Tuesday, August 4, 2009

A Separate Peace, Honors

7.  What happens to Phineas at the end of the novel?  What effect does this have on Gene?
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8 comments:

  1. candiceAugust 5, 2009 at 10:45 PM

    At the end of novel sadly finny dies from bit of escaped marrow from the bone entering Finny’s bloodstream and stopping his heart. Finny’s death has no affect on gene he does not even cry when he is told that finny is dead and he did not even cry at the funeral. Gene feels like it is his own funeral. It’s hard to picture gene without finny.

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  2. CoachZee1212August 8, 2009 at 8:54 AM

    At the end of the novel Phineas breaks his leg again. When the doctor reset his bone, a peice of bone marrow escaped into his blood stream and he died. Gene got the impression that it was himself that died that day. He lived his life only allowing himself to comprehend things a little at a time like phineas used to in order to keep from being overwhelmed by anything.

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  3. GarrettAugust 17, 2009 at 9:43 PM

    At the end of this novel, Phineas ends up dying from bone marrow getting into his heart. As for me, this was a huge shock and something I never saw coming in a million years. It was one of those books that were almost perfect the entire way through, but I am glad John Knowles put this little twist in it. It really made the book more enjoyable, I thought. After Phineas dies, I feel Gene feels like he is now free. He always felt held back because he was the one who cause Finny's injuries. Gene always felt like he had to be there for him also because they were best friends. I think Gene is going to live more of a fulfilling life now, but he will still have that sadness for losing his best friend. It did surprise me, however, that Gene never actually showed much emotion after Finny died.

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  4. PickleAugust 17, 2009 at 10:56 PM

    Finny ended up dying from a simple procedure from getting some of his bone marrow into his bloodstream which went to his heart and killed him. Gene is shocked as much as we are when this happens. At first he's in denial, and even when it sinks in he hardly acts like he cares. He remains indifferent to the fact that his best friend in life just died. He was relieved at the same time as he was saddened. Finny dieing released him from the guilt he felt in ruining his life for him, yet it came at the price of losing him forever.

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  5. SarahAugust 18, 2009 at 1:44 PM

    At the end of the novel, Finny dies while getting his leg set. Bone marrow slipped into his blood stream and moved directly to his heart, which in the end caused his heart to stop.

    I agree with both Pickle and Garrett in saying that this completely took me by surprise. I never expected something like that to happen. As a result of Finny's passing, I think that the weight of the hatred and guilt Gene felt for Finny was taken off his shoulders. One thing that really took me by surprise it how Gene reacted to the whole situation. He states that he never once cried about Finny. At his funeral, he felt as if it could have been his own funeral, "and you do not cry in that case." I don't understand how you wouldn't act even a little upset after your best friend just died.
    As awful as it sounds, I agree with Pickle and Garrett again in saying I think the main effect Finny's passing had on Gene was relief. He no longer had to constantly have the feeling of guilt hanging over his head.

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  6. JamessAugust 18, 2009 at 9:22 PM

    I wasn't too surprised with Finny's death. It seemed something worse was bound to happen since the doctor said it was a clean break and he could patch him up again no problem. There's always a problem.

    I think this event was the turning point in Gene's life as he calls it his own funeral. I also think physically, he is relieved that he can move on with his life but emotionally he is still held back from this guilt. By calling it his own funeral, I think he meant that was an end to his childhood. Gene enlists into the war effort and begins taking control of his own life.

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  7. Shelby :0August 21, 2009 at 2:40 PM

    Finny dies from another leg injury, but ultimately from discovering the truth behind the first, for it was that information which made him do the action resulting in it being broken. By breaking his leg cleaner the second time than the first, the doctor believed he could patch it up no problem. However, Finny wasn’t that lucky, and his own marrow reached his heart during the setting procedure, stopping it forever. Gene is both calmed and troubled by this fact. His best friend and greatest enemy was gone, and he feels it is his doing. He was the one who jostled the limb, handicapping Finny for life, yet he did that to rid himself of the jealousness he held daily. Now that Finny is out of his life, Gene was discovering things about himself, and of Finny. He realized Finny brought a strange unknown feeling of peace and careless relaxation to those who surrounded him. Gene realized that part of himself died with Finny, the part filled with emotion, that of carelessness childhood, and of raging jealousy and guilt. At Finny’s funeral, Gene showed no emotion, nor did he afterwards. No emotion, neither good nor bad. Maybe Gene became like that because he only had emotions when there was that conflicting relationship. Alas, I think we all know otherwise, for why would he remember these events so clearly if they didn’t haunt him every single day, draining all emotions from his mind’s arsenal.

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  8. haleyofacesAugust 21, 2009 at 3:02 PM

    As you all have said, Finny dies. A part of Gene also dies too, like Shelby said. To me, it wasn't a coincidence that Finny & Gene made amends right before Finny died. This ultimately lays Gene's guilt to rest, along with Finny. Gene feels no need to be emotional about Finny. Which is hard for me to understand, along with Sarah. I understand where everyone is coming from within there responses. All I can say is I guess all people cope with death and mourn in different ways.

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