I could see through that. I was more and more certainly becoming the best person in the institution; Phineas was without a question the best athlete, so in a way we were even. But while he was a very poor student I got a pretty good athlete, so when everything was thrown into the scales they might in the long run definitely tilt towards me. The brand new attacks of studying were his emergency measures to save lots of himself. I doubled my effort. "
A Separate Peace Pg. 55
This quote is essential to the theme of competition in the book because as Finny continually points out Gene's imperfections in sports, Gene becomes irritated with Finny's perfection. Before Gene shakes the tree, leading to Finny to reduce his balance and fall, he comes to the realization that Finny never wanted to compete with him because he "was not of the same quality as Finny. " Gene wanted to bring Finny down to his level in order that they would be equals. Once he previously this notion planted in his mind, there is no getting rid of it. Gene also believed that Finny was a superior to him, which is why he jolted the tree. He wished to show himself as well as others that Finny was no longer invincible and was like everybody else. Previous to his fall Finny was on the pedestal, he was undefeated in sports and could talk his way to avoid it of any predicament involving teachers. After leading to Finny's fall, Gene soon discovers which it includes consequences of severe guilt.
Gene always appeared to compete with Finny, when in reality there is no competition between your two friends. Gene even goes so far as comparing their height and weight. Something as simple as a wrestling match between the two causes Gene to be angry because Finny still wins everything, like the wrestling match. He even ponders why Finny is successful in everything because he isn't built for sports any much better than Gene. What Gene just can't complete his mind is that Finny is only being himself. He is not trying to carry Gene back from doing his best in school. Finny takes their competition constructively, while Gene takes it as destructive competition.
Gene becomes so obsessed with this competition between himself and Finny that he puts Finny's clothes on and compares himself to Finny. All of these things eventually led to Gene "jouncing the limb" and triggering Finny's fall because he couldn't handle his superiority in sports and disputes involving teachers. Gene felt that by jolting the tree he had broke Finny's winning streak. When Gene jumps from the tree after creating Finny to fall it is as if he is marking a fresh start, where Finny doesn't win everything.
"Therefore the war swept over just like a wave at the seashore gathering power and size as it bore on us, overwhelming in its rush, seemingly inescapable, and then at the last moment eluded by the word from Phineas; I had fashioned simply ducked, that was all, and the wave's concentrated power had hurtled harmlessly overhead, without doubt throwing others roughly up on the beach, but leaving me peaceably treading water as before. I did not stop to feel that one wave is inevitably followed by another even larger and more powerful, when the tide is coming in. "
A Separate Peace Pg. 109
Throughout the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles the title is illustrated on several occasions. The title is truly a reflection of the theme peace and war. For example, when Gene, Finny, Leper and their acquaintances are playing blitzball, this represents their ignorance in regards to what is taking place around them. They are having fun without a care on the globe that soon they'll be face to face with World War II. I believe that deep within themselves the kids know there's a war which soon and they will be experiencing it. However, they don't know the extent of destruction and warfare that the walls outside their school hold, which in ways stuns them. When Leper tells Gene of his troubles in the war we observe how much of a shock the real world is to the kids after graduating Devon.
When Leper tells Gene his memories of the war, the title ANOTHER Peace is supported in the reasoning that Devon is nearly such as a separate country because the institution keeps them from knowing how gruesome it'll be when they are deported to war. There are many ways the theme of peace and war can be distinguished. The most apparent way to notice when the peace starts to fade away is summer and fall. During summer the students are still being sheltered and remain children. Then, when fall comes around the students are starting adulthood. That is also when the recruiters come to Devon to be able to recruit the boys in to the war. Since these boys have been protected from the real world almost all their life, adulthood in the true word hits them hard and causes them to reduce their mind.
It's similar to a mother bird pushing its newborn bird from the nest and expecting it to fly. The bird will fall and probably die since it hasn't obtained the opportunity to watch its mother and study from her. It is the ditto with the students at Devon. You can't expect these to immediately change from being sheltered to fighting in a war. Particularly if they've never been involved with any outside-world terror, therefore you release them straight into a complete fledged war.
Out of all the themes in A Separate Peace I believe that rebellion and conformity is utilized most regularly throughout the novel. Phineas is the character that is regularly rebellious, while Gene is compliant. Phineas repeatedly defies the guidelines during his stay at Devon. For example, Finny wore a pink shirt to school instead of his uniform. Gene would have never attempted or even considered to do something like that because he is one which will obey the guidelines before he breaks them. Finny also talks Gene into jumping from the tree, which is "more forbidden than missing meals". Since you can obviously see, Finny is very rebellious and follows his own rules.
Conformity was valued both in the novel and in the real world during World War II. Everyone in the United States would put forth effort to the war, similar to what occurred at Devon. The people that usually shoveled snow on the railroad were deported to fight in the war, so the students at Devon assisted by shoveling the snow in order for the train to easily pass. The students also picked apples and sacrificed maids throughout their war effort. When Mr. Prud'homme questioned Finny as to why he and Gene were nowhere to be found at dinner, Finny responded by saying that that they had to jump from the tree in order that they would be equipped for war. The reason why Finny told Mr. Prud'homme it is because he was seeking to make Mr. Prud'homme think that they were following a American idea that at the time that was to assistance with the war. Rebellion and conformity is repeated numerous times throughout the book and it is one of the numerous main themes.
