Archetypes In A Separate Peace

Carl Jung was a disciple of Sigmund Freud, despite the two having conflicting ideas. One of Jung’s most well known and accepted theories was the existence of different types of archetypes in the brain. These include the ego, which is where our conscious awareness and sense of identity reside, and the shadow, which is the part of the unconscious mind consisting of repressed weaknesses, shortcomings, and instincts. In the novel A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, the protagonist Gene exemplifies the shadow, while his friend, Finny, personifies the ego. The author narrates through the shadow, though he clearly supports the ego. However, he also makes it apparent that it is wrong to be dominated by either archetype. Gene resembles the shadow because he often feels jealous of Finny’s accomplishments and sees him as

Early the novel, Gene noticed that “Phineas could get away with anything. [Gene] couldn't help envying him that a little” (Knowles 25). However, he justifies his jealousy by stating, “There was no harm in envying even your best friend a little” (25). This early example demonstrates Gene’s tendency to justify his feelings of jealousy towards Finny by using excuses instead of accepting them. Gene’s inability to accept that he has some negative feelings toward Finny, someone who considers Gene his “best friend” (?), shows his shadow because Gene expresses denial, which is a negative emotion connected to Jung’s interpretation of the shadow. A little bit later in the book, Finny is wearing the school tie as a belt. Gene shows another negative aspect of the shadow when he thinks, “This time he wasn't going to get away with it. I could feel myself becoming unexpectedly excited at that” (27). Finny is Gene’s friend, and yet Gene