A Separate Peace And Dead Poets Society Comparison

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The truth about literary characters is that even though most of them are very different, many of them may still share many distinct qualities. In the pieces A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, and 1989 film Dead Poets Society, there are many characters that are very similar; from their personalities to what they do and what they believe in. Finny, from A Separate Peace, is similar to Neil, as well as to Mr. Keating, from Dead Poets Society, for different reasons. Plus, Gene, from A Separate Peace, is similar to Todd, from Dead Poets Society. These three sets of characters from these two different works all resemble each other in their manners, beliefs, and even their hobbies.

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    A Separate Peace is a coming of age novel in which Gene, the main character, revisits his high school and his traumatic teen years. When Gene was a teen-ager his best friend and roommate Phineas (Finny) was the star athlete of the school.

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  • Finny as Symbolic of Jesus in "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles

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    In the novel A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, Gene and Finny have boarding school experiences during World War II. Finny helps Gene mature throughout the story. Finny is an archetypal Jesus because of he preaches his ideas to his peers, his death is similar to Jesus’s, and his charismatic personality.

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  • Naguamsett And Devon Rivers In A Separate Peace

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    Throughout the novel A Separate Peace, John Knowles uses the Naguamsett and Devon rivers to symbolise the differences between reality and the artificial environment of Devon.

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  • Free Essays - Gene and Finny of A Separate Peace

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    In A Separate Peace, the main characters are foils of one another. The plot is pushed along by the changing dynamics of their friendship. Their relationship begins to drift apart when their personalities clash. The changing dynamics of Gene and Finny's relationship and the revelations in Gene's personality are what move the plot along.

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  • Savagery of Man: A Comparison of Lord of the Flies and a Separate Peace

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    There is evidence in both Lord of the Flies and A Separate Peace that display the savagery of man. In Lord of the Flies there is savagery found when the choir boys and most of the bigguns separate from Ralph’s authority and form their own tribe. In A Separate Peace, savagery is found in unnamed characters during Leper’s war experience - he feels such a need to escape from evil and savagery in the war that he takes the risk and actually does. In both of these novels, the archetype and motif of savagery is present in young boys, ultimately resulting in the downfall and degenerating of man.

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  • A Comparison of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Dead Poet's Society

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    As a human being we are constantly reminded in our life span to  "Live our lives to the fullest". At lease once in your life i'm sure you've heard of the saying "seize the day". It means you should live your life to the best of your abilities. You should strive to learn new things and live a satisfying life so you have no regrets in life. Many romantics strongly believe in this theory. They feel that you should take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way and that there are so many good things in the world.  Our society today is a very realistic one. People get up in the mornings and go through their daily routine. They wake up, get ready, go to work, come home, eat dinner, go to bed and do the same thing over and over in their lifetime that many feel they have wasted their lives. Only when one sees this pattern and wants to change it can they have a more fulfilling life. Society is responsible for putting this ideal lifestyle into effect and controlling our lives. In One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, by Ken Kesey, and the film Dead poets Society, there is a similarity in the main characters experiencing the realizations of society and its institutions, which are imposed by Nurse Ratchid and Mr. Noland. Nurse Ratchid and Mr. Noland are realists affected by society and therefore use conformity to their advantage of control. While the very romantic McMurphy and Mr. Keating rise up as leaders expressing individuality against conformity. The outspoken Bromden and Todd fight for freedom and responsibility ending in success as characters; all characters fighting against the institutions society has imposed.

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  • Similarities Between Dead Poets Society And One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

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    The struggle for independence is part of the human experience; from childhood, we attempt to disengage ourselves from oppressive systems to cultivate our identities. Peter Weir and Ken Kesey tackle this theme through the lens of institutions in Dead Poets Society and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. Each author navigates the concept of independence in relation to each character and their institution, questioning if independence and growth of one person are worth the sacrifice of others and the collapse of the institution. Ideas about conformity and freedom are conveyed to the reader through the use of symbolism, characterisation, and juxtaposition.

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  • A seperate Peace: Leper

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    In the book “A Separate Peace” there are many characters which are talked about and play a role in the story. The main characters Gene and Finny, short for Phineas, are what drive the whole story and are the center of the many themes and meanings derived from this book. Elwin Lepellier also known as Leper-Lepellier is not as visible as Gene and Finny, but plays a role that is essential to the story.

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  • Symbols 'By James Ellis' A Separate Peace: Literary Criticism

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    In the evident literary criticism, “Interconnected Symbols” by James Ellis, Ellis explicitly explains that the concept of the novel, A Separate Peace, has numerous symbols that correspond with one another. When reading the novel, the basic understanding of the story is the friendship that Finny and Gene share with each other. Ellis, on the other hand strips the level of meanings by finding the move of innocence to the infatuation of brotherhood and betrayal, with three different aspects of interconnected symbols. These include: summer and winter, the Devon River and the Naguamsett River, and peace and war; each one supporting one another. Ellis also includes the tree, Gene’s envy, Gene’s regeneration, a make believe war, and Gene’s understanding

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  • A Separate Peace: Character Analysis

    375 Words  | 1 Pages

    A Separate Peace by John Knowles tells a story about two young boys Gene and Finny. Gene Forrester the main character returns to his old school Devon School as a young man in his early thirties. He visits a stairwell in the school and a tree near the river. The tree prompts him to tell the reader the tale of his friendship with Phineas and how it changed his life. The reason of the tree is revealed right away. The reason of the stairwell is not revealed until the novel’s climax. For now, Gene recalls how he and Finny would climb the tree and leap into the river. Finny shows no fear, since his balance is better than anyone’s. Gene, on the other hand, is frightened to take the dive. At one point he is saved from falling by Finny, who steadies

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  • Similarities Between Dead Poets Society And One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

    848 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dead Poet’s Society, by Peter Weir, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey, both contain characters who struggle for independence, but explore it with a wide variety of techniques. Dead Poet’s Society was shown in a time when young people in middle-upper class families were being pressured into doing perfectly in school and forced into futures without their input, and explores independent living in school life. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest also explores a life without independence and both texts use contrasting points of view, symbolism and narrative structure to explore ideas.

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  • The Importance Of Literature In John Knowles A Separate Peace

    999 Words  | 2 Pages

    What makes literature great? Take note that “great” does not implicate a novel that was bestselling, written by a famous author, or simply received positive reviews. Rather, a true great work is one that is a classic. Literature is considered classic when it has stood the test of time; and it stands the test of time when the artistic quality it expresses continues to be relevant. In other words, it has to inspire in order to make a lasting impact. A Separate Peace, by John Knowles is such a classic. The novel takes place at a boy’s boarding school in New Hampshire, at the start of the first rumblings of World War II. Gene Forrester is a quiet, intellectual student at the Devon School, who becomes close friends with his daredevil roommate, Phineas. Gene gradually begins to envy Finny’s astonishing athletic abilities. He thinks that Finny, in turn, envies his superior academic successes. Gene’s suspicions transform into resentful loathing. Finny later suggests that the two make a dangerous jump out of a tree into a river. When Finny reaches the edge of the limb, Gene shakes the branch, causing Finny to fall and break his leg. The tragedy is generally considered an accident, and no one thinks to blame Gene. This is the opening to Knowles’ novel, already drawing on the themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the complexions of the human heart. Beautifully written and with great depth, Knowles brings his characters to life to weave a story of the horrors of war, and how it can exist everywhere – even between friends. A Separate Peace deserves its classic and thus great prestige because of its convincing, sophisticated characters, and unique, stimulating outlook and theme. Exhibiting exceptional power and distinction, John Knowles’ achievement...

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  • Comparing A Separate Peace 'And A Poison Tree' By John Knowles

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    The novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles and “A Poison Tree” by William Blake, display how one must forgive their friends for forgiveness is the only way to separate friends from enemies. After an accident, in A Separate Peace Finny, his best friend forgives him immediately, while the rest of their class suspect Gene had malicious intent. Similarly, William Blake forgives his friend promptly in his poem, nonetheless, he holds a grudge against his enemy till his anger explodes. Both works show how a powerful friendship can overcome adversity; conversely, those distrusted face anger.

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  • Compare And Contrast A Separate Peace

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    John Knowles writes a compelling realistic fiction about the lives of two teenage boys throughout the start of World War II in his novel A Separate Peace. Peter Yates the director of the movie plays the story out in a well organized theatrical manner. There are similarities and differences in these two works of art. However; there are also similarities.

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  • Compare And Contrast A Separate Peace And Dead Poets Society

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    A Separate Peace and Dead Poets Society revolve around a group of young boarding school attendees who form groups during their sessions. Although the book and the movie have different plots, they portray similar ideas as well as include some of the same scenes. The characters in these works; Todd, Gene, Phineas, and Neil have numerous similarities though their personalities and behaviors.

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