A Separate Peace

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Excerpt

Chapter Five Questions and Vocabulary – A Separate Peace

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

a) grandee b) haltingly c) reverberating d) denounce e) ajar f) transfixed g) decalogue h) ludicrous i) irresolutely j) reverie k) erratic l) nave m) invalid

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

• Why do the professors take Finny’s injury especially hard?
• Why does Gene put on Finny’s clothing? How does it make him feel?
• Why does Gene think he is pretty sure he doesn’t know Finny at all?
• Why do you think Gene gets so upset that Finny will never play sports again?
• Compare and contrast Finny’s reaction to the accident with Gene’s.
• What was the “feeling” Finny had about the accident? Why does Finny apologize for it?
• Why does Gene wish he could tell Finny the truth at a railway station or a highway intersection?
• What is Finny’s reaction to Gene’s confession? Is that what you expected? Why or why not?
• When Gene says he won’t start living by the rules, why do you think he labels it as “the biggest lie of all”? Why will he start living by the rules, and why is he lying to Finny about it?
• Make a prediction: Will Gene take back his confession and tell Finny it was all a lie, and he didn’t do it on purpose?

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

• It is hard on them because they know the dangers in the adult world waiting for these kids, and it seems really unfair that a young man who still has some freedom left would lose it like that.
• Gene wants to fully embody Phineas, now that he has gotten rid of him. It makes him feel like he can be Finny, and that he won’t ever have to worry about being himself again.
• The whole time, he has been thinking that Finny was mean-spirited just like he is, and he realizes that his ideas about Finny were all wrong.
• This is the guilt talking. He wanted Finny to fall, just to prove Finny wasn’t perfect. But he never meant for Finny’s life to be ruined.
• Gene is devastated, Finny is looking positively. It is similar to the way they always look at life; Gene the pessimist and Finny the optimist. Plus, Finny believes the whole thing was an accident, whereas Gene knows it was intentional.
• He saw the hatred in Gene’s eyes, and felt that Gene had done it on purpose. He felt badly for accusing his friend of such treachery, so he apologized.
• Something like that would be symbolic of moving on, or new directions. Here, in Finny’s house, everything is too much like the old Finny. He wants to be able to tell him and then escape into the future, to not have to think of it again.
• At first, Finny doesn’t believe Gene. He then starts to yell at Gene to go away, not wanting Gene to mess with him any more. It’s like he doesn’t know whether to believe the truth, or to believe that Gene is lying to him; both outcomes are bad.
• Now that Finny is gone, Gene won’t have his influence. He will do everything “by the book” because he is too cowardly to do anything like that on his own. But he wants Finny to believe that he can be the kind of guy who would break rules and have fun, like Finny always was.
• Student answers will vary.

About

This is a study guide for ch. 5 of A Separate Peace. It includes vocabulary terms and questions for review/discussion.