Knowles Separate Peace Essays: Self-Knowledge and Inner-Peace

A fracture quiescence  Self-Knowledge and Inner-Peace                      The theme suggested in the closing paragraph of the novel A Separate Peace is that people create their own opponent and then they halt themselves laboriously and obsessively against their imaginary enemy. They develop a particular pattern of mind to allay the fear that arises while facing their nonexistent enemy. In the novel, the protagonist, factor, tries to fight a war with his best friend, Finny, not realizing that the enemy he sees is not Finny but is his own insecurity.             At the beginning Gene believes that Finny is in truth his enemy who is trying to sabotage him. Gene thinks that Finny envies his academic ability merely as he envies Finnys extraordinary athletic ability. To feel better intimately himself, Gene lowers Finny to his level so that they are even , even in enmity. Genes spatial relation toward Finny is a manifestation of his jealousy and lack of self-confidence. Finny, on the other go along is extremely confident. He never had the evil thoughts about destroying Genes grades -  he is as well as innocent of a person to have such thought. Furthermore, Finny, being a carefree person, does not even care about his own grades, and sure as shooting not Genes grades. Gene does not realize the truth, or perhaps he simply does not want to admit the truth. He has created an enemy to shelter himself from acknowledging that he is not completely satisfied with his character, or lack of thereof.             Gene finally realizes that Finny is not tryin... ...defenses that people have constructed are as trivial as the Maginot Lines they only prevent people from analyzing their emotions and characters. People should view the enemy and the war in a more objective perspective, and try to deduce themselves. Only by doing so can they eventually find their identity.