Poise In the novel A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, the protagonist Gene Forrester matures through three stages of his life at a New Hampshire prep school. At the beginning of the story, Gene is insecure and jealous of his charismatic friend, Phineas. Later in the tale, Gene's obsession with Phineas, or more often referred to as Finny, causes Gene to obtain Finny's identity after a tragic accident in which Gene disables Finny. At the …showed first 75 words of 1106 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1106 total…man, after being an immature youngster, through Finny's departure and Gene's experiences at Devon. In conclusion, through Gene's jealousy and identity crisis, he becomes a mature man suitable for the world outside of high school. Gene becomes more aware of peoples' personal challenges and therefore more sympathetic. Knowles excellently identifies high school students' self-loathing and demonstrates an individual dealing with it. He effectively conveys his theme, that one must except himself, in A Separate Peace.