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Finny, Gene\'s best friend through good or ill, rests securely at the center of the story. Right from the start we know Finny is unlike any other person we\'ve met, or rather, he\'s an extreme form of the most incredible person we\'ve ever met.
Like a tragic hero, which Finny certainly is, the boy is daring. Finny\'s daring is as natural to him as breathing. He thrives on challenges, and when none presents itself, he invents one: the tree-jumping ritual is the first--and ultimately the most costly.
What are the characteristics of a true leader? A leader must be able to inspire others to confidence, then convince them to follow in assurance that no harm will befall them. A leader must be vigilant--because leaders have a way of being toppled when they are not careful. Even while he\'s scaling new heights, Finny casts sidelong glances. We wonder if he\'s too trusting of the other boys.
A true leader must stand for something, a set of principles or ideals. What are Finny\'s principles? He never seems to take anything all that seriously; he is always capable of a good laugh at his own expense. Sports are beyond reproach to Finny. The playing field is sacred ground, the gym is a holy temple. To him, sportsmanlike prowess and athletic ability far outweigh the ability to give the right answers on a test.
You\'ve heard the expression, \"Pride goeth before a fall.\" Think, as you read A Separate Peace, about whether this maxim describes accurately what happens to Finny. Heroes are often brought down by excessive, blind self-confidence. They go through too many situations in which they are tested and succeed, and their triumphs intoxicate them, go to their heads, make it hard for them to maintain an accurate perspective.
On the other hand, we certainly can\'t say that Finny is selfish. There\'s nothing guarded in his nature. What you see is what you get. Gene finds this side of Finny disarming; indeed, it is difficult to accept a person on his own terms in a world where there\'s so much suspicion. Finny serves to remind us of the greater forces of goodness and peace in the world, and his fall reminds us how rare these forces have become. In this respect A Separate Peace goes beyond the boundaries of a schoolboy story and into John Knowles\' vision of the human condition.
Finny has a sense of humor. Perhaps that doesn\'t strike you as unusual. But think for a moment how rare a truly fine sense of humor is these days. And the greatest humor of all is found in the person who can laugh at himself. Many of us are so close to our own problems, so wrapped up in the little things of daily life, that we can\'t see the bright spots. Finny, with all naturalness, can make himself the object of the funniest jokes without losing any of his self-esteem.
Finny\'s \"steady and formidable flow of energy\" often overwhelms his schoolmates when it does not inspire them. It\'s a double-edged quality that stems no doubt from his endless need to be in control, to be a guiding, steering force. He likes to keep moving. Even when his leg is in a cast he seems to radiate a kind of dynamic force field around himself. When he isn\'t running, he\'s talking. When he isn\'t swimming, he\'s playing blitzball or riding a bicycle backward. And he\'s always thinking. Imagine what a different story A Separate Peace would be if Finny, instead of Gene, were the narrator!
In the end, why do we weep for Finny? Because we will miss him, as we would miss anyone of such vitality and honesty who passed from our lives. The author has set Finny up in an idealized way; in other words, he has made the boy larger than life so that he embodies important truths beyond himself.
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