History Characters / ASeparatePeace

* TookALevelInCynic: He starts the book as a confident, intelligent class leader who's eager to fight on behalf of his country. He ends the book as a bitter, disillusioned rebel that hates older men who flaunt their wartime experiences and glorify war [[LikeFatherUnlikeSon (such as his father).]]

* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: He trusts everyone to be fundamentally good and has an extremely simple understanding of people, so naturally he is this. This is especially apparent when it comes to Gene, who he says is [[spoiler:[[TheOnlyOneITrust the only one he trusts]]]] long after the readers know Gene [[spoiler:betrayed him]] and has ''actually confessed this''

* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: He trusts everyone to be fundamentally good and has an extremely simple understanding of people, so naturally he is this. This is especially apparent when it comes to Gene, who he says is [[spoiler:TheOnlyOneITrust the only one he trusts]] long after the readers know Gene [[spoiler:betrayed him]] and has ''confessed this himself.''

* PintSizedPowerhouse: Maybe not pint-sized, but it's mentioned he isn't all that big. He's very strong and the best athlete in a boarding school full of bigger athletic boys.

* HandicappedBadass: Even when he's [[spoiler:on crutches]], he still demands the attention of the whole school and is physically active. At one point, he performs a ''dance'' on his good leg.

* PintSizedPowerhouse: Maybe not pint-sized, but it's mentioned he isn't all that big. He's very strong and the best athlete in a boarding school full of taller athletic boys.

* NoRespectGuy: Constantly mocked by the other boys, even though he's one of the nicest people in the school. This is originally played off as an unimportant relationship dynamic at Devon that Leper himself is oblivious to, but it's [[spoiler:PlayedForDrama when it's revealed he actually ''understands'' that nobody respects him and secretly resents it.]]

* AmbiguousDisorder: After [[spoiler:enlisting in the army, he goes a little nuts, but it's very unclear what he's actually suffering from]]. Considering [[Literature/ASeparatePeace this book]] was written in 1959, it's very likely John Knowles was utilizing a portrayal of mental illness that was appropriate to the time--which is now completely outdated and inaccurate, as is to be expected. The closest guess as to what Leper has is some strange amalgamation of [[spoiler:post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia]].

* SkewedPriorities: He incredible effort into maintaining the image of a perfect student while neglecting his mental health. His repression has consequences, as he is actually a very emotional person on the inside.

* InformedLoner: In his narration, he repeatedly makes it sound like Finny is his OnlyFriend--but Finny is a BigManOnCampus, the ''other'' BigManOnCampus wants to be his friend too, and LovableNerd Leper [[spoiler:''desperately'' wants to be his BestFriend]]. Not to mention several side characters he offhandedly refers to as "friends" of his and Finny's, then never mentions again.

* AmbiguouslyBi: Amongst his ''many'' friends, his connection with [[AmbiguouslyGay Gene]] appears to be a special one, their connection going to certain extremes that make one question if their feelings are purely platonic. He's this instead of AmbiguouslyGay because in the short story ''Phineas''--essentially the prototype of ''A Separate Peace''--it's confirmed that he likes girls, and he talks animatedly about how he's slept with three of them.

* CainAndAbel: Though they are not literal brothers, many readers have compared [[spoiler:Gene and Finny]] to these two. [[spoiler:Finny is the Abel to Gene's Cain.]]

* TragicMistake: While he and Finny are standing alongside each other, he decides to [[spoiler:jounce the tree branch they're standing on with his foot and cripple Finny]], all because he's a GreenEyedMonster.

* TooGoodToBeTrue: Gene claims, in these words, that he is this. It's up to the reader to decide how much of his [[AllLovingHero all-loving]] [[TheIdealist idealism]] is this, as by the end of the book it's clear he's a [[spoiler:StepfordSmiler, but not ''how much'' of his demeanor is a facade]]. Regardless, [[spoiler:he dies]].

* MyGreatestFailure: He considers [[spoiler:[[DrivenByEnvy indirectly causing his best friend's death over petty jealousy]]]] to be this. [[CharacterDevelopment It allows him to become aware of his own ignorance and develop a greater sense of sympathy for other people as an adult.]]