Kaitlyn J., 9th Grade: Artificial Vs. Natural in A Separate Peace
“Someone
once said that being yourself, being who you are, is a successful
rebellion”(Lansen). Gene Forrester spent his whole life trying to rebel to be
like everyone else. He tried to be like Phineas because he didn’t want people
to see the real him. If only he had known that being himself would have been
the biggest rebellion. Throughout the novel, Phineas acts naturally the whole
time. He never tries to be something he isn’t. He stays true to himself, not
wanting to change for anyone.
Gene tells a few of the artificial things he would say. He claimed to be five feet and nine inches tall before he and Finny became roommates. He also said that he weighed the same amount as Phineas, even though he was 10 pounds less. Gene does this because he wants to be like Phineas, and he thought that even the slightest physical characteristics could make a big difference. Everything about Phineas is natural. The way he looks is natural. The way he walks is natural. The things he wears are natural. The things he says are natural. He just tried to be himself. Phineas was very sincere. He meant everything that he said. He never thought twice about his words. He wasn’t trying to impress anybody, and he didn’t really care if it stunned people (Lansen).
When Phineas wears the pink shirt, he doesn’t think anything of it. People don’t question what Phineas does. He does not care about what people think of him. He wore the pink shirt without even thinking people might judge him for it. He is so confident in who he is. Gene, on the other hand, would never wear a pink shirt. He is too scared of what people would think of him. He is obsessed with what people think of him, which pushes him to be artificial (Lansen) .
When Phineas breaks the school swimming record, he doesn’t want to tell anyone. It isn’t a big deal to him. He doesn’t want to make a big fuss over it. Gene doesn’t understand why Finny doesn’t want more recognition. If he had broken the record, he would have wanted all the awards and fame for it. This is another example of how he values artificial things. Finny played sports purely for the enjoyment he got from them. He never tried to impress anyone but himself when it came to sports (Lansen).
Gene works hard to become the valedictorian. He won’t admit it, but grades are very important to him. He thinks his grades will stick with him for his entire life, giving him value. He lets an artificial thing determine his worth. Finny is a little more realistic about grades. He understands that once he graduates, his grades won’t affect him anymore. Gene’s obsession with grades goes too far and ends up ruining his friendship with Finny. He thinks Phineas is trying to sabotage him, which is not the case at all. These artificial things are starting to tear him apart (Lansen).
Going to the beach was Phineas’ idea. He thinks of it one day and immediately tells Gene. He does things on an impulse. He is very carefree. Gene takes a lot of convincing and worries the whole trip. When the boys go to the beach, Finny enjoys nature. Gene is too consumed with artificial things, like his trigonometry test the next day. Phineas gets to enjoy the day, while Gene worries it away. Phineas knows that emotions are a natural thing to have, so he doesn’t hold back when he tells Gene that he loves him. Gene doesn’t want his emotions to show, so he doesn’t respond to Finny. He says that showing his true emotions would be “the next thing to suicide” (A Separate Peace Page 40).
At one point in the novel, Gene puts on Finny’s clothes. He feels an “intense relief” when he does so. Even putting on Finny’s clothes make him feel better. He just wants to be like Finny. Finny believed that everyone won while playing sports. He thought the same about life. He refused to acknowledge the bad in the world. He found the good in every situation and was very innocent. Gene was the complete opposite. He hated playing sports because he always lost. He also could be kind of negative. Gene wanted to join the army, but Finny knew that he wasn’t cut out for it. The only reason he wanted to be in the army is because all the other boys were going to enlist. The boys are very similar physically. Emotionally and mentally, the boys are complete opposites (Lansen) .
WORKS CITED
Lansen, Arthur. "Artificial Vs. Natural in A Separate Peace." Etowah High School. Web. 123HelpMe.com. 16 Nov 2013.
Gene tells a few of the artificial things he would say. He claimed to be five feet and nine inches tall before he and Finny became roommates. He also said that he weighed the same amount as Phineas, even though he was 10 pounds less. Gene does this because he wants to be like Phineas, and he thought that even the slightest physical characteristics could make a big difference. Everything about Phineas is natural. The way he looks is natural. The way he walks is natural. The things he wears are natural. The things he says are natural. He just tried to be himself. Phineas was very sincere. He meant everything that he said. He never thought twice about his words. He wasn’t trying to impress anybody, and he didn’t really care if it stunned people (Lansen).
When Phineas wears the pink shirt, he doesn’t think anything of it. People don’t question what Phineas does. He does not care about what people think of him. He wore the pink shirt without even thinking people might judge him for it. He is so confident in who he is. Gene, on the other hand, would never wear a pink shirt. He is too scared of what people would think of him. He is obsessed with what people think of him, which pushes him to be artificial (Lansen) .
When Phineas breaks the school swimming record, he doesn’t want to tell anyone. It isn’t a big deal to him. He doesn’t want to make a big fuss over it. Gene doesn’t understand why Finny doesn’t want more recognition. If he had broken the record, he would have wanted all the awards and fame for it. This is another example of how he values artificial things. Finny played sports purely for the enjoyment he got from them. He never tried to impress anyone but himself when it came to sports (Lansen).
Gene works hard to become the valedictorian. He won’t admit it, but grades are very important to him. He thinks his grades will stick with him for his entire life, giving him value. He lets an artificial thing determine his worth. Finny is a little more realistic about grades. He understands that once he graduates, his grades won’t affect him anymore. Gene’s obsession with grades goes too far and ends up ruining his friendship with Finny. He thinks Phineas is trying to sabotage him, which is not the case at all. These artificial things are starting to tear him apart (Lansen).
Going to the beach was Phineas’ idea. He thinks of it one day and immediately tells Gene. He does things on an impulse. He is very carefree. Gene takes a lot of convincing and worries the whole trip. When the boys go to the beach, Finny enjoys nature. Gene is too consumed with artificial things, like his trigonometry test the next day. Phineas gets to enjoy the day, while Gene worries it away. Phineas knows that emotions are a natural thing to have, so he doesn’t hold back when he tells Gene that he loves him. Gene doesn’t want his emotions to show, so he doesn’t respond to Finny. He says that showing his true emotions would be “the next thing to suicide” (A Separate Peace Page 40).
At one point in the novel, Gene puts on Finny’s clothes. He feels an “intense relief” when he does so. Even putting on Finny’s clothes make him feel better. He just wants to be like Finny. Finny believed that everyone won while playing sports. He thought the same about life. He refused to acknowledge the bad in the world. He found the good in every situation and was very innocent. Gene was the complete opposite. He hated playing sports because he always lost. He also could be kind of negative. Gene wanted to join the army, but Finny knew that he wasn’t cut out for it. The only reason he wanted to be in the army is because all the other boys were going to enlist. The boys are very similar physically. Emotionally and mentally, the boys are complete opposites (Lansen) .
WORKS CITED
Lansen, Arthur. "Artificial Vs. Natural in A Separate Peace." Etowah High School. Web. 123HelpMe.com. 16 Nov 2013.