Symbolism In A Separate Peace

When Gene visits Leper at his home in Vermont, he discovers Leper’s mental instability and fears the same will happen to him in the future when he enlists in the army. Gene states, “I didn’t care what I said to him now; it was myself I was worried about. For if Leper was psycho it was the army which had done it to him, and I and all of us were on the brink of the army” (Knowles 135). Gene is now coming to the realization that war can have negative effects on those involved and is beginning to fear the war. Previously, just as the other boys, he has been shielded from the ugly truths of war by attending Devon, alien to the idea of the violence that it contains. Now, he has achieved a new understanding and has now created an informed opinion on war. This serves as a turning point for Gene because he is losing his innocence and discovering more about the war beyond the walls of

The book, "A Separate Peace," by John Knowles can be interpreted more than one way. You can take it literally, or look into the symbolic meaning of the landmarks of the Devon school, including the two "fearful sites" Gene visited in the beginning. As stated in the book by Gene, everything in the time period revolved around the war. This includes the great symbolism used, so mainly the tree, the Devon River, and the Naguamsett River. The Devon and Naguamsett Rivers both run through the campus of Devon. They are exact opposites (pg. 40).

In the novel A Separate Peace, the narrative shift in Gene’s perspective of the tree found on page 14 is an extremely crucial shift in the story. Gene’s initial reaction of the tree was when he was a boy attending Devon school in 1942; he saw the tree as unapproachable, daunting, and preposterous “The tree was tremendous, an irate, steely black steeple…I was damned if I’d climb it. The hell with it” (14). Gene had feared the tree like many other things in his life that year. Then as Gene returned to the Devon school as an adult several year after leaving, he returned to visit the same specific tree. However, Gene’s view on the tree changed dramatically. As an adult, when he saw the tree he described it as, “… not only stripped by the cold season, it seemed weary with age, enfeebled, dry” (14). The tree had lost its daunting nature and had changed in the eyes of Gene, without physically changing. The significance in this

     During their battles the squad sees that survival is not something that is taught but a matter of pure chance. They see their allies shooting allies. Their close friends in the war are killed and they must face the reality that getting out alive is luck. The goal of killing the enemy turns into just trying to stay alive yourself. And when their time is done they are faced with mourning for those who fell and bitter sweet relief that it is over.

In the novel, Gene, Finny, Leper, and others fear enlisting for World War II after they graduate. Gene says that many of the teachers "loosened their grip" on the boys, knowing what lay ahead of them after they graduate. As the school year progressed, the boys anxiety increased. They all knew what was coming up, though none of them wanted to accept

“He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have” (Socrates). Humans are selfish, they wish for more even when there is no more to give. This is shown in many books through parallels between texts. These parallels allow readers to become connected with the text on a deeper level. People must read in between the lines to get a clear understanding of the author's message. John Knowles, author of A Separate Peace, has woven an intelligent story which at a glance seems like the story of two boys friendship, but underneath explains the reason behind why people are ever jealous. Through the use of biblical allegories and character parallels, A Separate Peace, meticulously portrays the human impulse

cold blast for the enemy. The winter lives to destroy the warmth of the summer

Not everything in the world has the easiest answer or the clearest meaning. The average citizen may not take the time to look for symbols in the real world. Those same citizens also may not notice that an object could have a hidden meaning. In the novels The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane, and A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, both contain symbols that help represent the novels overall theme. Crane’s novel is about a young boy named Henry, who fights in the Civil War. He goes through many internal conflicts from deciding to run or deciding to stay and fight the enemy. Knowles’ novel is about two teenagers, Gene and Finny, who attend school during WWII. They push each other to do different things and influence each other

In the novel A Separate Peace, the tree is the primary symbol used to describe the hardships, adventure, and danger of the lives of the characters. While the tree is not the only symbol used by Knowles, it is the one that Gene spends most of his time reflecting on. To Gene, the tree is “tremendous” and “a steely black steeple.” But for Finny, the tree symbolizes his downfall and eventually his death. By the end of the novel, the tree has lost its significance to Gene and has become smaller and less realistic. Another big symbol in the novel is the war. World War II was of no real meaning to Gene and his classmates when they were juniors because that is all that they did was play war. But by the time their senior year had begun, the war was real and the draft was coming for them. For Finny in particular, the war symbolized his destiny as a hero because he wanted nothing more than to be an athlete and a warrior. Another primary symbol used by Knowles is the separation between the summer and winter sessions at Devon because while the summer session was filled with laid back and innocent fun, the winter session was a dark time with preparation for war. And, the last symbol recognized is the fall of Finny from the tree on the riverbank. This fall not only symbolizes the end of childly innocent times and the beginning of war filled adulthood, but it also symbolizes the eventual death of Finny. In all, the presence

In Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, Reuben Land had lost his father. He dearly missed him, and often was in conflict with his faith in God due to his lost and the miracles he performed. Most evidently shown in The Curious Music That I Hear, is “… I breathe deeply, and the certainty enters into me like a light, like a piece of science, and curious music seems to hum inside my fingers.” (311). This is referring to The Land of Nod, a poem written by Robert Louis Stevenson. It talks of a child falling asleep and being alone until they awake. Futhermore, it places emphasis on the feeling Reuben had when he last touched his father, Jeremiah, and how Reuben could not join Jeremiah in Heaven. It was not Reuben’s time to die, and Jeremiah had to jump

DICTION “that funereal tree by the river” (Knowles 81) This phrase is used when describing the accident by the tree that shatters Finny’s leg. While Finny did not physically die, the accident permanently ended Finny’s athletic career, killing it. By naming the tree the “funereal tree,” Knowles creates a sad demeanor.

World War II is an important key point in history that addresses to young adolescents. The novel, T4 is based on a true story, in which the author, Ann Clare LeZotte is portraying a novel that is based on the theme of survival. It appears to be that the author’s argument in writing this novel is to simply maintain awareness of the past. Generally speaking, a story about survival is a difficult genre for young readers, “The majority of war stories for children are about World War II and the Holocaust.” (Huck 482) The reason war stories are mainly about World War II and the Holocaust is because it was the most recent, largest, and horrifying war during the twentieth century in Europe. Our textbook also states that these historical novels help children experience the past. Meaning, that it is important for a child to learn about the past including all the wars, conflicts, sufferings, and great happiness that had occurred so they can apply that to the present and to the future.

Robert Ross is a sensitive, private boy; last person you would expect to sign up to fight in World War One. In The Wars by Timothy Findley, symbols are used in conjunction with Ross’ story to cause readers to reflect on symbols in their own lives, and to allow then to dive deeper into the world of an innocent boy who is placed into a cruel war. The various symbols in The Wars provide for a graphic and reflective reading experience by emphasizing Robert’s connection with nature, his past, and his experiences during the war.

A Separate Peace, which was written by John Knowles, has many themes. They are interconnected throughout the book. The most clearly portrayed theme is fear. It seems to be connected with the themes of friendship, jealousy, and war. As World War II was occurring, fear had taken over Gene's life through these various themes. When he visited Devon fifteen years after leaving the school, Gene claimed, "I had lived in fear while attending the school and I can now feel fear's echo" (Knowles 10). He felt like he had gained a separate peace after escaping from this fear.

Historical events can play an important role in a person's life.  In A Separate Peace, the whole atmosphere at the Devon School changed as World War II progressed.  The boys either eagerly awaited the draft, enlisted in the area of war they wanted, or did not want to go at all.  The students at the school created new activities for enjoyment since the customary past times could not be played due to a lack of materials.  When a friend "returns" from the war, the boys at Devon got a real sense of what the war was like.  The boys learned that going to war was not all fun and games like they had anticipated.  The influence World War II had on the characters in A