"Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone... you have ceased to live" (Mark Twain). A person often creates illusions to make the world just right for himself. In A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, Phineas finds himself struggling with his illusions. Sometimes people are so dependent on their illusions they become emotionally overwhelmed when forced to accept the truth. Phineas lived with illusions about WWII, his friendship with Gene and the true affect of his injuries. His illusions were created for him to live in his own peaceful bubble away from the disturbing realities surrounding him. Although they made him feel better, Phineas's illusions led to fatal consequences.

Finny initially refused to accept the truth about the war which begins to control every aspect of his life. Finny uses the war as an excuse to do things he would normally not get away with. He starts...