A Seperate Peace Litblog Chapters 1-2

Mary Ann MacDonald
Period 5
3-21-13

 

Chapters 1-2

 

Summary: A man named Gene Forrester returns to his old school called Devon in New Hampshire. He remembers about how fearful he was in those days when World War II was going on in Europe. He visits the old staircase and a tree down by the river. He remembers this tree from when he was 16, and he dares his friend to jump off one of the branches into the river, Finny jumps first and then Gene jumps. In chapter 2, Finny decides to wear pink to celebrate the bombing of central Europe. At a faculty tea with Mr. Patch-Withers, his wife notices that Finny is using the school tie as a belt and he talks himself out of trouble again. They then go down to the river and make a secret society called the "Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session". Gene loses his balance on a tree branch and is caught by Finny, who saves his life.

Quotation: "Looking back now across fifteen years, I could see with great clarity the fear I had lived in, which must mean that in the interval I had succeeded in a very important undertaking: I must have made my escape from it"(2).

Quotation Significance: Gene is back at his old school in Devon and looking back from went he went to school there he realizes that he had lived his life in fear, and now that he is able to look back and recognize this he knows that this means that he has broken free from that fear.

Reflection: This book is set in around the time of World War II. Gene is returning to his school in Devon when World War II was going on and he realizes the fear he constantly lived in at the school. There was the fear of the war obviously and also peer pressures from his friends. One of his good friends, Finny, was able to get away with almost anything and Gene always thought this was extremely unfair and I think he was jealous of Finny. Finny also seemed to be a little bossy and ordered Gene to do things, like jumping into the river. Gene wanted to fit in and be accepted by his other friends so that is why I think he obeyed Finny. Gene falls from a tree branch one day and Finny catches him. He looks back on the moment later and realizes that he owes Finny his life. He could have landed on a rock in the river and broken his neck or back. The boys also make their own secret society.

Discussion Question: Why does Gene sometimes get jealous of Finny? Why is Gene always afraid when he is in Devon?