A Seperate Peace Ch.9

"It was his wildest demonstration of himself, of himself in the kind of world he loved; it was his choreography of peace" (136).

Phineas simply enjoys life. He doesn't over analyze things or make a big fuss about anything. Phineas actually lives his life. He's not afraid to ditch class or even start an entire carnival. Gene shows admiration for this quality in Phineas. Finny is carefree and fun. Gene can be paranoid at times and a little insecure. Although he is too busy observing and not enjoying, Gene's really stepped it up from being a jealous friend in the beginning of the book. He shows his caring side towards Phineas and thoughtfulness towards Leper. Nobody seems to like Leper, but Gene appreciates Leper's love for nature. Gene may over analyze a lot, but it's not always a bad thing. He notices and appreciates the qualities others have, even if it's through jealousy. For example, he recognizes Phineas' talents as an athlete, Brinker's butt, and recently, Leper's love for nature. Gene may actually be some what of a nice guy. I'm beginning to like his character now. He is a lot less judgemental now. There are a few instances where he makes an assumption, but we can't expect him to change immediately.

At the end of this chapter, Phineas' face goes from being uproarious to shocked. Is this because Leper had signed the letter to Gene as "YOUR BEST FRIEND" or was in the general shock that any other person would have felt reading that letter?