Robin Okpara Okpara 1 Yes, he came back from war safely. But, there’s seriously wrong with his head, so he’s pretty much crazy and emotional. John Knowles, A Separate Peace. Throughout the book Leper’s calm and collect and different, but never crazy, but all that changed when he went to the warand didn’t come back the same. Leper showed his want to go to the army very knowingly to everyone during the story. While all the boys were talking to one another Leper stated, “I’m going to enlist in these ski troops”… “Threat’s to enlist that winter were always declaimed like Brinker’s, with a grinding of back teeth and a flashing of eyes; I had already heard plenty of them. But only Leper’s was serious.” (125). In this quote from the tone and mood we can sense that Leper was serious like Gene thoughtfully stated. There’s no doubt what so ever in the way he determindly announced it. This crazy, deluted war made him feel helpless and defenseless just like how the soilders viciously fighting did, so he decided he had to do something and help. While all the other boys lied to themselves about war Leper didn’t, and he never thought twice about it; he just did it. Leper’s very courageous to leave, and when he’s about to leave he said to Gene, “I always thought the day would come for me when it wanted me.”(125). This thoughtfully written out quote kind of inspires the reader. It stylishly shows how Leper had always planned on leaving; whether it was Okpara 2 by his choice or the war’s choice. Leper’s choice to suprisingly run off to the war is completely different than anyone else because not one of the other boys truly wanted to go; they were all probably shakingly scared, but not Leper. This war made him feel needed for something in life it pretty much gave him a true, honest purpose. The war’s influencing by changing his entire course of life, and he didn’t’t even know it yet. After “escaping” from the war it seemed that something was wrong with Leper; something was very off. The first time that Gene saw Leper since he came back he noticed, “He looked at me, and I noticed the left side of his upper lip once as though he was about to snarlor cry. Then I realized that thois realized that this had nothing to do with his mood, that it was involuntary.”(142). This quote used a very big sense of imagery; it vividly showed how he looked and what he’s doing at that time. The war changed Leper, and at quick glance it probably wasn’t very noticeable, but then when the small things were noticed like his lip oddly twitching for no good reason you could see it. No one just looks like they are about to cry for no sane apparent reason; something or somethings happened to Leper that would make him unconciously almost cry or snarl at Gene. Another point in time when Gene mistankenly started to talk about Brinker; Leper had, “Hoarse, cracking sobs broke from him, another ounce of grief and he would have begun tearing his country store clothes.” (148). The war has influenced Leper so much that the mere name of someone made him visibly breakdown into tears. This being something he would never do its very unusual, just frankly enhancewhat has happened to him. Leper’s entire emotional system’s completely shot, and it’s totally and momentously changed from how he was before. Okpara 3 When Leper returned from the war he began to openly hate Brinker and what people thought of him, so this showed great behavioral change. While Gene and Leper were walking; Gene brought up Brinker again and Leper got upset saying, “I’d know that batsard if he’d changd into Snow White.” (148). The tone of his voice seems very harsh and angry. Before when he hadn’t gone to war yet he wouldn’t have said this at all. Leper’s calm and he’s never mean, but now everything has changed; he has changed and it’s certainly not fro the best at all. Leper dosen’t seem capable of believably holding such massive hate for Brinker; let alone anyone else yet somehow he does. While Brinker and the boys continuosly interrogated Gene they bring in Leper who begins to telll them what happened during the accident and he gets very defensive when Brinker continuously speaks and keeps pestering him so Leper says, “so am I”, “I’m important. You’ve ortanever realized it, but I’m important too. You be the fool, you do whateveranyone wants whenever they want it. You be the fool now. Bastard.” (176). The hostile way Leper said this came out so different from anything he would have normally and calmly said, and this is because he’s changed; he’s boldly saying he refuses to do what anyone else says anymore, and how he’s just as important as anyone else. From coming back from war it seems as though he has gained a new foung strong confidence in himself, so the war didn’t just change his behavior for the bad, but it also changed it for the good. But, all in all this war’s just like a tsunami or a tornado in diguise; it destroys everything that comes in its path. Another disturbing part of Leper’s war experience was how he turned “psycho”. As Gene and Leper were talking about why Leper escaped he told Gene shakily, “They were going to give, they were going to give me a section eight discharge.” (144). You can tell by his tone of voice Okpara 4 alone that this can be a very bad thing. This basically shows that something – bad things probably physically and emotionally for them to even consider giving him this kind of devastating discharge. It also didn’t seem as if Leper really wanted them to give it to him, hense the reason why he left or how he extremely “escaped”, and the reason why he acted with all these different, opposite behaviors. As Leper talks to Gene about Brinker, and says, “It was only-“the idea of his face on a women’s body. That’s what made me psycho. Ideas like that.” (149). As Leper keeps crazily talking we can see why the army night have thought that Leper‘s psycho, and why they wanted to give him an section eight discharge. The way Leper spoke didn’t remotely sound like what a normal, sane person would say. The rough events that took place during his time at the war must have changed him; it can be inferewdc here that nothing good can come out of going to war that’s if you come out like Leper did. He’s not the same his character and behavior have changed drastically, and from the looks of it; it dosen’t seem like Leper will ever be the same again. Leper’s changed, and because he’s changed he’ll never be the same; no matter what happens in the future or the present he’ll never be the same Leper that we all knew in the beginning of the book. Because of this war his future has changed; whatever plans or dreams he had are all probably different now because if this war. The war does no good for anyone especially Leper. Its fighting, so what good could actually come out it? Absolutely and positively nothing.