A Separate Peace

Chapter 1

1. A number of times in this chapter, he mentions that “fear” is a major part of his school life. In

what way could his school life have been filled with fear?

His school life could have been filled with fear because they were in a time of war, they feared

not being good enough, academically socially and athletically.

2. What is implied when he speaks on page 3 of “how far my convalescence had gone”?

He shows he has recovered from his school and from his fears and adolescence.

3. What two specific spots does he seek out to revisit?

The first academy building and the tree

4. What jars the reader in the following statement, and what is implied? “Nothing endures, not a

tree, not love, not even a death by violence.” (Pg. 6) What literary term is employed?

It says that nothing lasts forever, and everything changes in life. It grows old and withers away.

5. What mood is conveyed in the first five and a half pages, and how is this mood reinforced by

the description of the day?

The mood is one of question, uncertainty, which fits the cold, rainy day.

6. As the flashback unfolds, how does the mood of the last part of the chapter change?

The end of the chapter is calm, and you can see gene and finny’s friendship bond.

7. Who does it appear will be a major character in this story, besides the narrator, and what do

we find out about him in this first chapter?

Besides the narrator it appears that Phineas will be the other major character. He always does his

own thing; he is of small build and a good athlete.

8. Why does Gene’s West Point stride bother Finny?

It’s too much authority, and it gets in the way of happiness.

Chapter 2

1. Who is the narrator of this story? How long has he been out of school? Why is this story said

to be narrated in flashback? What type of narration is this?

The narrator is Gene Forrester, he has been out of school for fifteen years, it is a flashback

because it starts talking about the present and then jumps back to the past.

2. Why does Finny try to win over Mr. Prud’homme?

He tries to win him over to get out of trouble and be on his good side for the rest of the summer

session.

3. Which of Finny’s character traits “stun[s] people”? (Pg. 18)

His ability to get out of any trouble and he always says what he is thinking.

4. What article of clothing is a symbol of Finny’s nonconformity?

His pink shirt.

5. What does Gene envy in Finny?

How he gets away with everything and is still considered a good person, not a conniver.

6. How does Finny get out of trouble with Mr. Patch-Withers at the tea?

He turns his tie into an emblem with the pink shirt. It is about the war.

7. In the last two paragraphs on page 21, what are the mixed feelings that Gene expresses?

Gene is disappointed that Finny did not get in trouble and he wanted to see the sparks fly, happy

Finny is his friend.

8. What makes Finny such an attractive, likable person?

He is not mean, and he wants to good, and he loves the school. he is also very loyal to everything

he is a part of.

9. On what dramatic note does this chapter end?

Gene almost falls from the tree and dies, but finny saves him. Gene starts thinking that he could

have died.

Chapter 3

1. With what realization does this chapter open?

Gene realizes that he almost lost his life because of Finny.

2. How do the rules of blitzball come to be? How does the game reflect on Finny?

Finny starts making up the rules of the game as it goes on. The game reflects on Finny because

he is good at winning, does his best all the time and he’s good at sports.

3. At the top of page 32, what could we read beneath the surface of Gene’s words?

Gene wants to be like Finny and be liked by everything and naturally excel at everything he

does.

4. Regarding Finny’s breaking of the swimming record, why does Gene say, “It made Finny

seem too unusual for—not friendship, but too unusual for rivalry”? (Pg. 37)

Finny is very modest and does not want others to know what he did. You cannot rival someone

who wants to compete. he doesn’t want to be better than everyone he just does sports for fun

5. In the last paragraph, what keeps Gene from responding in kind when Finny says that Gene is

his best friend?

He was feeling deep thought and truths that maybe he is not actually his best friend.

6. What did Gene do to his own disbelief, and why did he do it?

He skipped studying for his trigonometry test and spent the night at the beach with Finny.

Chapter 4

1. After he flunks his trigonometry test, what conclusion does Gene come to regarding himself

and Finny?
He concludes that Finny has been planning this all along to be better than him and not even since

he was best at sports and Gene was best at school. He feels he cannot trust Finny. Finny would

be unhappy if he won.

2. When Gene speaks of Finny’s treachery and the hate contained in the world, what treachery

and hate is he referring to?

He is referring to him and Finny being even in hatred since he thinks Finny made him flunk the

test on purpose.

3. Why does Gene reverse his opinion, and why does this menace his understanding?

Gene does not want to be told what to do by Finny. He starts thinking more strongly that Finny

wants to sabotage him.

4. Why does Gene agree to forego his studies and venture to the tree?

He is trying to stay equals. He doesn’t want Finny to upstage him at the tree.

5. How does Gene ensure that he will win the competition in the tree?

He moves the tree limb a little by bouncing causing Finny to fall and shatter his leg.

Chapter 5

1. Why do you think Gene puts on Finny’s pink shirt?

He puts it on because Finny is his best friend and he wants him back.

2. Does Finny suspect Gene of causing the fall?

He has a feeling, but he denies it since it is just a feeling.

3. What revelation does Gene have in the hospital room?

Gene realizes they were never competitors.

4. How does Finny put up a protective shield when he talks to Gene at his home? What does

Gene feel?

Finny cannot handle the fact the Gene could have caused his fall and Gene feels
Chapter 6

1. For Gene, why has peace left Devon?

Peace has left Devon because the summer session is over, and the winter session is starting. The

winter session is more formal since all the teachers and rules are more enforced.

2. Find a comparison between the fall and a previous act by Finny.

The fall from the tree is compared to the fall from the canoe. One minute Finny is happy and

then he goes down.

3. Why does Gene sign on as the assistant crew manager?

He joins because he must do something sport-related, and this requires little thinking.

4. What is implied in the following: “Quackenbush was studying me to see if he could detect a

limp. But I knew that [he] would never detect my trouble”? (Pg. 69)

Gene is hurt deep inside; he has an emotional disability.

5. How does Quackenbush reflect Gene’s inner feelings about himself?

Neither of them thinks high of themselves.

6. How does Gene want to compensate for what has happened to Finny?

Gene will do what Finny can’t (sports)

Chapter 7

1. Why does Gene feel threatened by Brinker?

Brinker makes comments about Gene now having more space in his room since Finny is not

coming back. Gene knows more than he is telling about Finny. Brinker knows the real story

2. Find a simile on page 84.

Snowflakes are noiseless invaders.

3. What event accentuates the proximity of the war?

The boys must work shoveling the snow off the train rails. They must do this because many men

are overseas in war.

4. In this section, who is the nonconformist? Why?

Leper because he is touring around in skis while others shovel out snow.

5. How does Gene decide that he is going to fit in again?

He is going to fit in by enlisting like the others.

Chapter 8

1. On his return, what shocks and upsets Finny? Why?

Finny is shocked that Gene is enlisting because he needs Gene to play sports now that he can’t.

2. What literary terms are used in the following excerpt from page 101? What does the last

sentence imply?

So the war swept over 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 a word

from Phineas; I had simply ducked, that was all, and the wave’s concentrated power had hurtled

harmlessly overhead, no doubt throwing others roughly up on the beach, but leaving me

peaceably treading water as before. I did not stop to think that one wave is inevitably followed by

another even larger and more powerful, when the tide is coming in.

Metaphors and similes. Life is bad right now for Gene, but something bad is coming.

3. What literary term does Finny use to describe winter?

He uses personification.

4. How does Finny’s view of the war reinforce his need to maintain a protective shield?

Finny thinks the war is fake to keep young people in their place and old people working. He puts

up the shield to keep the bitterness he has because of the broken leg and his loss of sports away.

5. Explain the irony in what Finny says about the Olympics on page 109.
Finny wants to train Gene for the 1944 Olympics, but they won’t happen because of the war.

6. Why do Gene and Finny establish a partnership to train Gene for the 1944 Olympics?

Finny has a friend to do the sports since he can’t do them, and Gene gets to pay back Finny.

Chapter 9

1. What shocking decision does Leper make? Why?

Leper decides to enlist and leave for the war because he sees the soldiers fighting on snow skis

and he sees racing as the evolution of skiing.

2. How does the imagery of the season emphasize the world the boys inhabit?

Winter has lost its shine. There is nothing to do but study and football is over. The world is

becoming darker

3. How is the Winter Carnival the highlight of the season?

It breaks the monotony of the winter; it brings something different.

4. In the last sentence on page 128, the phrase “a separate peace” is used. Explain its meaning in

the context of that sentence.

It means a peace away from war.

5. What event brings an abrupt end to the Carnival?

A telegram from Leper arrives which sobers everyone up and puts an end to the carnival.

Chapter 10

1. Why does Leper feel threatened in the military?

The army was treating him as if he had a mental defect.

2. When Gene sees Leper in Vermont, how does Leper negatively characterize him?

Leper calls Gene “Lord of the Manor”, good guy until the times get tough.

3. What does Gene do that seems to prove Leper’s charge against him?

Gene pushes Leper’s chair over, Leper accuses Gene of making Finny fall.
4. What change is evident in Leper?

Leper is having laughing fits and anger outbursts.

5. At the end of this chapter, Gene runs off and leaves Leper babbling alone in the field. Why is

Gene so upset?

Gene is upset because Leper kept telling gory details of a story he didn’t want to hear and that he

thought had nothing to do with him.

6. Explain Gene’s reactions to Leper’s accusation.

Gene feels ashamed and worried. Leper knows what he did to Finny.

Chapter 11

1. What comment reveals Finny has finally acknowledged the reality of the war?

“Sure there isn’t any war” and “If a war can drive somebody crazy then it’s real all right. Oh I

guess I always knew, but I didn’t have to admit it.”

2. On page 152, what is Brinker suggesting?

3. What event precipitates the climax? Why?

When Brinker comes and starts asking about the accident. Finny learns and realizes the truth.

4. Who gives the testimony that condemns Gene?

Elwin “Leper” Lepellier

5. As he walks from the room after Leper’s testimony, how is Finny feeling? Why?

Finny has a moment of realization and accepts that Gene did move the branch and cries. It can be

heard how his body falls down the white marble staircase.

6. On what note does this chapter end? How does the author describe the event?

It ends on a tragic note. The author says they can hear his body fall clumsily down the stairs.

7. Explain the symbolism of holding the trial in “First Building.”

It is a building that has been burnt down and rebuilt. This could be a fresh start for Finny, but

with no adult supervision it could all go wrong.

Chapter 12

1. What is Gene’s emotional state as he sees the doctor and nurse work on Finny?

He is numb in a way, and he is thinking about what the adults are saying instead of focusing on

Finny.

2. What happens when Gene goes to the infirmary to see Finny?

On the first visit, Gene brings Finny clothes and Finny asks about the accident; they conclude

that it was a moment of craziness. The second time, Dr. Stanpole tells him Phineas has died

because a marrow went into his bloodstream stopping the heart while they operated his leg.

3. Find the irony in the last paragraph on page 177.

4. Why has Finny been denying there is a war on?

Because he couldn’t enlist, and he thought there wouldn’t be a war without him.

5. What does Gene say caused him to shake the tree limb? What does Finny ask? What does this

encounter say about Finny?

A blind moment, some ignorance inside him, something crazy. Finny asked if it was a blind

impulse because he was trying to think the best of Gene,

6. How does Gene react at Finny’s funeral?

Gene never cries over Finny because he feels it is his own funeral since he considered Phineas a

part of himself and vice versa. He stands and stares.

Chapter 13

1. How has the war literally moved onto the Devon campus?

Troops, equipment, and sewing machines have been moved to the Devon campus.
2. On page 193 Gene says that, “wars are made…by something ignorant in the human heart.”

What, from Chapter 12, does that line seem to echo?

Gene’s treatment towards Finny after he fell out of the tree.

3. On page 192 Gene sums up Finny’s special way of viewing life, of facing reality. What is

Finny’s method?

Finny’s method is to sit through what life throws at him then take it in little by little at a time, so

he is not upset by life.

4. What happens to everyone else who cannot do what Finny could?

They end up being broken inside by life; they will never be the same again.

5. In the next paragraph, what is it that saves Finny and makes him, apparently, different from

everyone else?

Finny was saved by his vigor and confidence and by his capacity for affection.

6. On page 195 Gene says, “I was ready for the war, now that I no longer had any hatred to

contribute to it.” Then on page 196 he says, “I never developed an intense level of hatred for the

enemy. Because my war ended before I ever put on a uniform; I was on active duty all my time

at school; I killed my enemy there.” What is Gene’s enemy, and presumably, everyone else’s

enemy?

Gene is his own enemy. Everyone is their own enemy.

7. In the next paragraph, Gene mentions the sighting of the enemy by others. Here he seems to

equate the enemy with reality—specifically, with the loss of innocence when a young person

comes face to face with the ugliness and evil in the world. How does this sighting affect the

following:

Mr. Ludsbury — he becomes too good for everyone else

Quackenbush — strike back at life and everyone in it

Brinker — develop a careless resentment against life

Leper — he comes out of his protective bubble and gives up on life in general

Phineas — he befriended the enemy