Assignment 8, Question 2, Lachlan McGrath

2) Leper is the first of the boys to enlist. Based on the conversations and narration in the previous few chapters, what about this is ironic?

There are several things ironic about Leper enlistment. Firstly, Leper criticized the mountain skiers for "never getting to see the trees or anything" (Leper 95). However after seeing the Finnish ski troops flying down the mountain his view of skiing had changed. He realized that fast skiing is there for a reason, he also noticed how it was "all right to miss seeing trees and the countryside and all other things whne you've got to be in a hurry" (Leper 125). Secondly, before Leper's realization of his dream to participate in the ski troops, you would have never guessed that he would have been one to enlist in the army. He was "generally making little sketches of birds and trees in the back of his notebook"(Knowles 93). This supports my view that Leper used to be in a world of his own never seeming to have a worry in his mind. The irony involved in Leper's enlist was also a further tearind down of the "separate peace".

(103-123) Assignment 7, question 4 Chris Bornhorst

4.) What do Gene’s observations about the changes in Finny reveal about Finny? About Gene? (109-114)

Gene notices Finny do some stuff that is very out of the ordinary once he comes back to Devon, which change both of them. Gene learns about how Finny has changed as a person during the time when he was gone. The observations that gene makes about Finny is that he is a little bit of an outsider in the social world. Finny is a little social awkward. Also, he stands in front of buildings and just stares up into the sky. He also said something to Gene. "... when you really love something, then it loves you back, in whatever way it has to love" (Knowles, 111). This relates to Finny because he really loves sports. He likes athletics more than anyone, but when he got injured he couldn't play anymore, but that didn't stop him because he is still involved with it by helping Gene train for the Olympics.

This comment by Finny changed the way Gene looks at things because he seems to think that it's all about being the best at what your good at. He doesn't realize until now that it's about what you love, and what loves you back. Finny and Gene have changed a lot during the period when Finny was gone.