A Separate Peace Group

Question:

nickd15
nickd15
Student
High School - 10th Grade

In "A Separate Peace", why does Gene feel that Finny's funeral is his own?

In Knowles' novel 'A Separate Peace.'

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Posted by nickd15 on Thursday March 12, 2009 at 8:20 PM and tagged with a separate peace, finnys funeral, gene, symbol.

Answers:

  1. parkerlee
    parkerlee Teacher

    eNotes Editor

    Unlike popular Finny, Gene is a loner. His introvert nature and intellectual standoffishness put the other boys off, and it was only with Phineas that he experienced true friendship. Even when Gene betrayed him by shaking him off the tree, Finny remained loyal. (There is even a bit of denial here on Finny's part not to believe what Gene had done.)

    When Finny dies, something cherished and rare in Gene perishes, too, for he now is truly alone again. Certainly none of the other boys would ever trust or respect him as Finny did, and it will not be anytime soon that he can experience that kind of friendship and complicity again.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/separate/

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    Posted by parkerlee on Friday March 13, 2009 at 9:05 AM