In Chapter 12 of A Separate Peace,
Gene remarks,
Everybody had something, some word, some phrase
that they were always
saying.
At this point in the
novel, Gene's thought is not appropriate to the situation in which Phineas has just
fallen down the marble steps of the Assembly Building, However, it comes to Gene
because he overhears Phil Latham, the wrestling coach, telling Finny to give the bone in
his leg "the old college try," a favorite expression of his. Thus it is that Gene is
reminded of Finny's favorite phrase, as well. He imagines Finny in the Latham's
room listening as Dr. Stanpole and Miss Windbag, who is "gasping out something or other
all the time," along with Coach Latham who tells Finny to "Give 'er the old college try,
Finny." Gene nearly laughs as he thinks Finny is probably using his own favorite, which
is in Latin:
Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres.
[Gaul is divided into three
parts.]
This is
the opening line of Julius Caesar's famous Commentaries on the Gallic
Wars, a work which has been translated by many a Latin student over the
years. Because Mr. Latham is not so intelligent and educated, Gene further imagines the
coach's perplexed look, and wonders at how outrageous it would be if Finny told the
coach "you're a boob." This thought and another about Miss Windbag cause Gene to laugh
uncotrollably. His inappropriate outburst leads to the rising of tears running down his
face, tears, however, that are not from
laughter.
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