Summary Of The Novel 'A Separate Peace' By John Knowles

The war was not only happening in the real world, but also in the Devon School of Prep. The book A Separate Peace by John Knowles is mostly about a boy, Gene, who is receiving his education and learning about how to become a soldier to fight in the second World War. He and his best pal, Finny, are both being forced to mature and grow up before being drafted to fight, but before that even happens Gene’s jealousy gets the best of him which will threaten his friendship. Throughout the novel John Knowles uses a great deal of literary elements to help add imagery, thrill, and amusement to the story. Some of the elements include paradoxes, caricature, and theme.

In his book A Separate Peace John Knowles communicates what war really is. He uses a number of complex characters in a very complicated plot in order to convey the harsh, sad, cruel, destructive forces of war. The Characters Gene and Finny are used as opposing forces in a struggle between that cold reality of war-that is World War II in this story-and a separate peace. A peace away from the real war and all of the terrible things that come with it. Through their relationship, that is a struggle on both sides from the beginning, Knowles establishes the reality of war in all of its essence.

In order to write a novel that continually grabs the reader’s attention, the author must establish the setting of the story. In John Knowles’ A Separate Peace, he consistently uses the setting in the novel to reinforce his, message. The story’s World War II-era setting creates an ethos of uneasiness and uncertainty for the young men preparing for war. This is seen with Gene visiting the school after the war, Phineas’ difficulty to adjust to the setting after his injury, and the numerous places that the characters go in which they escape the reality of the war.

In John Knowles’s A Separate Peace, the theme of war doesn’t mean “a state of armed conflict between different nations or states or different groups within a nation or state” (dictionary.com), but of a conflict within each boy’s maturity and their minds. Placed in World War II, the boys at Devon school cannot escape the idea that once they complete high school, they'll have to enlist in the military. This makes the separation between childhood

In A Separate Peace written during the Cold War primarily but set primarily in 1942 during World War 11, John Knowles presents a novel that looks at the positives and negatives of war and what it takes for young men to prepare to become soldiers. The novel portrays a man by the name of Gene Forrester who goes back to Devon, his hometown, and has a flashback on his high school years recalling how everything used to be. The flashbacks of his high school years start when he enters Devon School. He reminisces on what the school previously looked like, to what it looks like currently. The school was not modernized; it was just polished up. He thought it would have been worn out and falling apart, but instead it was really well taken care of, and

Throughout all novels and all lives, people change. In the novel A Separate Peace, this is no different. Finny, one of the main characters in the novel, changes from a healthy, athletic, childish and carefree teenager to a cripple and someone who cannot ignore the past anymore. Leper in the beginning of A Separate Peace is a naturalist who doesn’t involve himself in World War II nor the war effort. Throughout the novel changes and enlists in the military, but is later discharged due to mental illness. Brinker, a natural leader, is an involved member of the Devon community who participated with many clubs and thought about his future and prepared well for it. By the end of the novel, he has quitted his clubs and has become an unruly teenager who realizes he has to face World War II and reality, and that the war isn’t as great as it seems. Throughout A Separate Peace, the characters are faced with adversities in their lives and go through major transformations in their character.

In the novel A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles, the Devon School students have to face fear everyday at Devon School. Everyday the boys are faced with fear from either having the possibility to get drafted to serve in World War 2 to not fitting in with their peers.

Aside from the war going on, John Knowles was writing about a different peace. At Devon high school, the students are finding their own peace. There is many interpretations for the title “A Separate Peace”. In the novel “A Separate Peace”, John Knowles interpreted the title as a war you go through in your lifetime, an escape from reality, or lost of identity.

In the historical fiction novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles, the impact of World War II on the boys at Devon School does not come up all at once. Rather, the encroachment of the war is a gradual process. At first, the war seems distant to the boys. Gradually, the war becomes more and more real to them until eventually, the thought of war is always on their minds. As the time drags on, the war goes from being very distant to getting closer and closer to being right on top of them.

A Separate Peace is a historical novel set during World War II. Since the novel takes place during WWII, the story will be influenced by that fact. An example would be, in chapter two, Phineas’ (Finny’s) conversation about the bombing in Central Europe. If the novel had taken place during another time period, this conversation would not have happened. Another influence is that the “Seniors: at Devon are preparing to become soldiers. The Military needed many soldiers in WWII. The Devon school was preparation for war, such was the Maginot Line. The Maginot Line was a place for the French Army to prepare to go north to Belgium. Finny uses the fact that himself and Gene will be seniors (who are preparing for war) next year to get themselves out

In A Separate Peace, a realistic fictional novel by John Knowles, World War 2 gradually encroaches upon and finally dominates life at Devon. The War is an ever present focus, if not focus then presence, that fell upon the students of Devon. That was the whole point wasn’t it? Train hard in a boarding school to prepare for war. The war impinged itself upon the school through the boys’ views, jargon, and also was brought to the school.

John Knowles wrote A Separate Peace in 1959, introducing readers to a new perspective to World War II in a harrowing and luminous way. He places the two main characters, Gene Forrester, and his friend, Phineas at an all-boys academy called Devon at the time of World War II, introducing themes of identity, warfare, and friendship.

In John Knowles’ novel, A Separate Peace, Leper is back at the Devon school even though he had already enlisted in the war. From the few days that Leper has been in the war he has learned a lot, such as speaking up for himself. Leper will not allow Brinker or anyone else take advantage of him or have him be the laugh of the crowd. I think Leper will eventually go back into the war but he night feel that he currently needs to finish up a few things at Devon first. I find it interesting though how he goes to Gene for help and sees him more as a closer friend compared to the rest of the boys. Gene and Leper did not talk much but I think since Gene was one of the few people that did not make fun of him, this is his only choice.

In A Separate Peace, the main character, Gene, begins the novel by walking through his old high school, Devon. As he walks through his school, he remembers painful memories and the story begins there. The time period that the story takes place in is the early 1940’s. At this time, World War Two was predominately in Europe. Adolf Hitler caused the second world war by believing that Germany should fight to redeem its worth.. Hitler commanded forces to invade many countries, and it was not until, “...German forces invaded Poland, that other nations took a stand, declaring war…”(Wilde). During this time at the school in New England, the students often talk about and refer to the war as something they will have to join. At this point in the war,

In John Knowles’s A Separate Peace, the theme of war doesn’t mean “a state of armed conflict between different nations or states or different groups within a nation or state” (dictionary.com), but of a conflict within each boy’s maturity and mind. Placed in World War II, the boys at Devon school, especially Gene Forrester cannot escape the idea that once they complete high school, they'll have to enlist in the military. This makes the separation between childhood and the grown-up world very distinct. Being a child consists of making mistakes while learning from it, having fun, and pushing rules to its’ boundaries, but once the adulthood comes into play,