Detrimental Effects Of War In A Separate Peace

“And you told me about Leper, that he’s gone crazy. That’s the word, we might as well admit it. Leper’s gone crazy. When I heard that about Leper, then I knew that the war was real, this war and all wars. If a war can drive somebody crazy, then it’s real alright” (Knowles 163). This excerpt from John Knowles’ novel A Separate Peace is the realization from a young student about his classmate, Elwin “Leper” Lepellier. Leper’s sobriquet demonstrates he is unusual and an outcast amongst his class at The Devon School. Leper, a timid, naive, and innocent 17 year old, shocks his peers when he is the first to enlist in the war. He soon returns after escaping from training, mentally broken and an altered character. Thus, Leper suffers from post-traumatic

John Knowles’s, A Separate Peace conveys an understanding of teenage conflicts during World War II. Numerous influential characters that amplify the struggles faced with during wartime are introduced throughout the naturalistic plot. Enclosed in this cluster of personas, each social stereotype is represented. Phineas, commonly referred to as Finny, portrays the cliche best friend: dependable, understanding, exhilarating, and drives others towards change. Gene Forrester, the protagonist, depicts the conventional image of a self-conscious adolescent male: permeating jealousy, uncertainty, and self-hatred. Stereotypical roles continue to gradually function to achieve an author’s purpose, as delineated in Knowles’s novel.

A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles, is a seemingly simple yet heartbreaking story that gives the reader an inside look and analysis of the reality of human nature. Set permanently in the main character Gene’s point of view, the audience is first taken to the present of a reflective and now wise man (Gene) and then plunged into his past back in 1942 to relive the harsh lessons that youth brought him. Along with vivid imagery of tranquil days past, a view into the social construct of a boy’s private school, Devon, and the looming presence of World War 2 on the horizon, there is also a significant power struggle that the reader can observe almost instantly. Conquering the need to be supreme in the situations of the war, high school, social interactions, and even simple moments that

The final set of symbols, peace and war, served as a backdrop for Gene’s adolescence and maturity. The Summer Session was a time of peace, it was fun and relaxed. There were no rules for Gene and Finny to follow. “We reminded them of what peace was like, of lives which were not bound up with destruction," (Knowles ). Unlike the summer session, which was full of peace, the winter session was filled of war. The war came to Devon when Leper enlisted. It hit Gene even closer when he found out that Finny had tried to enlist into the war but no one would accept him. "I also wrote the Coast Guard, the Merchant Marine, I wrote to General de Gualle personally, I also wrote Chiang Kai-shek, and I was about ready to write somebody in Russia,” (Knowles 190). Gene’s

The boys at the Devon school, in the novel A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles, are World War II influenced by making them mature and grow up more quickly than they would have had there not been a war. The war makes some boys stronger and more ready for whatever life would bring, while in others it disables them to the point that they cannot handle the demands of life. This novel shows a “coming-of age” story, especially with three boys. Gene starts out as a naïve and sensitive person but matures into a person more knowledgeable and capable of handling the challenges of life through his crisis experiences with of course, Phineas, Leper and, Brinker.

Only gradually does he admit to the existence of war, in which Gene is unhesitant to follow in pursuit. This is because Gene regards Finny as a virtuous boy whom he has faith in and wishes to resemble. Fifteen years after the events of the war and the narrator still lives in the atmosphere which his deceased friend created for him. It is without question that Finny was the main contributor in altering the way Gene used to perceive conflicts in his life, and having such a profound influence on Gene, how he perceives them even 15 years later.

War is a destructive force whose nature is to destroy all things and change lives forever. It is a whirlpool that sucks everything in and is fueled by hatred and violence. Whether one is directly involved in the battlefield or waiting to see the outcome, war has the capacity to affect all people. It can harden one beyond their years and force them to grow, seeing conflicting sides of good and evil. A Separate Peace by John Knowles narrates the story of young boys growing up with World War II as the backdrop. The war impacts them dramatically and is constantly thought about as they are coming of the age since they will soon be enlisted. However, not only are they living during an era of war but are also struggling with the war inside of themselves as they search for the truth within. Knowles depicts the ability of war to affect teenage boys in Devon, an English preparatory school, and transform them from carefree boys to troubled young men in search of their own separate peace.

In A Separate Peace Gene and Finny’s friendship has to tackle a lot of obstacles. Gene and Finny were never exactly on the same page when it came to their friendship. Each of them was always assuming about the other. One of the book’s messages is that friendships take work, and if the friendship is worth it, then you should put in the work. In A Separate Peace, there are prevalent themes of friendship, how friends can help or hurt one another, and the sacrifices made for loved ones.

John Knowles’ “A Separate Peace” takes place at a boarding school during World War II. Best friends Gene and Finny have been inseparable during their time at the Devon School. This is until reality hits Gene, and he slowly starts to realize that he is inferior to his best friend. Through the unbalanced friendship between two teenagers in “A Separate Peace,” Knowles illustrates that a loss of identity may be present in a relationship if there is an unequal amount of power.

Identity in life can be influenced by both yourself and others. The clothes you wear, your attitude, and interests are significantly altered by you and the things you see around you, such as trends, ads, news, videos, and more. During World War II, though, your identity was affected by the yourself, the war, and those around you, as you didn’t know many other people than those you were close to. In A Separate Peace, both Gene and Finny, who are very close friends, affect each other’s identities throughout the novel.

The time is 1942 and World War Two is taking place in the book A Separate Peace by John Knowles. However, there is also a war taking place within the minds of two friends at Devon Boarding School for boys. John Knowles uses the war function has a metaphor to illustrate the war of paranoia and jealousy going on inside genes head.

Gene Forrester, the main character of A Separate Peace, tells a story of when he was in school. This story takes place during the time pf World War II. Gene is a well-minded boy who, at times, lets jealousy take over. If this book was narrated by Phineas, or Finny, it would have a happier nature to it. Gene is a smart, kind boy who thinks deeply into the problems of the world at the time. Finny, who is almost the complete opposite, sees conflict as he wants to view it. They are very similar in some ways as they share the same interests as the other.

This is clearly not something that he would have considered before, so you can already see how the conditions of the camp have changed him. He describes the permanent emotional scars the first night left on him on page 34: “Never shall I forget that night, the first

Set in 1942 during World War II, A Separate Peace by John Knowles deals with the hostility between two best friends, Gene and Finny. Gene is a decent athlete, and an extremely smart student. Finny, on the hand, is an extremely capable athlete, but an average student. While the World War II is happening somewhere far from Devon, a personal war driven by envy and jealousy is diverging their friendship. What started as a friendly competition between the two, turns into a deadly rivalry.

In chapter seven of Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, the protagonist Paul Baumer is granted a 17-day leave, in which he returns home. The previous occasion in which Paul had been in his town was when he first left for war. Throughout Paul’s “vacation”, he experiences ever-growing anxieties and is far from the level of contentment he had once held whilst in the same town. One can assume that his town—besides the lack of Paul and other boys who went to war—has not drastically changed. Paul however, has experienced the unimaginable violence of the Great War, which has caused him to gain an entire new perception of life.