A Separate Peace question

At this point in the novel, I think the point was to show that Finny had really nothing left that he wished to live for, but didn't do it purposely. He tried to get involved in the war and failed. He tried to play sports and ignore his injury and failed. And now his fear that his best friend caused this horrible accident was confirmed. When Finny says that he doesn't care anymore, it symbolizes that he just would not be able to move on and that his child-like happiness and spirit was broken. However, when he fell, I don't think it was his decisions. It was most likely a slip of the foot, an accidental fall.

Casey's right, and once Finny regretted a second fall(purposeful or not), he would not have gone through with ending it all. Besides, I hear it's kinda hard to commit suicide when you're under anesthesia!

I believe that Finny "knew" that he had to die. In many ways Finny is a Christ figure, and his death is what is needed for Gene to come to terms with himself and to clearly see who Finny was and who he (Gene) is as a character as well. I am sure that Finny was depressed because he couldn't do the sports and be as involved in activities like he had been in the past, but his character had shown time and time again that he was always more than willing to do anything to help Gene. So I don't think his death was necessarily a suicide, but more of an obligation, service, mission, that he knew he had to accomplish.

Our English class had this discussion and concluded he did commit suicide. I don't remember why, it has been awhile since I read this.

Marissa has a good point and I think her theory could be near the truth. I still don't like the idea of Finny intentionally killing himself, but it sounds plausible the way she puts it.

The foreshadowing is sort of an implication that it was coming. I think "I just don't care anymore" is about his fears of Gene's involvement. He's sick of trying to figure it out whilst Gene had continuously shown that he cared for him. He was obviously doing better with his studies and it is brought up that the accident ended up turning the tables with them and showing they could both excel at things they didn't think they could before. Plus it's very hard to purposefully break your leg when you fall. There is no way he could have known that it would break again- he even claimed it was feeling stronger- and there's no way he could have known that the bone marrow was gonna shake loose. He might not have cared whether he fell or not, but no. Not suicide.

It was a random freak accident. Isn't that even more tragic? Consider the implications.

I think he felt life was over, but don't think he did it intentionally.

I felt Finny had given up so when he fell down the stairs it didn't seem too shocking.

I think Finny's 'I don't care anymore' was just foreshadowing, and he didn't fall on purpose, but I think he might have been so done that he could have lived, and survived the fall, but didn't want to hold on anymore. So, he didn't fall on purpose, but he didn't hold on and survive like he could have. In a way, he gave up but the fall was not suicide.

I don't think Finny "fell" intentionally. That would totally ruin the character and the theme Knowles created. And, Corey is right, Finny could hardly have killed himself while under anesthesia, and I think Finny is too smart to think he could kill himself by falling down some stairs.

Read my review. This books is 2 stars.