes the character Gene Forrester, who in actuality is a passage of John Knowles himself, according to a recent interview. In this establishment of the main character, Gene sets his place as a grown up and full matured man, looking back on an incident when he was alone sixteen years old. He vividly describes Devon High School as he currently saw, and as he remembered from the days of his past. The description provided in this chapter proves to the reader that in the events following this soliloquy, a young character go out emerge, and will grow into the man they just read about. In Chapter devil and Three, Gene devel ops a close bond with his roommate Finny. However, Gene, develops a curve envy for Finny, and acknowledges it as the truth. He is extremely envious of the methods in which Finny uses to break away his unconventional actions and his popularity. He doctors himself in self-assurance, by repeatedly telling himself all over and over again that having a best friend like Finny is a compliment and should be looked at as an achievement. However, this excuse is transparent of Genes maturity at this point, portraying a very young, foolish, and selfish young man. It later leads to inner conflict within Gene. During this chapter, Finny and Gene brainstorm and create the highly Suicide Society of the Summer Se... ...orced him to grow up it has forced him to check his boyish selfishness and stupidity behind some of his actions. In the last deuce chapters, Gene depicts to the reader the horizon process in which his mastermind goes through. curiously in Chapter Twelve, where the book draws to the climax of Gene finding meaning to the purlieu surrounding him. A great deal of growing and heartfelt thoughts was brought forrad by having Gene as the narrator. The reader was allowed to see inside the mind of another human, and see the thought process that went through the young mans head. The realisation that the mind controls the mental growth is very strong throughout the safe and sound book, considering the very immature outlook Gene took upon Finny and the events involving Finny, which evolve into carefully thought out remorse that grows into much needed maturity.