I just finished reading A Separate Peace by John Knowles. At
first glance one may wonder what this book and I actually have in common, as it
takes place in a boys’ boarding school during World War II. However, it has really
felt personal to me. I was Gene: I felt what he felt, and I realized the
deceitfulness of my own heart, when he realized the same deceit in his own.
The main theme of the book is war, not the physical battle,
but the emotional one, between two characters, Phineas and Gene. Phineas is
fun, athletic, and controls everyone he meets with his charming character. Gene
feels like everyone sees him in the shadow of his friend Finny (Phineas). When
Gene pushes Finny off of a tree, resulting in Finny’s handicap, Gene begins the
process of understanding the evil in his own heart. By the end of the novel,
Gene can say that his jealousy and anger towards Phineas has died; he realizes
that each man is evil inside, and everyone is fighting that same battle of evil
vs. good inside his heart.
I have certain friends that I am jealous of---but it’s an
odd sort of jealousy. I would classify them as my friends; yet, I often feel
frustration towards them rooted in envy. Often times, just like Gene, I react
to them horribly, losing my temper and control. So, this book was strangely
personal, as I felt that Gene and I were one, journeying through the battles of
jealousy towards ones we hold dear.
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