Gogol's A Separate Peace

Scout begins to notice the change in Jem’s personality and feels offended because she doesn't quite understand. On page 153 the text reads, “Over night, it seemed, Jem had acquired an alien set of values and was trying to impose them on me: several times he went so far as to tell me what to do.” Jem gets older and begins a long path of puberty. This, Scout does not understand yet. Jem moving towards a more adult like personality upsets Scout. Jem’s loss of innocence is a change but also begins to creates a new daily understanding for both Jem and Scout.

Jem and Scout’s surprise is evident, and Jem quickly changes his views on their father, exclaiming “‘Atticus is real old, but I wouldn’t care if he couldn’t do anything---I wouldn’t care if he couldn’t do a blessed thing [...] Atticus is a gentleman, just like me!’” (Lee 99). Jem’s quick change of attitude demonstrates how his view of his father has changed considerably since learning about his hidden talent, and he realizes that it was unfair of him to be ashamed of his father and assume being old and boring is the only notable thing about

Jeremy “Jem” Finch is a leading protagonist in Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mocking Bird” published in 1960. Jem matured greatly throughout the duration of the book, starting to resemble and idolize his father, achieves the status of a guardian to his sister and introduces a whole new set of ideals in his lifestyle. He embodies the themes of growth. Throughout the novel we see how perceptions of things such as courage, respect, tolerance, and cruelty changes Jem as he matures.

Gogol isn't embarrassed by his Bengali culture, he shares both cultures. Except Gogol is more immune to the American traditions so he uses it more. Because

He doesn’t exactly choose the right people to be with in his life. His love life is a huge component of this struggle. One of the first girls that Gogol goes on a date is not exactly what his parents had in mind for him. The narrator explains this moment when they say “ He cannot imagine coming from such parents, such background, and when he describes his own upbringing it feels bland by comparison.”(Lahiri 111). In this moment, he is attracted to this girl, who’s name is Ruth, and he is attracted to her for her American essence. This makes her seem unique and exotic to him, which he really likes. As time goes on, Gogol becomes more interested in sexual experiences rather than building an actual relationship with a woman and getting married. The outside voice in the story explains this issue when it says “They’ve even gone so far as to point out examples of Bengali men they know who’ve married Americans...It only makes things worse when he says that marriage is the last thing on his mind.”(Lahiri 117). He is young and naive but he is going against normal customs for people of his culture. Gogol really tests his parents wishes with his relationships and sexual encounters. When Gogol does get married, he marries someone who is not really the right girl for him. He finds out that she cheated on him with another man and had an affair. What goes through Gogol’s mind after he finds all of

Jem had changed throughout the story from acting like a child and doing things that children do to becoming more mature and taking part in the

Jem, as a child, has little respect for life or Scout his younger sister. When Jem, Scout, and Dill are on the hill Jem takes revenge on Scout by “pushing the tire with all the force”. As a child, Jem does not realize how important life is. He pushes Scout extra hard because she made him mad not knowing she could get seriously hurt. As Jem matures he has compassion for life and a realization of how important life is. Scout was going to “mash” a roly-poly but Jem asks her to spare it “ Because they don’t bother you.” Jem does not want Scout to kill the roly-poly because it is innocent. Jem’s statement is very reminiscent to Atticus telling the children to never kill a mockingbird because “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.” The court case brings out Jem's adulthood as he starts to understand the unfairness of life and has a newfound compassion for what is right. Jem tells Atticus “that it ain't right” when he hears the guilty verdict, although knowing he is innocent. At this moment, Jem loses his childhood innocence as he realizes that the case should have been innocent but it was not because of the people in his town. Jem loses his childhood belief that everyone will treat others fairly and now has a compassion for what is right. The decisions Jem is faced with like the roly-poly and the court case brings out Jem's compassion in his coming of age.

Throughout the novel, you can see that Gene in a constant jealousy between Finny. Gene, he has the strengths of academics but he lacks the personality of goodwill and tries to be someone he is not. While on the other hand Finny is weak in academics but is strong in athletics and is wholehearted. Finny is a stronger character morally he is faced with the idea that his “best friend” Gene could have killed him. Finny is a stronger

A lot of people in the world struggle with self-identity and understanding who they are, and the people and events around them in their daily life provide a sort of fill-in for the gap that exists inside of them, whether it’s in the form of jealousy or admiration. Instead of relying on themselves and making an impact on the world based on who they are themselves, these people often undermine their own identity and sabotage their lives and those around them by focusing on, obsessing over, and essentially depending on other things that only appear to be a part of them. In the novel A Separate Peace, the author, John Knowles, brings up this subject of the risk of dependency on self-identity through the main character and protagonist, Gene, and

He is bewildered as to why his father named him Gogol as it not Bengali nor a normal American name which leads him to struggle to understand himself and his identity. In Bengali families, "individual names are sacred, inviolable. They are not meant to be inherited or shared" (28). However, Gogol grows up living in America, where children are often ashamed of their differences from others. As a teenager, Gogol desires to blend in and to live unnoticed. This presents a struggle between two cultures. Ashima and Ashoke want to raise Gogol and his younger sister with Bengali culture and values. On the other hand Gogol grew wanting to belong by relating mostly to peers and the surrounding culture in America. It is only much later in their lives that they begin to truly value their Bengali heritage and that Gogol finds the importance in his name. During high school Gogol struggles to accept his name as he sees it has no real significance not him. When Gogol heads for college he rejects his identity completely and legally changes his name to Nikhil which allows him to somewhat feel a sense of belonging as this name relates to his Bengali roots, even though he had been ashamed of those exact roots in schooling. Gogol dreads having to go visit home and return to a life where he is "Gogol". To him, Gogol is not only his name; it bears all his discomfort and struggles to fit into two different cultures as he grew up. His life at college makes it easy for Gogol to live as

Gene assumes that Finny and he despise each other, until he becomes aware of how flawless Finny really is, which Gene loathes. Initially, Gene concludes that Finny wants to surpass him. He thinks that the both of them are enemies yet Gene truckles under Finny.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee shows us how Jem changed his perspective and matured throughout the novel in his understanding of other people. Jem is 10 years old who lives with his father, Atticus and his little sister Scout. Although the novel is narrated by Scout the reader can see the perspective of how Jem matures. They are both put in situations that make Jem question his way of thinking. The people around Jem influenced him on how to gain a greater understanding of the world around him. At the beginning of the novel Jem is still trying to figure out his mentality and has a lot of moods because he is growing up.

Jem being older than Scout is able to understand the lessons learned a little better.. “It ain't right he muttered, all the way to the corner of the square where we found Atticus waiting” (pg.

Some folks don’t like the way I live I try to give them a reason, you see, It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason… I’m not much of a drinker, but you see they could never understand that I live like I do because that the way I want to live” (228). From this Jem learns that people judge others for no real reason. Secondly, he learns that to really know the truth about someone you have to get to know them and look at things from their point of view. Boo Radley is a great example, at the beginning of the book Jem is mesmerised by the tales of what a monster Boo is, later Jem learns that Boo cares for the children and is trying to protect them.

Jem is young and carefree in the beginning of the novel. He is just starting to take on the responsibilities of an older brother: “Jem condescended to take me to school the first day, a job usually done by one’s parents, but Atticus said Jem would be delighted to show me where my room was.” (p.20). Atticus is trusting Jem to safely get Scout to school, and help her