English II Honors 4 November 2002 A Part of Ourselves In A Separate Peace by John Knowles, the characters of Phineas and Gene were best friends, roommates, and soul mates. Gene subconsciously wanted to be Finny, and he succeeded in becoming a part of Finny. "I lost part of myself to him then, and a soaring sense of freedom revealed that this must have been my purpose from the first: to become a part of Phineas" (77). After …showed first 75 words of 234 total…

…showed last 75 words of 234 total…a part of him Phineas was. "I did not cry then or ever about Finny. I did not cry even when I stood watching him being lowered into his family's strait-laced burial ground outside of Boston. I could not escape a feeling that this was my own funeral, and you do not cry in that case." (186). Gene realized he was living his life through Phineas. A part of Gene died when Phineas died. Word Count: 241