Simone Question #1 Assignment #11

Is Finny's fall, and ultimately his death, something you can blame on Gene? Why or why not? If he is not to blame, then who is?

Throughout the book Finny plays many different rolls, power changing but always coming back to him, putting him in control. Finny's fall and ultimate death is something you can blame on Gene for many reasons. The first time Finny breaks his leg it is Gene who shakes the branch, "'I tried to tell you before, I tried to tell you when I came to Boston that time-' (Knowles 189)" This break creates him to be more fragile and clumsy, as well as making it difficult to move around with ease. When Finny falls the second time he is trying to run from the truth of Gene turning on him. Because of both incidents, caused mainly by decisions Gene makes or the truth about their flawed friendship, Finny death was Gene's fault. 

Abby: Page 178-end. Question 4: If Finny had survived his operation, do you think Gene and Finny could remain friends? Or do you think the friendship at this point is too broken?

        If Finny had survived his operation Finny and Gene would remain friends because Finny doesn't hate anyone. At the end of the book, Gene explains how everyone has their own ways to deal with the war but Finny's is different, "Only Phineas was never afraid, only Phineas never hated anyone" (Knowles 204). In this quote, Gene talks about how Finny was the only person who would ever get past the war and the hardships everyone else had because he had a special way of dealing with it which was that he never hated anyone, even the enemy. In this case in the book, Gene was the enemy because he shook the branch that Finny fell off of but even with that, Finny still would remain friends with Gene because he didn't hate anyone. The friendship was not too broken to fix because Finny kept on trying to figure out why Gene shook the branch and was trying to figure out if it was real or not. When Finny was talking to Gene about what happened, he realizes that he can understand and believe Gene because he has gotten angry in the past and done horrible things on impulse, "I do, I think I can believe that. I've gotten awfully made sometimes and almost forgotten what I was doing... Then that was it. Something just seized you. It wasn't anything you really felt against me, it wasn't some kind of hate you've felt all along. It wasn't anything personal" (Knowles 191). In this quote, Finny is trying to come up with excuses about why Gene did what he did to Finny on the branch and he tries to calm himself down with all these ideas. Finny was correct in when he was saying that Gene shook the branch because it wasn't anything personal but Gene felt too bad to try and make up any more excuses for what really happened. Although Finny and Gene have a complicated relationship, Finny is finding a way to forgive Gene for what he did to him  and Gene is trying to figure out a way to forgive himself.

Questions:
1) Do you think that Gene will ever forgive himself or do you think he already has? Why or why not?
2) Do you think Finny really believed Gene in that passage? Why or why not?

Ari Benkler- Does Finny's death surprise you? Chapters 12-13 Assignment #11

A Separate Peace is about coming of age and boys growing into men through the trial of the war and their own schooling and the challenges it offers them. Finny's injury means that he has no future in the war, which is the defining moment of the time, and so the only reasonable way for him to be in the story is dead, so that he cannot continue as a sad shadow of his former self, but merely as a memory, like in the poem about the young dead athlete. The story focuses on the futures of the boys and where they will go. The voice of maturity, the establishment, and responsibility in the last chapter, Brinker's father, asks Gene about his future, because he thinks that is the most important thing. "What are you enlisting in, son?" (Knowles 198). Brinker's father continues to give a lecture to Brinker and Gene about how important it will be to other people and to themselves what they did during the war, and how their futures will depend on their acts in the war. He says, "You have to do what you think is the right thing... people will get their respect for you from that... " (Knowles 199). By this Brinker's father means to say that they will regret it if they fail to participate actively in the war, and people would hold it against them and look on them as odd and somehow less worthy for it. Finny was not able to participate in the war, and so if he continued to live it would be only as a pale shadow of his former self, which would be depressing for him and for all those around him. He would be the poor young cripple with nowhere to go in life and nothing to do. That he died saved him from a terrible existence, and it was hardly surprising that John Knowles did not want the readers to see Finny as a useless man, broken and bitter at the destruction of his future. The best way from the story's point of view was for him to die.

Alex Daly question #2 chapters 12-13

"I did not cry then or ever about Finny... I could not escape a feeling that this was my own funeral, and you do not cry in that case" (Knowles 194) This quote is from the end of the book and shows that the end of the book was a little slower so that Gene could take in everything that happened. This is a very important part of the book but this is not the climax. The climax is towards the middle of the book. The climax is when Finny is very active before and right after he broke his leg. After this point in the book everything really slows down and gets a little bit more emotional. When Finny is the most active is the climax, before he broke his leg everyone seemed to have a lot more energy. Once Finny's leg is broken everything slows down and when he thinks that his leg seems to be fully healed the pace of the book picks up a little bit until he breaks again and then dies. This is why the climax is more towards the middle of the book. 

Galvin ch.12-13 pg.178-end Is Finny's fall, and ultimately his death, something you can blame on Gene? Why or why not? If he is not to blame, then who is?

Finny's fall and death isn't Gene's fault. Gene caused the original injury to Finny and immobilized him. As Finny was coming off this injury he rebroke his leg which eventually led to his death. Although the original injury was Gene's fault when Finny rebroke his leg it had little to do with Gene. Finny stormed out in a fit of rage during Brinker's "trial" "tonight we are investigating you"(Knowles 167). When confronted with the trail of what ruined Finny's life he stormed off in anger  and while going down the stairs he stumbled and rebroke it. Finny's death is no ones fault, it was an accident.

Eton: Question 1 and kind of but not really Question 2.

      Finny's fall off the tree, and his death, are at the very beginning and end of this book. With most books, the climax is at the middle of the book, but John Knowles put it towards the beginning. He did this because he did not want the story to be about Finny, he wanted it to be about Gene as we know him "dying." At the end of chapter 12 Gene says "I did not cry then or ever about Finny... I could not escape a feeling that this was my own funeral, and you do not cry in that case" (Knowles 194). I believe here, Gene is actually admitting to himself that he was the one that caused all of this. He finally is coming to a close, but this close caused Gene more pain than Finny's actual death. Gene also later says "I was on active duty all my time at school; I killed my enemy there" (Knowles 204). He never reveals who this "enemy" was, I personally do not think that it was Finny, but it was Gene himself. He finally comes clean with himself that he was the one that caused Finny to fall and he was the one that got him so angry towards the end, and even though his best friend died, he gets rid of all his guilt that has been clinging to him for this past year, everything about the war being fake and the Olympics was finally all cleared up, so the Gene that we came to know and hate, died with Finny in the end.

Cliou question 1: At the top of page 155, the snowball fight culminates with everyone turning on Finny. Why does this happen here and why now? How does this moment foreshadow events later in the chapter?

In A Separate Peace by John Knowles, Gene returns from visiting Leper, who had escaped from the army and is now hiding.  When Gene returns to the grounds of the Devon School he sees Finny and a bunch of boys in a Snowball fight.  At first Gene is just watching the other boys play but then Finny insists that Gene would be on his team.  After Gene joins they keep the war going until Finny turns on his team and the snowball fight becomes a free for all. On page 154, Gene narrates, “ Suddenly he turned on me, he betrayed several other of his friends; he went over to Brinker’s side for a short time enough to ensure that his betrayal of them would heighten the disorder.  Loyalties became hopelessly entangled” (Knowles). Then everyone turned on Finny. Everyone turned on him because he turned and betrayed his own teammates and started all the disorder.  I think this happens here because it is short of a preview of betrayal to Finny.  I feel like in the next couple of chapters everyone including Gene are going to betray Finny but in a much more serious way.  I think that Finny will do something that will make Gene jealous enough to betray and possibly hurt his best friend.   

What do you think will happen in the future; do you think Gene will betray Finny in some sort of way?

Charlie Ablon: Pg 152-177: Question 6

Explore Brinker’s role in the trial and his motivation. Why does he does he orchestrate the trial?

At the end of the chapter Brinker brings both Finny and Gene into the assembly hall. During this time in the assembly hall Brinker presses Gene and Finny about the tree incident until the truth comes out and Finny is left in despair. Brinker plays a lead role in this trial to show dominance and push Finny away from Gene. Right before Finny returned, Gene had just made up his mind to enlist in the army. Finny's first reaction about the enlisting was addressed toward Brinker with a lot of anger, " Brinker's always  getting there first. Enlist! What a nutty idea (Knowles, 108). Brinker as you could imagine was   especially mad when Finny says this, " You know what I'm talking about well enough. No I don't. Oh yes you do. Are you telling me what I know? Damn right I am" (Knowles, 106). After Finny takes away Brinker's plan to enlist with Gene, this is a way for Brinker to get back at both Finny and Gene. The reason that Gene denied his enlisting is because he didn't want to tarnish his friendship with Finny. So by holding this meeting Brinker is trying to destroy Gene and Finny's friendship. Brinkers plan to reveal the truth with the tree was successful and I would expect this chapter to be the point where Finny and Gene's friendship ends.

Question:

Do you believe that Finny and Gene's friendship will soon come to an end?

Assignment #10 (152-177):Question 2

Assignment #10 (152-177):Question 2

1)    At the top of page 155, the snowball fight culminates with everyone turning on Finny. Why does this happen here and why now? How does this moment foreshadow events later in the chapter?

The snowball fight results in everyone turning on Finny which foreshadows Finny's power and innocence diminishing. On page 155 Gene says, "We ended the fight in the only way possible; all of us turned on Phineas" (Knowles 155).  Although the snowball fight seems to testify the durability of Finny's spirit, his power diminishes over the course of the chapter. Gene returns to Devon from Leper's house in the middle of the snowball fight and sees Finny's leg in a walking cast, which immediately concerns him. This is an example of foreshadowing the destruction of Finny's leg because he is not being careful and letting his leg fully recover before strenuous activity. On page 155 just after the fight ends, Finny says, "Stanpole said something about not falling again, but I'm very careful"(Knowles 155). This is another example of Knowles foreshadowing that Finny's Leg is in great danger. As Finny begins to lose his innocence, as exampled from the snowball fight, it becomes apparent that he is in jeopardy. Throughout the conversation on the bottom of page 155, we see Phineas attempting to convince Gene hat has bones heal stronger after the break and that he is safe. We see Gene wanting to believe him with all of his heart, but there is doubt behind his support. The conversation reads, "In fact I think I can feel it getting stronger." You think you can? can you feel it? Yes I think so. Thank god. What?" (Knowles 155). Finny says what at the end of the conversation, as if implying that he didn't think Gene believes him, because of all his questioning. Finny's loss of innocence makes him more of a target, and that consequences are eminent.

At the end of the chapter: What do you think happened to Finny's Leg? Judging by the quote about what Stanpole said, what do you think the severity of the injury is? How will this affect Gene?

Marcus Patalano #2: discuss the irony of the dialogue between Finny and Gene on the second half of page 155.

     Finny gets overconfident that he will not break his bone again, so he ends up tumbling down the stairs at Brinker's trial and injuring himself even more. Finny has always been a very confident and somewhat overconfident kid. Even after his injury he still feels as if he can do almost everything he did before he shattered his leg. While Gene is urging Finny to stay away from dangerous activities such as the snowball fight in the beginning of the chapter, Finny responds with conviction "No, of coarse I wont break it again. Isn't the bone supposed to be stronger when it grows together over a place where it has been broken once?"(Knowles 155). This however is notably ironic. His leg is not very close to being entirely healed, nor will it ever be. Finny starts to be come hubristic and becomes totally unaware that if he falls he could get even more seriously injured, or even die. Gene feels that Finny is being overconfident, however he is not assertive enough to argue with Finny. This ends with serious consequences when Gene hears "these separate sounds collided into the general tumult of his (Finny's) body falling clumsily down the white marble stairs"(Knowles 177).

Question 2

Oakes

(152-177)Discuss the irony of the dialogue between Finny and Gene on the second half of page 155.

The dialogue between Finny and Gene on page 155 is ironic because later in the same chapter, Finny injures himself again due to his over confidence. Finny gets into an intense snowball fight with some other boys and ends up getting pummeled by everyone else. Later, Gene becomes concerned about his health and asks “Do you think you ought to get in fights like that?” to which Finny replies “Something about not falling again, but I’m very careful” (Knowles 155). Finny is confident that he can prevent himself from falling and getting hurt again, but his confidence gets him in trouble. He is so optimistic that he will be fine since he is so used to perfect strength and health, and he says “Isn’t the bone supposed to be stronger when it grows together over a place where it’s been broken once?” (Knowles 155). Finny thinks that he is invincible and nothing can go any worse than it already has, so he gets over confident and ends up falling down the stairs after Brinker’s “trial” and injuring himself even more.

Brooke Graves - Pages 152-177: My own question (What do the pictures taped above Gene's bed represent? What do they tell us about Gene's character?)

      The pictures hung above Gene's bed represents Gene's inability to come to terms with his own identity, and they show how unreliable Gene is. After dinner one night, Gene observes his room, and carefully examines the walls. He describes how Finny has taped newspapers above his cot, and he describes the pictures he had taped above his own cot. He had a plantation mansion, trees by moonlight, and roads passing by cabins of Negroes hung up. Gene thought to himself, "Over my cot I had long ago taped pictures which together amounted to a barefaced lie about my background.... I had acquired an accent appropriate to a town three states south of my own, and I had transmitted the impression... that this was the old family place," (Knowles 156). When Gene had come to Devon, he was so insecure that he lied about his background and made up a lie about where he was from. He even created an entirely different accent to make his story more believable. This shows that Gene has major self-esteem issues, and desperately wants to fit in with everyone else, even if it means lying about his true personality. This also shows how willing Gene is to lie, and how was he says can't be trusted. This makes the reader question what Gene has said earlier in the book, and the reader becomes extremely suspicious of Gene in general. Gene then says, "But by now I no longer needed this vivid false identity: now I was acquiring, I felt, a sense of my own real authority and worth, I had had many new experiences and I was growing up," (Knowles 156). This quote shows that through all the situations that he has had to endure lately he has realized his true identity and is starting to see his place and value in the world. This reminds me of when you're meeting someone for the first time and you ask questions to get to know them better. If they feel embarrassed about something in their life, or find that it's not "cool," most people lie about that aspect of their life to fit in better. Gene has extreme difficulty expressing who he really is, and he is an extremely unreliable person who lies about everything he doesn't want to admit to people.

Do you think Gene has lied about anything else in the book so far? Why?

Question 5: 5) Why does Finny react the way he does? What is really going on with him?

Finny acts the way he does because he had a feeling that Gene was the one who really pushed him out of the tree, yet Gene denied it ever since the incident in Boston. When Leper came out and proved that this is true, Finny was hurt that Gene wouldn't tell him the truth even though he tried to back in Boston. On page 172, it says, ".... and then the two of us started to climb....he broke off" (Knowles 172). This quote shows how Finny was questioning his own memory. He had the feeling that he was with Gene on the limb when he fell, but he thought that Gene would never do that to him. When Leper shows up and clears the facts, Finny isn't just upset, but he is hurt and sad. He is sad because his "best friend" had told him that he didn't push him out of the tree, and that they were both just confused (Gene said this to Finny back at Finny's home in Boston). Gene had openly lied to Finny's face and once Finny realized this, he was crushed.


Do you think that Gene should have tried to tell Finny the truth, even if Finny didn't want to believe it? Why do you think Brinker is so obsessed in finding out what really happened to Finny?

Natalie Madden Question 3: Discuss Leper’s return and its impact on Gene and Finny before Brinker’s trial. What does Leper represent now that he is back at Devon and what conversation does his return trigger between Finny and Gene? (see pages 163-164).

Finny’s thoughts about the war changes when he sees Leper again.  When Gene returns from visiting Leper, he tells his friends that Leper is now crazy as a result of going to war. Later when Finny and Gene are in their room Finny tells Gene that he now believes there is a war because of the change in Leper, “When I heard that about Leper, then I knew that the war was real, this war and all of the wars,” (Knowles 163). Finny liked to believe that wars didn’t exist. He thought that, “The fat old men who don’t want us crowding them out of their jobs. They’ve made it all up,” (Knowles 144). Finny then continues to explain that after Gene had told him what had happened to Leper and  that he is now crazy, he saw him and also confirmed that Leper is now insane. Finny saw him when he was walking outside the church to escape the traffic, “I saw Leper and he must have seen me. He didn’t say a damn word. He looked at me like I was a gorilla or something and then he ducked into Mr. Carhart’s office” (Knowles 163). Finny thinks that Leper isn’t acting the same way that he used too before he went away.  Now that he has returned, the huge change in Leper. confirms that this war and all wars have a real effect on the enlisted men. With  Leper’s return Finny’s thoughts of the war have changed because he sees first hand the effects of war on someone who used to be outgoing and who now is scared and cries.

Do you think Leper will ever be the same old Leper ever again?

Abby : Assignment #9, Question #3: What causes Gene to attack Leper? The answer needs to involve a literal and figurative exploration of what occurs here (middle 145).q

Gene attacks Leper because the feelings inside of him have been steaming up to finally let loose and attack. When Gene travels to Leper's house to come and find him, Leper starts talking about Gene and how he pushed Finny off the tree, "like a savage underneath.. like that time you knocked Finny out of the tree... like that time you crippled him for life" (Knowles 145). In this quote, Leper talks about how savage, or mean and angry, Gene is and that is the first time Gene has really heard that from anyone. Gene attacks Leper after he says that because he knows that it is correct but he doesn't want anyone to know. But also, all of Gene's guilt about jouncing the branch and purposefully making Finny fall is bubbling up inside of him and this one comment from Leper made him let it all out. After Leper hurts Gene, Gene acts out on it and pushes Leper, making him fall and get hurt which is what he did to Finny. After Finny hurts Gene emotionally about sports and academics, but Gene knows he's better than Finny, he decides to physically hurt Finny. Overall, Gene's reaction to getting emotionally hurt is to physically hurt the person who hurt him.

Assignment 9, Question 4

Oakes A

( #9, p. 138-151 )  Explore the difference between what ‘escape’ means to Gene as opposed to what it means to Leper (see usage in context on the middle of page 143).

To Gene, escape means getting out of danger, and in general being a hero, whereas to Leper, escape has bad connotations, symbolizing fear and failure. Leper sends a telegram to Gene saying that he has “escaped” and needs help. Gene takes this to mean that Leper was in some peril due to the war and he narrowly escaped into hiding, and that he will now be safe. Gene thinks that Leper’s escape is a good thing, but learns differently when Leper says he escaped. “You don’t escape from the army” Gene says (Knowles 143). Leper then says “That’s what you say. But that’s because you’re talking through your hat” (Knowles 143). Leper goes on to say that they were going to give him a “Section 8 Discharge” meaning that he was discharged for being crazy. Leper’s escape is one without a good outcome. If he stayed in the army and was discharged he would forever be branded as a Psycho and would never be able to lead a normal life, but as it is he will be in trouble for deserting. Either way, Leper is in danger, contrary to Gene’s view of escape bringing a good result.

Assignment #8 (123-137): Question 1 (OLD)

Assignment #8 (123-137):

1) Explore Brinker’s change and development shown in this reading.  Find two specific examples from this reading of how they have changed. Also, explore why that might be and show how you know this. 

            Brinker Hadley, who everyone thought would be the first to enlist, quickly becomes disillusioned with the idea of fighting. Initially, Brinker represents responsibility and adulthood. He appears to be more mature than the other boys, and his acceptance of the war and eagerness to enlist reflects it. Throughout chapter nine it becomes apparent that Brinker's abandonment of his earlier ideals represents his growth. Gene expands on the idea of Brinker’s growth on page 130, “ He had not resented my change of heart, and in fact had immediately undergone one himself. If he could not enlist- and for all his self-sufficiency, Brinker could not go much without company-he could at least cease to be a multifariously civilian” (Knowles 130). Brinker begins to drop out of all his extra curricular activities due to Gene’s change of heart about enlisting in the war. He drops out of multiple clubs, and his physical appearance changes when his well-bred clothes begin disappear. This once bold, passionate, adult figure begins to fade away from the frontrunner’s position throughout chapter nine. Brinker doesn’t even want to participate in Finny’s winter carnival as read on page 130, “What are we supposed to be celebrating? Frankly, I just don’t see anything to celebrate” (Knowles 130). Brinker Hadley quickly becomes tainted by the war, and eventually doesn’t want anything to do with it. Brinker doesn't want to fight in the war his father started.

Do you think Brinker will be drafted to the war?

Question#3 Charlie Ablon:Chapter 10/ Pg. 137-151

What causes Gene to attack Leper? The answer needs to involve a literal and figurative exploration of what occurs here (middle 145).

When Gene visits Lepers house, Gene realizes the Leper has turned into a crazy mad men who wasn't afraid to share his opinion, "You always were a savage underneath" (Knowles, 145). Once Leper takes a shot at Gene for knocking Finny off the tree Gene loses it, "I shoved my foot against the rung of his chair and kicked. Leper went over in his chair and collapsed against the floor" (Knowles, 145). Gene is easily tempered by the painful truth that Leper describes. Know one has ever stood up to Gene and call him a bad guy until now. Ever since the beginning of the book Gene has been trying to blame other people like Finny to make Gene look like a good guy. And with Leper revealing the truth Gene resorts to violence to try and deny the remarks. On a figurative note this act of violence can be easily compared  to the recent act of pushing Finny off the tree. Much like the experience with Finny, Leper's feet were taken right out beneath him and then he fell to the ground. By hurting Leper, Leper confirms Gene's violence by saying this, " Laughing and crying he lay with his head on the floor and his knees up, always were a savage underneath" (Knowles, 145). Although Leper may be in a phased stage, his remarks about Finny were accurate and not denied able. 

ETON Explore the difference between what ‘escape’ means to Gene as opposed to what it means to Leper (see usage in context on the middle of page 143).

     In this chapter Gene, while walking to Leper's house, is trying to convince himself that by "escape" Leper meant escape from enemy spies, but what Leper meant was that he escaped from the army and escaped from the number 8 discharge. When Gene started talking to Leper he thought "I no longer wanted this to be true, I no longer wanted it to be connected with spies or desertion or anything out of the ordinary" (Knowles 143). Gene hoped that Leper would be consistent with what Brinker and Chet were talking about in the Butt Room, that Leper was some kind of war hero, but now he breaks when he sees the new Leper, and sees what the army did to him. Gene thinks "escaped" in this situation, means taking away everything that they were talking about in the Butt Room, what he was hoping to be the truth and is more of a derogatory term. To Leper, "escaped" means having the ability to get a job and live a, what he hopes and wishes to be, "normal" life and is more of a nice term that he can also use as hope. Leper's and Gene's opinions of this word are very different, which is why they were unable to have a civil conversation.

Alex Assignment #9 question #2 "Escape"

       At the end of chapter 9 and throughout chapter 10 "Escape is used in many different ways, mostly by Leper and Gene. The dictionary meaning is "to slip or get away, as from confinement or restraint" (Dictionary.com). In the book this is what Gene thinks of when he is thinking that Leper got caught by spies. But he had really run away from the war because he was going to be discharged as a section 8. "everybody wants to see your discharge, and when they see Section Eight they look at you kind if funny..." (Knowles 144) this is Leper explaining what a Section Eight discharge is . He explains that it is hard to get jobs and preform simple tasks because anyone that knows will never look at you the same way. Leper's meaning of escape is to leave because he was better off without the discharge, but Gene was expecting a great story of triumph were Leper decamps the hideout of the enemy and is now hiding for his life. Gene was disappointing in his friend, but still happy that he was home alive and mostly the same.

Galvin chapter 10 What causes Gene to attack Leper? The answer needs to involve a literal and figurative exploration of what occurs here (middle 145).

Gene attacks Leper because Gene can't deal with the guilt of what happened during the incident with Finny. Gene goes to Leper's house as a friend to help Leper out, but when he gets there he slowly begins to find out what Leper has gone through and what he became, Psychotic. Leper is going through a rant commanded by his mental state on page 145 saying things like "You were always a savage underneath" and "like that time you injured him for life" (Knowles 145). Gene has been suppressing the memory of the incident with Finny and didn't even think of it when he was with Finny. When Leper goes through his rant Gene can deal with many shots towards who he is, but Leper says straight to him it was his fault Finny was injured. Gene can't deal with the guilt put on him by this statement and instead of an act of sorrow Gene acts aggressively towards the Leper because he brought it up.

Is this a new side of Gene we will see more often? Will he act more on impulse then rationality?

Simone Geary question #3 assignment #9

What causes Gene to attack Leper?

Towards the beginning of chapter ten, Gene travels to visit Leper at his house in Vermont to find out what he meant when he wrote that he "escaped". Gene finds out that Leper has become meaner and more aggressive, and less like himself. Leper ends up telling Gene how he's always felt and that the thinks Gene has always been, "'Like a savage underneath. Like...like that time you knocked Finny out of that tree.' (Knowles 145)" Gene, taking this personally and very seriously, impulsively kicks Leper out of his chair. Gene took this personally on many levels; Gene has been lying to himself and most of his friends for so long that he started to believe it himself, and having Leper yell the truth at him was infuriating and caught him off guard. This was also a verbal attack towards Gene and he reacted how Finny would've. Gene still feels bad about what happened and when Leper insulted him and Finny, Gene was hit with confusing and frustrating emotions that led him to push the chair from under Leper.

Marcus Patalano: Leper is the first of the boys to enlist. Based on the conversations and narration in the previous few chapters, what about this is ironic?

     Leper has always been known as the wimpy kid who would rather be out in nature than preparing for war, or practicing sports. "He generally made little sketches of birds and trees in the back of his notebook"(Knowles 93). Leper is an outsider. Unlike the other boys who whizz through life in the fast lane, Leper decides to just slow down, go along, and see what happens.
     After watching the film about the ski troops, Leper decides to enlist. This hits everyone as a shock. He says "Everything has to evolve or else it perishes"(Knowles 125). This is just what Leper is trying to do.
     In this time of war it is impossible to survive by drawing plants and birds in his notebook. Leper is evolving from the naturalist he once was, into a fearless ski trooper. This has a certain level of irony to it because Leper has always tried to avoid the war as much as possible. However "only the things and people who've been evolving the right way survive"(Knowles 125), and that's just what Leper is doing.

Ari Benkler- Why does Finny Organize the Winter Carnival? Assignment #8

The Winter Carnival is a rejuvenation moment for Finny that gets him interested in something and motivated to accomplish some goal for the first time since his injury, thus motivating him to find himself and his old vivacious self. In the exchange Gene has with Brinker, they discuss how Finny hasn't really been motivated to do much of anything lately. Gene appeals to Brinker and says that it would be good for Finny if they helped him and really ran with the Winter Carnival idea because it would give Finny the idea, true or otherwise, that he was leading and organizing something really important. Gene practically pleads to Brinker, "This is the first time Finny's gotten going on anything since... he came back." (Knowles 130). Once at the festival, Finny seems transformed, almost as if he did not suffer from his injury. His old sense of command with mischief returned to him, when he slyly rebelled against the semi-authority of Brinker, who was taking over the carnival after Finny showed himself unwilling at the start to direct everyone. This unwillingness was in fact a ruse, some random stunt of Finny's that he did for his own enjoyment. He returns to his former self in a remarkable transition with the words, "Next? Well that's pretty clear. You are." (Knowles 134). By inciting the boys to a sort of rebellion against Brinker, or at least Brinker's preconceived notions of order and how things should go in regards to dispensing the cider, Finny is stepping into his old shoes as ringleader and mischief-maker in chief. Finally, the most striking moment of Finny's mental rebirth, which the Winter Festival marks, is his dance. Chet Douglass was playing the trumpet in a rather novel but beautiful manner throughout the festival, "...inspiring Finny... to climb onto the Prize Table and with only one leg to create a droll dance among the prizes... Phineas recaptured that magic gift for existing primarily in space..." (Knowles 136). This, though only done with one leg, was something that set Finny on fire, that motivated him and caused him pleasure and wonder, that mark for him a turning point in his recovery.

Natalie Madden Question 6: The “separate peace” moment is shattered by the arrival of the telegram from Leper. Explore the significance of the timing of the telegram and the content. From was has Leper “escaped”?

Before the Telegram arrives nobody is thinking of the war. All of a sudden the telegrams arrival reminds the boys about the dangers of the world. Many boys at Devon are at the winter carnival having fun when suddenly a telegram arrives. Finny opens the telegram and immediately his smile turns into a frown. The significance of the timing of the telegram is that it arrives just as the boys finally forget about the war and start to have fun.  Then the telegram arrives and reminds them that the U.S is at war and that the dangers of World War II are real. Finny doesn’t want to believe the war is really happening. When Gene questions Finny’s reasoning Finny tells him that, “The fat old men who don’t want us crowding them out of their jobs. They’ve made it all up,” (Knowles 144). Finny doesn’t want to think about American men are dying on their behalf.  He wants to believe that the terror is all made up and that nobody is dying. Finny is scared because he doesn’t want his friends to go to war and maybe not return. In the telegram it says, “I have escaped and need help,”(Knowles 137). When Leper writes “escaped” he is saying that he has run away from the war. Leper isn’t the toughest boy in the school and he ran away because he is scared. When Gene reads the telegram from Leper it suddenly reminds him that there is a deadly war going on around the world and that they need to face that fact.

Is Gene going to go find Leper after reading this letter? Would you if you were Gene?