A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, takes place in a New England boarding school during World War 2. The two main characters, best friends Phineas and Gene, go through trials and times of adversity, showing their true selves. Throughout the novel their personalities both compliment and offset each other.

The old cliché "opposites attract" rings true with this pair. Phineas establishes himself as not only the outspoken one, but also the leader. With his dominant personality, Finny fancied his own rule and way. When Finny disproved badminton, he came up with his own game: Blitz ball. He enjoyed the power of control and the sense of leadership. Phineas constantly found himself heading up another society or planning fun filled get-together. However, where leaders appear, followers emerge as well. Gene found himself constantly in Finny's footsteps. Phineas had some sort of invisible hold over Gene and Gene...