It must have been a weird thing knowing that you are going to school just so you could eventually be sent to war. Most people would join just so they would not be drafted into the infantry. Even in this matter you were picking your own poison because no area of the armed forces was a safe area during World War II, and really there is no safe area in the armed forces today. This is why I liked Phineas' philosophy in "A Separate Peace". His philosophy was there is no war and there has never been war. All the "fat guys in suits" make up war to keep people on their toes. Of course Phineas knew this was not true, but he tricked his mind into believing this so he would not look at the current situation as a bad one. Phineas was a very positive individual. He even looked at his crippled leg in a positive way.
My favorite character in the novel would of course be Phineas. He tries to overcome an injury and he looks at his situation very positively. He was a very good leader for the rest of the boys. From starting a new sport in Blitzball, to starting a winter carnival, to organizing the boys for an event like a snowball fight, Phineas was just an excellent leader all around that everybody naturally followed. He is also a great friend to Gene and he never tries to make enemies. Phineas was also a smooth talker and could get out of any trouble. (This is a very good trait to have in everyday life). It was so tragic the way Phineas died. It just seemed to happen so fast. In Gene's case, Phineas is a friend he can never replace.
We see an amazing friendship between Phineas and Gene in the novel and that is why I believe the theme of this novel is nothing can come between friends and true friends can forgive each other for anything. We see this happen when Phineas forgives Gene for shaking the tree branch when Phineas is in the Infirmary for yet another fall which breaks his leg. When Phineas was injured the first time, I believe Gene did become a part of him. Phineas wanted the best for Gene like the idea how he wanted Gene to be in the '44 Olympics. Phineas wanted Gene to take up the sports in which he could no longer be a part of. Gene may have thought that Phineas was only trying to be better than him, but in the end, he understood that Phineas was a true friend to him and that he would never have another friend like him.
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Jared, i agree with you that Phineas was a positive character throughout the story. When you said Phineas is a friend Gene could never replace i kind of agree but in a way Gene was trying to become Phineas, he would try on his clothes and stuff soo he still had a part of Phineas in him all the time.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you said that nothing comes between true friends. I thought the only reason Gene was still friends with Phineas, after he broke Phineas leg, because he felt guilty.
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