Response to a Separate Peace

So far Phineas has been then perfect character and he possesses traits that his best friend Gene lacks. Phineas has an easy-going attitude. He has the ability to attract everyone he comes in contact with, and they always get a positive vibe from him. Around Finny, people tend to act out of character. They are bubbly and are more vibrant. And Gene envies Finny because of this. "Phineas was going to get away with even this... Mr. Patch Withers' laughter suprised us all, including imself. His face, whose shades we had often labeled, nnow achieved a new one. Phineas was very happy; sour and stem Mr. Patch Withers had been given a good laugh for once, and he had done it! He broke nito the charmed, thougtless grin of a man fulfilled"(Knowles 28). The day he was sure to get into trouble for using the school belt as a tie, nothing happened. Gene was upset because he had been looking forward to Finny getting reprimanded, but it never happened.
Gene was envious of Finny, but mainly for one reason. "It was hypnotism, I was beginning to see that Phineas could get away with anything. I couldn't help but envy him that alittle, which was perfectly normal. There was no harm in envying your best friend a little"(Knowles 35). Gene is saying that being sinful is okay(sometimes). He lies and values money, but throughout the whole book, he has envied Finny. He's saying that envy is a sin that will drive you to do spiteful things. Being envious of Finny gives Gene a hard time finding himself. When Finny was in the infirmary, and Gene put on his clothes, he would always know who he is. "But when I looked in the mirror it was no remote aristocrat I had become, no character out of daydreams. I was Phineas, Phineas to the life. I even had his humorous expression in my face, his sharp optimistic awareness. I had no idea why this gave me such an intense relief, but it seemed, standing there in Finny's triumphant shirt, that I would never stumble through the confusions of my own character again"(Knowles 62). Gene felt like he was apart of Finny, when he put on Finny's clothes he saw himself as Finny. But also saw himself. He would have no trouble finding his character again, he knew now who Gene was.
When Phineas died, Gene had no one to be envious of. Phineas killed perfection when he died. "I never killed anybody and I never developed an intense level of hatred for te enemy. Because my war ended before I ever put on a uniform; I was on active duty all my time at school; I killed my enemy there(Knowles 204). Gene didn't develop an advanced level of hatred but he always felt malive towards Finny. When he was gone, there was no point in him crying at the funeral. He wasnted to be like him and sometimes Gene tried to be better, but he did hate him to a certain extent. There's no envy left in Gene. Finny's death brought out the goodness in him. Gene benefitted from his best pal, Finny's death.