NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
Throughout the course of the novel A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, there is one character that shows superior maturity and individuality over the other students at Devon School; that character is Finny. He is the best friend and roommate of the main character, Gene. Finny has characteristics that show his individuality and maturity. These characteristics are courage, modesty, forgiveness, appreciation, and peacefulness.
The first occurrence resides in the first scene of the novel. Some of the boys at Devon are huddled around a tree overhanging the river. The older students jump off of this tree as training for war. Finny shows his individuality and fearlessness by jumping off the tree saying, Heres my contribution to the war effort! (16). This event is used to show the reader Finny's courage when all of the other boys were fearful. Finny shows an immense amount of modesty in this particular scene.
One day he is swimming with Gene, the main character and his best friend, and decides to try to break one of the schools swimming records. He says, I have a feeling I can swim faster than A. Hopkins Parker (43). He breaks the record on the first try but makes Gene promise not to tell anyone. This incident demonstrates Finny's modesty because he did not go around bragging about breaking the school record; he just kept to himself knowing that he broke it, and that was enough for him.
This maturity continues onto this scene where Gene and Finny are doing a double jump out of the tree. Gene has a sudden impulse to jostle the limb and send Finny falling to the bank, shattering his leg. Gene says, It was the first clumsy physical action I had ever seen him make (60). Nevertheless, Finny never accuses Gene of purposely making him fall; instead, he does not believe Gene when he says, I deliberately jounced the limb so you would fall off (70). The instance when Finny shows the most maturity is in this scene where he expresses appreciation for Gene as a friend. Brinker Hadley, a classmate of Gene and Finny, holds a trial to determine whether Gene pushed Finny off the tree or not.
After Finny realizes what really happened on the tree he stands up and shouts, I dont care, I dont care (176). He then starts crying and hobbles out of the room and down the hall. He uses vulgar language towards Brinker, saying You collect every f -- -- ing fact that there is in the world! (177). He then falls clumsily down the marble staircase, re-breaking his leg, which inevitably leads to his death from the anesthesia. In this scene there are a couple things Finny does that may seem immature if not expressed in the proper context. The first is his crying.
Many people think that crying is a sign of immaturity, but in this case it most definitely is not. It is a way for him to show his true feelings about how he does not care if Gene purposely made him fall or not; all he cares about is the fact that he loves Gene. The second thing that may be labeled as immature is the use of vulgar language. It is very immature unless you are using it to show strong emotion. In this case, Finny is using it to express his anger at Brinker. In the last paragraph of the novel Gene says, All of them, all except Finny, constructed at infinite cost to themselves these Maginot Lines against this enemy they thought they saw across the frontier, this enemy who never attacked that way he ever attacked at all; if he was indeed the enemy (204).
Gene admires Finny's gift of not having any enemies, a gift which truly makes him a peaceful, mature individual. Finny has characteristics that show his individuality and maturity. These characteristics are courage, modesty, forgiveness, appreciation, and peacefulness. He demonstrates his courage in the first scene when jumping off of the tree while everyone else was scared. He illustrates his modesty when he keeps to himself about breaking the school swimming record. He exhibits his forgiveness when he forgives Gene for causing the fall.
He displays appreciation towards Gene by crying and using vulgar language, and he shows peacefulness by having no enemies. These five characteristics truly reveal Finny's incalculable individuality and maturity for his age.
Free research essays on topics related to: gene and finny, dont care, main character, vulgar language, first scene
Research essay sample on Gene And Finny Vulgar Language
