In John Knowles’ novel A SEPARATE PEACE, Knowles uses the symbol of Finny’s shirt and diction of grandeur to show Gene’s guilty, toxic obsession with Finny. For example, when Gene found himself in their room alone after Finny’s accident, he has an idea to wear Finny’s clothes and searches for his pink shirt: “I looked for and finally found his pink shirt.” This item of clothing is much more than a shirt to Gene. It symbolizes the night when Gene first felt jealous of Finny, because he could “get away with anything.” By putting on the shirt, Gene becomes Phineas : “I was Phineas, Phineas to the life. I even had his humurous expression in my face, his sharp, optimistic awareness.” Here, more than imitate Finny, by putting on his clothes Gene clearly hopes to “become” his roommate. This is demonstrated when he repeats “Phineas” and also in the fact that he wants not just to look like Finny, but also to adopt his “sharp, optimistic” outlook that allows him to get away with things at school. The shirt signifies everything Gene wishes to be and envies Finny for. Furthermore, in the same passage the narrator describes the effect Finny’s clothes have on him. He uses words such as “rich,” “noble,” “high,” “Spanish grandee,” “aristocrat,” and “triumphant” to express his feeling of intoxicating “grandeur” in response to taking on the role of Finny. The fact that these words are so hyperbolic shows the intense desire, admiration, and perhaps even his grief he has for Finny. Conceivably, these emotions indiciate that he is devoted to replacing Finny—in other words, to soothe his guilt by living out the life that he took away from him. All in all, Gene’s narration in this extract reveals his unhealthy obsession with Finny, and the power his guilt has over him.