In Separate Peace, by John Knowles, the characters are incredibly unique and have various sources of motivation. Some of the characters are intrinsically motivated, they motivate themselves and do not care what others think, and others are extrinsically motivated, they perform tasks based on consequences and care for others' opinions. Freudian psychology explains more specifically the behaviors of the characters in the novel, by the application of three mind sets, the ego, superego, and the id. Freudian psychology aids one in analyzing and understanding the actions and personalities of the three characters, Finny, Gene, and Leper.

In the novel, Phineas behaves in an uncaring and self centered manner due to the fact that his state of mind is in the id. There are three states of mind in which a person can be in: the id, the ego, or the superego, which is conscious of the ideas of...