A Separate Peace

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Excerpt

Chapter Eight Questions and Vocabulary – A Separate Peace

I. Vocabulary: Define the following terms, found in chapter one.

a) ambiguous b) sanctity c)eluding d) opulent e) reticent f) gait g) aphorism h) sententiousness

II. Questions for Review: Answer in complete sentences. You should use references from the text to support each answer.

• Why does Gene disapprove of Finny’s grumbling about the loss of maid service at Devon?
• Why do you think Gene starts praying again when Finny returns?
• How has Gene’s view of the world changed since the winter and Phineas’s leg?
• Why doesn’t Finny want Gene to enlist in the military?
• Why does Gene change his mind about enlisting after Finny returns?
• Why do you think Finny only shows his weakness to Gene, and no one else?
• Why does Gene think that peace has come back to Devon, with Finny’s return?
• How does Gene know that Finny is not as strong as he pretends to be?
• What is Finny’s rationale for his theory about the war? (How does he explain it?)
• How does Finny show Gene the bitterness inside him? What does Gene do to help Finny cope with that bitterness?
• Why does Finny want Gene to train for the next Olympics? Why does Gene agree to do it?

For the teacher: Suggestions on Student Answers to Review Questions. NOTE: These are simply a guideline; individual student answers will vary.

• Gene has begun to take on the unselfish attitude expected during the war, but Finny is still selfish; this makes Gene feel that Finny isn’t being patriotic enough.
• Finny represents that unknown/fantasy element that encompasses prayer, dreams, games, and goals of winning the Olympics. Student answers will vary – opinion.
• He used to view each new day as a gift; now he sees that problems don’t go away overnight. He has become more bitter since the accident.
• He needs Gene to be with him. Partially, he needs Gene’s help to maneuver physically; also, if Gene weren’t there, Finny would lose his audience and his biggest fan.
• He feels too guilty to leave Finny; also, the war seems less important now that Finny is back with him.
• He truly seems to feel that he and Gene are best friends, and that Gene is the one person who gets him.
• Finny represents that peace that Gene felt in the summer; the peace of being free and young, for a few more precious months.
• Periodically, Finny pauses while walking to gather strength, but he pretends to be thinking about something or looking at something instead.
• He says that there is no war, but it’s just a farce created by fat old men to keep the younger, fitter men in check.
• He yells at Gene to say that he has suffered, so that’s why he shouldunderstand more than other people do. To help dispel the moment, Gene starts doing pull-ups, and Finny coaches him on. Just like at other times, sports/play gets Finny out of his bad mood.
• Finny needs to have a lofty, unrealistic goal in mind to keep his spirits high. Gene thinks it’s ridiculous at first; but as he always does, he gives in to Finny’s needs over his own rational thoughts.

About

This is a review sheet for chapter 8 of A Separate Peace. It includes vocabulary terms and questions for review/discussion over that chapter.