A Separate Peace

Through a Simpler Mind

Finny’s ignorance shields him from the chaotic madness surrounding him in the novel A Separate Peace. In this novel by John Knowles, Finny’s playful nature and pure perception of the worldeven in the midst of an ongoing world warstands as a testimony to the ignorance within his character. Throughout this riveting tale of redemption and friendship, Finny acts as a beacon of innocence as a result of his character. Ignorant to the struggles of Gene, Leper, and his own country, Finny’s character creates tension within the Devon Academy. In this sense, Finny’s ignorance brings forth the forth the negative character traits of his fellow classmates, giving off the feeling of chaos and jealousy that runs through the entire story. He remains shielded from all this, however, as he never stops to reflect on what occurs around him.

Finny displays his ignorance towards the surrounding character conflicts when he uses the theme of war as a foundation for his own game entitled, blitzball. “He stood balancing the medicine ball, enjoying the feel of it […] ‘Yes, blitzball.’ Then, with an expectant glance around, ‘Well, let’s get started’”( Knowles 36-37). Finny uses this theme lightly in a time of millions of deaths. His competitive attitude towards blitzball displays his desire to excel, though in real life this victory comes at the expense of lives, not points. He enjoys the feel of the ball, the atmosphere, though his ignorance shields him from the real feel of war. Eager to start the game, everyone expects Finny to excel in it for he created the rules of blitzballincluding Finny himself. He does not realize, however, that there are no rules in real war. His romanticized outlook towards the war stems from his ignorance. This same ignorance even leads him to deny the existence of a war he once embraced.

Finny attempts to conform into false beliefs to keep his ignorance intact. When Gene finally admits his guilt for the paralyzed state Finny is in, Finny refuses to believe his loyal friend. “Of course you didn’t do it. You damn fool. Sit down, you damn fool”(Knowles 70). Afraid to find fault with his most trusted friend, Finny denies against Gene’s confession. He shields himself from reality and prevents his world from shattering. Finny’s own truths attempt to protect him from the real truths. This perception denial even leads him to command Gene as to what happened that day. This clashing of truths by both characters creates tension between the two and Gene’s eventual soul searching. By staying ignorant to the situation to protect his own reality, he unknowingly adds to Gene’s internal conflict, the same man who he attempted to keep pure in his mind.

Finny immerses himself into a fictitious world full of lies to overrule the reality of his physical state and the evident flaws within his own friends. Finny even refuses to believe that the Great War even existed. “Don’t be a sap’, he gazed with cool self-possession at me, ‘there isn’t any war’”(Knowles 115). With this declaration, Finny reveals much of his innocent nature. Aware now of a fraction of the pain that war causes through his very own injury, Finny rather sees the war as fake than to accept this horrible time as reality. With self-possession clearly evident, Finny fully stands by his claim, which displays his ignorance towards reality. At this point, ignorance has now transformed into denial. This same denial creates the level of tension in this novel later on.

With Finny’s ignorance reaching