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A Separate Peace: Responsibility

A responsibility is something for which one is held accountable. Often people say that
one is responsible for ones own words and actions; if something happens as a result
of something one does one is responsible for it. But is it possible that something could
be the result of various actions from different people who are therefore equally
responsible, or is there always one person who is most responsible for the incident at
hand? Such a situation where this question is relevant is present in the novel A
Separate Peace by John Knowles. In the novel, the main character, Gene, ponders his
responsibility for the death of his best friend, Phineas or Finny. After reading Genes
account of the events that led to Finnys death the reader may observe that there are
three people who are all partially at fault for Finnys death. Gene, a classmate named
Brinker, and Phineas all had something to do with the incident, but who was most
responsible for it?
Gene is probably the most obvious to blame for part of Phineas death. Gene clearly
feels guilty, that is why he returns to the tree fifteen years after the fact, for some sort of
closure. As Gene and Finny were about to jump from a tree branch into the river
together, Gene shook the branch causing Phineas to fall into the river unexpectedly
and hurt his leg. Later on, when Phineas re-injured his leg and was having it set in a
routine operation, he passed away. The doctor said that it was probably because some
marrow entered his blood stream and caused his heart to stop. But if Finny had never
fallen in the first place he would have not been on that operating table. Therefore,
indirectly an action of Genes eventually resulted in Finnys death. But was this action
done consciously? The author does not specify. My knees were bent and I jounced the
limb(Knowles p.52) says Gene in his account of the incident. I jounced is an active
verb but were bent is passive meaning that some unknown force bent Genes knees
and as a result of that he jounced the limb. Since this action was not totally Genes he
is not thus totally responsible for the fall or the events that occurred as a result of it.
Brinker, Gene and Finnys classmate was responsible for the circumstances that lead
to Phineas second fall. Brinker suspected that Gene was responsible for Finnys first
fall and begrudged him somewhat for not enlisting in the army with him when he had
wanted to. It was Brinker who called together the trial in which Gene was prosecuted
for purposely causing Finny to fall off the tree. But even if Gene was to blame for
Finnys first fall, it was not necessary to drag Finny out of bed in the middle of the night
and put him through such emotional turmoil when he was still physically vulnerable
from the accident. If Brinker had not organized the trial Finny would have never rushed
out in such an upset manner causing him to fall and hurt himself again. The doctor was
not sure why Phineas died. In the middle of it [the surgery] his heart just stopped. I
cant explain it.(Knowles p.185) He said. Later on the doctor conjectured that Phineas
probably died when marrow entered his blood circulation and clogged his heart but
Gene meant the world to Finny. The idea Brinker introduced to Phineas that his best
friend would betray him hurt Phineas severely and maybe even caused him to loose
the will to live. Brinkers actions were crucial to Finnys death and since they were done
with cruel intentions Brinker is largely responsible for the death of his classmate.
Surprisingly enough Finny is partly responsible for his own death. He knew that
jumping off the tree into the river was dangerous hence the name of the club Super
Suicide Society of the Summer Session(Knowles p.24) whose membership
requirement was one jump from the tree. Also, if not for Finny Gene wouldnt even have
come to the meeting the night of the accident, Gene wanted to stay in the dorm and

study but Finny used reverse psychology in order to convince him to come. Lastly, it
was also Finnys idea that they jump together rather then alone, risking the possibility
that the movement of one could cause the other to loose his balance. If not for any of
these incidents Finny would never have fallen to begin with, Genes trial would never
have taken place, and he would not have found himself on that operating table. This
makes Finny largely responsible for his first fall and partly responsible for his death.
In conclusion although none of them were conscious that their actions would eventually
lead to Finnys death, Gene, Brinker, and Finny were all partly responsible for it. The
one most to blame however was Finny himself, starting a club in which jumping off the
tree into the river was a membership requirement was the first in the series of events
that eventually lead to his death. If Finny had not done this none of the incidents which
Gene and Brinker were at fault for would have ever had reason to take place.
Consequently, the person most to blame for the death of Phineas was Phineas himself.
As the song goes: It is of no surprise to me, I am my own worst enemy.(Lit Place in
the Sun)

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