"A Separate Peace" - Leper

In The story "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles, a minor but vital character, Leper, reflects the impact of war on a fragile, innocent, young man. As he leaves for the war, the boys at Devon look to him as a heroic figure. Then the story takes a disappointing twist, Leper returns and brings a part of the war home with him. Youth and adolescence, interrupted and destroyed, his mind, incapable of handling and accepting the brutality of the war, becomes un-puzzled.
"You saw Leper?" Gene asks in an uncertain voice. "I saw him here this morning... …