WorksheetsA Separate Peace Chapters 1-7
Total questions: 45
Worksheet time: 25mins
The main conflict of the novel is
Gene vs. Finny
Gene vs. Society
Finny vs. Self
Gene vs. Self
What does Gene discover about Finny shortly before his fall from the tree?
Finny wanted to enlist in the war
Finny wanted Gene to fail in his studies
Finny isn't jealous of Gene's academic success
Finny is competitive and wants to be the best at sports
Which of the following is associated with Finny?
Peace
Fear
Guilt
War
Which of the following is associated with Gene?
Peace
Fear
Innocence
Leadership
During the summer session, the faculty members relax the school rules because
The boys in Gene’s class are training for the war
This may be the last summer of freedom before the boys enter the war
Summer session always has different rules
These teachers are too old to keep up with the young boys
What might this symbolize: "There was a fire. It was just a grass fire out behind our house. We...took some brooms and beat it. I guess what we really did was fan it because it just kept getting bigger."
It symbolizes the anger inside Gene, and how instead of fighting it, he allowed it to grow into a threatening situation
It represents the love and warmth that Gene's parents felt for him, which encouraged him to come clean to Finny
It represents the destruction of Finny's former self, and that the new Finny will be angry and bitter
It represents WW2 getting closer and closer to Gene and Finny--beginning to threaten their very lives
What does Gene offer to send Finny as a gift while he rests up?
Flowers and books, which shows that Gene either does not know or does not care what Finny would really want
Baseball cards, because he knows baseball in Finny's favorite sport and that he collects them
Soup, because he knows Finny is probably cold and hungry
Cookies laced with poison because he still wants Finny dead
Why isn't Finny surprised to see Gene?
Any normal best friend would stop by to visit a sick friend if he was passing through town; so he was expecting Gene to come
Gene wrote him a letter in advance
Finny was surprised to see Gene, especially after Finny told Gene never to speak to him again
Finny's parents had called Gene's parents ahead of time and asked if Gene would come to cheer Finny up
How does Finny react when Gene confesses the truth?
Finny does not want to believe Gene and asks him to stop talking. He is briefly angry, but then carries on as if nothing happened
Finny immediately calls the police on Gene and asks that he be arrested
Finny tells Gene that he knew all along and forgives him; then invites Gene to pray with him
Finny throws the flowers that Gene brought in his face and tells him to never come back to his house again
Why is it important that Gene and Finny are 16?
Boys can enlist at 17 or be drafted at 18, but since Finny and Gene are sixteen there is no pressure on them about the war
Gene will have to be tried as a juvenile
In the 1940s, 16-year-olds could not drive, so they have to take trains, buses, or bikes everywhere
They are actually a year behind in school, and so they must attend this summer school to graduate by age 18
Which character in the story is not athletic or popular, in fact is rather cowardly, so he refuses to play blitz ball or jump out of the tree?
Leper
Chet Douglas
Gene
Brinker
Who else besides Gene and Finny was there when Finny fell?
Leper
Brinker
The doctor
Master Prud'homme
What is the faculty's level of discipline? How do they expect students to behave?
At the beginning of the school year it was strict, but since summer is starting, they are too worried about seniors, graduation, and the draft to pay attention to sophomores.
They are always strict about monitoring students' behaviors, so Finny and Gene have to work hard to avoid being seen sneaking around
They have never been very strict. The students are on the "honor system," so the faculty gives them the benefit of the doubt.
They are so underpaid that Finny is able to slip them money to convince them to let him have an illegal radio and sneak out
What is the mood created in the following passage: "The prevailing color of American life is a dull, dark green called olive drab. That color is always respectable and important. Most other colors risk being patriotic."
serious, somber
carefree, lackadaisical
sad; morose
surprising; serendipitous
Which river is dirty and nasty and runs through Devon?
Naguamsett
Mississippi
Altamaha
Who the senior crew manager who gets into a fight with Gene?
Brinker
Finny
Leper
Quackenbush
Why does Gene get into a fight?
Someone makes fun of disabled people calling them "maimed sons of b____," and so Gene feels they deserve to be punished
Gene wants to prove that he is the best at sports, so he has to take the other guy out
Gene wants to borrow the other guy's shirt and he says no
Gene punches a teacher in the face for giving him a bad grade
Since all boys at Devon are required to participate in sports in some way, what does Gene decide to do?
be an assistant crew manager, in charge of getting water and towels for team
try out for swim team to beat Finny's record
make Blitzball an official sport, so that he can be team captain
try out for quarterback to make himself more popular
How is going to school in the fall different from the summer session?
Mr. Ludsbury has replaced Mr. Prud'homme, so now the rules are strictly enforced.
The teachers are even more relaxed
The students have less work to do and more free time for games
Gene is happier and more popular than before.
Why does the author use the following allusion on page 66: "You sound like General MacArthur."
To show that Finny is entertained by Gene
To help readers understand that Gene is finally acting like a leader
To show how Finny is a little scared of Gene in this moment
To show how authoritative Gene's voice sounds
What literary device is used after the first few pages of the book?
allusion
foreshadowing
flashback
personification
Why does Finny wear a pink shirt?
as an emblem for the war
it's his favorite color
his mom gave it to him
he wants to make people mad
Which of these inappropriate things could not be attributed to Finny?
wearing a pink shirt
missing dinner
skipping class
wearing his tie as a belt
What club do Finny and Gene form?
Murder Mayhem Meeting on Mondays
Terrific Terrorists Till Tuesday
Special Supporters of Spring
Suicide Society of the Summer Session
At the beginning of the novel, the narrator goes back to the Devon School to see what two sites?
A tree and marble staircase
A football field and a river
His old dorm room and walk the campus
His philosophy classroom and a tree
Who is the “essence of this careless peace”?
Gene
Finny
Brinker
Leper
The reader can BEST infer from the text that Gene jumps from the tree at the beginning of the novel
to rebel against school rules
to prove he is ready to enlist and join the war
because Gene doesn’t want to let Finny down
because of the physical thrill it gives him
The reader can BEST infer from the text that Gene jumps from the tree at the beginning of the novel
to rebel against school rules
to prove he is ready to enlist and join the war
because Gene doesn’t want to let Finny down
because of the physical thrill it gives him
Phineas’ central belief about sports is
nice guys finish last
a good sport is a good loser
everybody wins in sports
it is all about winning and winning big
The boys play BLITZBALL. Mark all the true statements below:
Finny invented the game--and is the best player.
There are no teams in blitzball.
The receiver can refuse a pass if he chooses to.
The game gets too physical to be permitted at Devon.
How do the charter members open every meeting of the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session?
By reciting the Pledge of Allegiance
By singing the Devon Alma Mater
By jumping from the tree
By wearing pink shirts
Why does Gene “flunk” his trigonometry test?
He was too busy hanging out with the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session to study.
He was off at the beach with Finny the day before and was ill-prepared for the test.
He was too nervous to do well because he always compares himself to others.
He always struggles with trigonometry, and Finny wasn’t able to help him.
Finny jumps into the pool. Which is true?
Finny raced against A. Hopkins Parker to a room of screaming classmates.
Finny broke a school swim record.
Finny made Gene go get their friends so they could witness his speed.
Finny was motivated to join the swim team.
Over the course of the summer, Gene starts to believe that
Finny is jealous of Gene and that Finny is trying to sabotage him.
Leper is really Gene’s best friend.
Finny is not as athletic as he pretends to be.
Gene could “get away with” just as much as Finny if Gene would try.
Gene’s internal conflict could BEST be described as
Trying to achieve Valedictorian of the class by getting ahead of Leper.
Trying to sort out if there is a rivalry between Gene and Finny.
Deciding whether to stay at Devon or enlist now.
Figuring out why his parents will not visit him.
How does Finny practically save Gene's life?
He lies to get Gene out of trouble for missing class.
He saves Gene from getting beaten in Blitzball.
He keeps Gene from falling off a tree branch.
He talks Gene out of hurting himself.
Which rule had the greatest influence on Finny's life?
You always win at sports.
You never let a friend down.
You know more than the teachers do.
You must fight for your country if you are asked to.
What does Finny say to Gene which is incredibly brave?
I'm leaving school to join the army.
You're my best pal.
I'll fail my classes without your help.
I hate everything about the Devon School.
Why does Gene think Finny wants to be his friend?
Because he thinks Finny secretly hates him.
Because he thinks Finny wants him to help him pass his classes.
Because Finny is very insecure and lonely.
Because Finny can feel superior to him.
Why does Finny fall off the branch and break his leg?
He was overconfident and showing off.
He got scared as he was walking on the branch.
He was trying to save Gene from falling.
Gene bounced on the branch as Finny was walking on it.
Why is Finny's broken leg the end of his participation in sports?
Finny has lost his confidence.
It was a clean break.
It was a messy break.
He will never walk again.
What is Gene about to tell Finny about the fall just before the doctor comes in?
That he pushed Finny off the limb on purpose.
that he's sorry that Finny fell and not him.
that he's glad Finny fell.
that Finny will no longer be the best athlete at Devon.
What does Gene say when Finny asked if he's going to follow school rules?
" Oh, I wouldn't do that. "
" I always have and I always will. "
" As long as you break the rules, I will too. "
" Rules? What rules? "
From what point of view is A Separate Peace written?
First person
Second person
Third person omniscient
Third person objective
