Chapter 1: What did Phineas want to do? Why? Phineas wanted to jump of the tree into the river to practice for when he is drafted for the war..
Simply so, why does Phineas decide to wear the pink shirt?
Phineas decides to wear the pink shirt as "an emblem". He says vaguely that he heard that the Allies "bombed Central Europe for the first time the other day", so he feels he must "do something to celebrate". (worn the shirt) without some risk of having it torn from his back".
Likewise, what unusual thing did Phineas talk Gene into doing? He talked him into jumping from the limb of a tall tree into the river, an activity which was dangerous at best.
Thereof, why does Gene decide to enlist?
Gene Decides to Enlist As he weighs his options and thinks about the impact on both Devon and his family, Gene makes the decision that he owes himself the chance to join the troops and make a positive war contribution.
Why did Finny jump from the tree?
The jump is done by the older boys in the school as part of their physical training prior to their graduation and departure for the war. Finny jumps first to show the others that it is possible, popping up out of the river to declare how fun the jump is. He then sends Gene up the tree for his turn.
Related Question Answers
What is Finny's emblem?
Finny's friendly chatter charms Mr. Prud'homme, and the Master lets the boys off without punishment. That day Finny wears a very un-Devon bright pink shirt, and its unconventional color draws Gene's attention. The shirt, Finny insists, is an "emblem" — a celebration of the first Allied bombing of Central Europe.What happens in chapter 2 of a separate peace?
Summary: Chapter 2 Mr. Prud'homme, a substitute teacher for the summer session, comes by the next morning to discipline Gene and Finny for missing dinner, but he is soon won over by Finny's ebullient talkativeness and leaves without assigning a punishment.How does Finny avoid getting in trouble at the tea?
Gene becomes envious of Finny's ability to get away with anything. How does Finny avoid getting into trouble at the tea? Finny grabes Gene's arm when Gene starts to fall from the tree branch over the river.Who is the enemy in a separate peace?
Finny
What club do Phineas and Gene form?
At this point in the story, Finny and Gene have become best friends. They formed a club called The Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session. To become a member, you have to jump off of a limb of a tree into the river.What does the war symbolize in a separate peace?
In A Separate Peace, the war symbolizes on a grander scale the same evil that drives Gene's private evil. Thus, it symbolizes a war of jealous rivalry. Later on, Gene realizes that Finny has never envied him, and Gene's jealousy becomes even more bitter as he senses the moral superiority that Finny possesses.How did Gene feel about jumping from the tree?
Finny says he has to "shame" Gene into taking risks. It is clear, however, that the real reason Gene jumps is because he feels competitive with Finny. He wants to keep up with his friend and prove he can be his equal. He is rewarded for his risk, because none of the other boys will take the leap into the water.How did Finny die?
Later that day, in an operation to set the leg again, Finny dies when some marrow from the broken bone enters the bloodstream and stops his heart. Gene accepts the news without crying, because he feels as if he has died, too. Later, after the war, Gene looks back and understands that he fought his real war at Devon.What does Finny say he is training gene for?
Finny tells Gene that he wanted to be an Olympic athlete and that now he will have to train Gene to go in his place. Finny convinces Gene to undertake the training despite his objections that the war will preempt the Olympics in 1944.Why does Mr Ludsbury stop gene?
The real reason that Ludsbury stopped Gene though was because someone had called for him. The lecture was just a side-note that Gene's doused condition had sparked. After the tangent of a lecture, Ludsbury tells him he has a call, and lets Gene go return it.Why does Brinker hold the trial?
Brinker is a very conscientious and rule-following boy, so he doesn't want there to be any hidden wrongdoing. Therefore, he holds the trial to determine what actually happened the night Finny fell out of the tree, and he has suspicions that another boy, Gene, was up to no good.What happens between gene and Quackenbush?
Gene hits Quackenbush hard and they start to fight and fall into the river. Gene pulls himself out and Quackenbush tells him not to come back. As Gene walks home, he meets Mr. Finny then asks about sports and throws a fit when Gene tells him that he is trying to be assistant crew manager.What is the double irony in genes comment?
Expert Answers info The double irony in Gene's comment of Chapter 8 of "A Separate Peace" is this: 1. Gene suspects Finny of deception when, in reality, Finny has no deception in him.How does Brinker goad gene?
Brinker goads Gene by giving him a hard time for having a room to himself. Brinker's goading puts Gene in the very difficult situation of not only having to face the reality of what he may have done, but of exploring it in the presence of the others as well.What does Finny really think of the war?
In a John Knowles' A Separate Peace, Finny believes that there isn't a war, and it is essentially fictional. War itself can be described as the state of armed hostile conflict between two or more opposing forces.What happens in chapter 9 of A Separate Peace?
Summary: Chapter 9 Gene feels a profound inner peace as he trains with Finny, and he sometimes finds it hard to believe truly in the widespread confusion of the war. As the carnival begins, the other boys wrestle the cider away from Brinker at Finny's prompting and break into anarchic carousing.Who is Mr Prud Homme?
Prud'homme is a substitute house master at Devon and is in charge of Gene and Finny's building during the summer term. Because Mr. Prud'homme isn't as strict or severe as the other masters, Finny finds it easy to charm the man and thereby avoid ever getting in trouble for his and Gene's habitual shenanigans.What two realizations does gene have about his relationship with Phineas?
What two realizations did Gene have about his relationship with Phineas? He believed Phineas was trying to sabbotage Gene since Finny was jealous that Gene was head of the class.Did Gene mean to hurt Finny?
While Finny helps Gene instinctively, in a moment too quick for thought, Gene, standing literally in the same place, hurts Finny grievously, in a response to a comparable, unconscious instinct. 
