Endeavors of Envy- A Separate Peace Essays

Endeavors of Envy- A Separate Peace Essays Endeavors of Envy- A Separate Peace Essay Endeavors of Envy- A Separate Peace Essay Endeavors of Envy- A Separate Peace BY sabYGtng19 Endeavors of Envy William Penns quote that the Jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves illustrates the deleterious effects of suppressing Jealousy. Enw, when suppressed, corrupts an individuals perspective, creating the alternative. It can trigger a corroding of the mind, causing impulsive actions. John Knowles A Separate Peace analyzes Gene Forresters inability to prevent himself from harboring Jealousy within, thus resulting in a thin line between hallucination and reality. Finnys athleticism and humility embed a seed of Jealousy within Gene. Genes bafflement becomes evident when he realizes Phineas endeavors are mere perfection; however, he refuses to boast his accomplishments. Phineas humility towards his feats infuriates Gene, causing him to see himself as the epitome of inadequacy and Finny as the essence of good (Flum 6). Once this feeling is developed, envious thoughts begin to overtake Gene. Phineas accomplishments [take] root in [Genes] mind growing] rapidly in the darkness where [he is] forced o hide the raging emy to which Gene is beginning to succumb (Knowles 44). Gene realizes Phineas has never been Jealous of him, causing Gene to seek revenge. Upon the realization that Phineas is not Jealous, Genes subconscious mind leads him to believe he is not of the same quality as [Phineas] (Knowles 59). Gene is adamant in his refusal to the truth, and this begins to fuel his shadow self. Envy begins to boil over inside of Gene causing impulsive action s. His action is to physically bring down the idol, to test the limits of Finnys incredible athletic ability, nd because Phineas fails the test, Gene becomes confused and must now reevaluate himself and his idol. Genes enw leads to a metaphoric death which in turn becomes a rebirth of his identity. Idealizing and de-idealizing Phineas forces Gene to transform into an utterly confused false self. In order to forge his own identity and be free, Gene must confront reality, and the walls [he and Phineas] have erected around themselves [must] crack (Flum). The rebirthing process is difficult because Gene continues to ave Jealous thoughts, taking over the vast span of his mind and controlling him. Resulting from Genes Jealousy and impulsive actions, Phineas dies along with his vitality and humility. Finnys literal death doubles as a metaphoric death for Gene where he cannot escape the feeling that this [is his] own funeral (Knowles). John Knowles A Separate Peace illustrates how Gene is his own worst enemy, causing him to lose himself in the process of idealizing Phineas. His challenge is depicting what is reality and what is a hallucination. His idols humility to his feats causes Gene to seek revenge for self pleasure in order to test the idol; however, his failure results in a literal death to the idol and a metaphoric death to himself. Flum, et al. Relational processes and identity formation in adolescence: The example of A Separate Peace. Genetic, Social General Psychology Monographs 121. 4 (1995): 1-11. Academic Search Premier. Ebsco. 28 Aug. 2013.. Knowles, John. A Separate Peace. New York: Scribner, 2003. Penn, William. Brainy Quote. 6 Sept. 2013