Gene's Rationalization Of Finny example essay topic

What role does Competition play in each novel? Competition is a significant factor to the outcome and plot of each novel. In both books the strong and competitive are the victorious and triumphant, as well. Competition influences what the characters say, feel and do.

In "A Separate Peace" Gene feels a immense amount of competitive pressure to be equal to Finny. Competition is what drives him. Finny has natural athletic abilities as well as charisma, grace and appeal. Gene is a decent athlete but is an outstanding academic scholar.

He feels since Finny is the best at sports. To stay equal to Finny, Gene must be the best student. Gene is extremely jealous of Finny and realizes that he cannot measure up to Finny's charm and athletic ness. This leads to Gene turning his best friend into his enemy and rival. Finny does not hold the same competitiveness and jealousy with Gene as Gene does with Finny. He never thinks of their relationship as a competition, but Gene still feels overshadowed and controlled.

The inner war that Gene holds with Finny is what ultimately leads to Finny's crippling and death. Before the accident Finny asks Gene to come watch Leper jump out of the tree for the Super Suicide Society. Gene feels that Finny is trying to intentionally make him do poorly in his classes. Gene tells Finny that if he goes it will ruin his grades. Finny is honest and says he never knew that Gene had to study to get good grades. Gene realizes that Finny had made a parallel between his athletics and Gene's studies; Finny thought that Gene's knowledge simply came to him.

All at once Gene's rationalization of Finny is destroyed, understanding that he and Finny are not really alike at all. Finny is a good person free of envy and Gene is inferior. Gene feels once again, insignificant and secondary, and releases his frustration by pushing Finny out of the tree. Even though the action was done on blind impulse Gene still feels a sense of joy to have defeated someone who he considers an enemy and threat. This entire accident was all a result of competition. After the accident Gene feels superior to Finny and therefore, can be his friend not his rival.

Gene is happy that Finny will never be as great as he was. He will never be able to participate in sports or even walk as smoothly as he did. Gene feels he has finally won the inner war he had with Finny and no longer has to compete against his best friend. In "Bless the Beasts and Children" competition is also an substantial part of the theme. Box Canyon Boys Camp is centered around competitions. Boys were not assigned cabins to stay in but instead they found a group and cabin to be in.

Competition separated the popular kids from the social rejects and the winners from the losers. The Lally brothers, Text, Goode now and Shr ecker were misfits. They were wealthy, emotionally disturbed boys. They wet the bed, sucked their thumbs, and had nightmares.

No one wanted them in their cabin. Only one "normal kid", Cotton would tolerate and lead the misfits. Everything at the camp revolved around competition. Each cabin was a team. Each team competed in riding, archery, riflery, crafts, swimming and field sports. All of the competitions were scored.

The teams would be ranked in order from highest to lowest and given Indian tribe names according to their ranking. The highest ranked team was the Apaches, followed by the Sioux, Comanches, Cheyenne, Navajo and the last place team was the "bedwetters". No one wanted to be the "bedwetters". It was a shame and an embarrassment and that team was teased, tormented, and taunted. While the Apaches acquired a head of a buffalo bull, the "bedwetters" received a large white chamber pot. Cotton and his crew always were the "bedwetters".

This caused them all feel very badly about themselves. They all felt that they weren't anybody, useless and ineffectual. This feeling of rejection caused and originated the mission to save the buffalo. They felt instant empathy when they saw the defenseless, innocent animals slaughtered. Ironically the feelings of the animals was parallel with the feeling of the young men. They knew the feeling of uselessness.

The freeing of the buffalo symbolizes the freeing of themselves, their own self-discovery and their maturation into.