During the 1940s, times were tough in America. It was war time. During this time in history, people found themselves searching for peace and innocence. A Separate Peace by John Knowles illustrates a boarding school, one of the only places left to find peace, where the main characters, Gene and Phineas, face their internal wars with each other. At first their friendship seems strong and everlasting but as the novel progresses, like all friendships, the fire between them seems to diminish. Although they share the goal of excelling, Phineas and Gene clearly differ in terms of athletics, academics, and personalities. Gene and Phineas are not like all the other teenagers during this "gypsy summer" (Knowles 79). They share a bond like no other boys even though they differ in every way. Gene tells us in the novel that “Phineas has always had a constant and formidable flow of usable energy” (Knowles 39). Finny is constantly on the move, whether biking to the ocean, swimming, or wrestling; Finny enjoys using his athletic talents. Phineas even reveals to Gene one day: "Did I ever tell you," he says huskily, "that I was aiming for the Olympics?" (Knowles 117). Finny knows he is a good athlete and believes the Olympics are the best physical challenge. He is by far Devon's best athlete (Bloom 14). The gene in comparison is not as strong as that of an athlete. Gene calls himself “a pretty good athlete” (Knowles 55). Gene doesn't realize what kind of athlete he really is until Phineas pushes him when Finny can't stand it anymore. Gene has a “usual feeling of routine self-pity when he works out” (Knowles 120). Phineas, however, is always ready for the next athletic challenge. He has trophies and ribbons and even broke a school record. Right up...to the middle of the card...as difficult as it is, these two boys are constantly competing with each other throughout the novel, even if one doesn't realize they're competing. Like people still today, Gene and Phineas are going through life-changing experiences. During these changes, Gene and Phineas don't realize that what they've been searching for all this time is peace. Even though Gene and Phineas claim to be best friends, they differ completely in terms of athletics, academics, and personalities. Literary Cavalcade February 2, 2001: p12, p6.Adney, Karley K. “A Separate Peace.” Masterplots November 2010: p1-3.Bloom, Harold ed. Bloom's Guide: A Separate Peace by John Knowles. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2008.Eckhardt, Anita M. “John Knowles.” Critical Survey of Long Fiction, January 2010: p1-4. Knowles, John. A separate peace. New York: John Knowles Inc., 2003.