Sup dawg? This week on Thug Notes
we gettin ALL old school with A Separate Peace by John Knowles. When Gene Forrester returns to
Devon- the prep school trap he was at fifteen years ago, he starts thinkin’ bout da sh**
that went down when he was a lil shawty. When Gene was 16, he was always
chillin with main boy Finny, who was also his roommate. Gene all brains and no balls.
And dat boy Finny be a throwed-up athlete who lives life on da edge. But even though
these fools ain’t flowin the same rhyme, they BRO DEEP. During the summer of 1942, Gene and
Finny start a lil’ gang of they own. And if you wanna roll with their crew, you gotta
flex yo’ nuts by jumpin’ off a big ass tree. Gene starts to get mad jealous bout
Finny bein high baller and beatin the rap erry time he find trouble. So one day when
they roll up to dat tree, Gene straight playa hates and shakes Finny off, fu**in his leg
UP. But lucky for Gene, it seems that erryone think it an accident so he dodges all da heat. Gene eventually gets so torn up
over the guilt that he swangs ova to Finny’s crib to lay down da truth. But Finny ain’t
hearin dat mess and don’t believe a damn word he say. Since America decided to get off
its lazy ass and join World War II, some smooth talkin white boy named Brinker try to get
Gene to strap up and glock some Germans. At first Gene and Brinker all bout joinin the
cause, but sh** gets too real and they both bitch out. Later, Brinker gathers errybody to
snitch on Gene for wrecking Finny’s leg. But when Finny hears people say Gene did it
on purpose, he rollsout of there REAL quick. He haulin such ass that he falls down some
stairs and breaks his leg AGAIN. Even though it ain’t as broke as the first time, he
still gonna need an operation. Gene finally nuts-up and heads over
to the doc where he fesses up to Finny. Even though Finny-boy got beef at first, he eventually
lets it slide and they cool again. But what was s’posed to be a no-hassles procedure
turns out ALL fu**ed up and Finny’s heart stops. Fool dead. After seein his boy get put in
dirt, Gene is able to bury something else too- his anger. Listen good, playboy. Knowles layin
down all sorts of thematic real talk on our asses by slangin what some literary crews
call “the double.” You can peep doubling all up in the characters.
See, Finny’s perky self always geeked up trying to enjoy the world
in childs play- or paidia in ancient Greek. Whereas Gene always so damn serious
and sees people not as bruthas to party wit, but as rivals. Fool always lookin for a struggle-
or Agon. Knowles gone and even doubled up
the setting. Devon lay smack in the middle of two rivers. The Devon river all clear and
pure. The Naguamsett, though, be so nasty, it’s as if someone took a big ol’ sh**
in it. All this symbolizing how Gene, Finny, and all dem other little thugz gotta choose
between love and hate. But even though part of it’s a
choice, another part is gonna make its way in to yo’ life no matter what. Finny always
spinning tales to make the world seem like it ain’t such a crooked place. But when
he’s forced to face the truth that Gene did him straight dirty, his heart just can’t
keep hackin it- and all dat symbolized by the marrow makin its way to his heart. Now how bout we get all biblical up
in this piece?! Just like Adam got his ass tossed out out after swipin dat apple, Gene
wrecks his own innocence by back-stabbin Finny. And cuz o’ dat, Gene gets isolated from
erryone on tha block- even himself. And that ain’t the only way the
apple don’t fall far from the tree. Gene also learns what’s up from dat forbidden
fruit of crossin his main man. Cuz after Finny takes his long dirt nap, Gene
finally learns who he is, how to stop bein a jealous hater, and a lil
somethin about the whack- ass nature of the human heart. He realize that all dat beefin and
warrin that humans do on the reg ain’t nothin but ignorance. Yo thanks for watchin’ Thug Notes
and don’t forget to check out my store if you wanna roll like a real literary OG. Peace!
