"I didn't entirely like this glossy new surface, because it made the school look like a museum, and that's exactly what it was to me, and what I did not want it to be."
"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."
These two quotes came during the first two pages of A Separate Peace. After I had finished the book, I read the first few pages to possibly obtain a better understanding of what Gene was saying, and I think this really did help.
In the first quote, Gene talks of how Devon looks like a museum, and that's just what he didn't want it to be. When you think about it, museums are a place of preservation and display. Actually, the definition from Merriam Websters is; a place where objects are exhibited. Whenever Gene returns to Devon, I think that he feels this is where all his guilt and memories are being preserved and displayed, just like a museum. It's no wonder that Gene didn't want it to be like a museum, because that just helps create a more vivid image than what he already had. The thought of peace from guilt that came at the cost of friendship lost forever really never did leave, or could I don't think.
Gene states in the second quote that he must have made his escape from fear, and that he had used to live in it. This just stuck out to me, and I thought it went together well in a way with the first quote I put up. I think he said that as well as he could have, in his situation at least. I think guilt, shame, or regret will always linger, but he will not live in the fear that he once did. At first when I read this I thought, did he really escape from the fear? I think he did, and that is the peace he has found. He still might not have peace in the fact that happened, but he's not constantly looking over his shoulder in fear of who might confront him, or what he might have had to explain.
I think these two quotes help me understand Gene quite a bit more after I had read the book. I think that they are great in helping understand what's going through his mind and thoughts. What does everyone else think of these two quotes? Do you think he has escaped from the fear he was living in, and also do you think that he has found peace?
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I always like to read back on books like these to get a better understanding, too. You really hit the nail on the head here, Jill. Describing Devon as a museum seems like it's a showcase of all the memories of guilt Gene has struggled with for the last 15 years. I think he means in your second quote that he hadn't realized how terrified he was back at Devon. After leaving the school and possibly finding some comfort and peace he realized how messed up he was and he's trying to remember when his life started in another direction.
ReplyDeleteGoing back to Devon was probably the most painful yet necessary thing he has done. Having to look back on that time in his life is painful enough and now he's back at the place where it happened which makes it even more vivid as Jill said. I don't think he has escaped the fear completely because he's experiencing it right there when he goes back. It's just one of those things that will haunt him forever no matter how much he wants to forget it.
ReplyDeleteI think after leaving Devon, Gene pushed all the feelings he had about Finny in the back of his mind. I don't think that he could ever really escape those feelings because Finny was a huge part of his life at Devon. Plus, how could he ever escape the feelings he had from knowing what he did to Finny? Thats my opinion on the matter. This is an awesome post, Jilly!
ReplyDeleteI think Gene revisiting Devon was very necessary for him to remember what had happened and everything leading up to and after the death of his best friend. He still had the memories, even thought I'm sure he wasn't fond of all of them. I can't help but think he was doing this because of a similar situation Finny had. When Finny arrived back to the school from this leg injury he wanted to go to the gym, even though he knew he could no longer be apart of the sport teams and he also had to look at his past achievements and be reminded of what he had been. Maybe Gene was at a point in his life where he was willing to accept what happened, like Finny did. This was probably one of the hardest things Gene had ever had to do alone.
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