Essay | Gene Forrester's Battle

"My war ended before I ever put on a uniform; I was on active duty all my time at school; I killed my enemy there" (204). When Gene Forrester stated this quote in A Separate Peace by John Knowles, he had many thoughts in his mind. This quote has multiple meanings, all of which are very important. Gene had to cope with different problems all through the novel. He felt guilty for pushing Finny out of the tree. He didn't know whether or not to enlist in the war. And lastly, Gene competed against Finny to be better than him at sports and schoolwork. This quote has a vast amount of meaning, is very informative and can relate in a great deal to the rest of the novel. Gene fought against three main problems over the course of the novel just as if he was battling in a war, but...
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