An effective novel immerses the reader into a memorable journey, the reader connects with the characters, the reader connects with the theme, the reader learns morals from the novel, the reader is astonished by the symbolism and styles, and the reader is fully immersed in an unforgettable experience. A novel connects to its reader and relates to life through effective use of themes and literary styles. Each novel is unique in the theme depicted and the styles used. However, for a novel to be a part of the English curriculum, the reader must relate to the theme and the various styles throughout the novel. John Knowles’s, A Separate Peace, should remain in the AP curriculum as it demonstrates a mature style and a relevant theme that in order …show more content…
Becoming mature and learning how to become mature is a theme relevant to the English II students as they transition from adolescence to adulthood, therefore, the book should remain in the AP curriculum. Throughout A Separate Peace, Gene’s maturation is portrayed through his experiences at Devon. Gene is quickly changed when his “knees bent and [he] jounced the limb… [soon after, Finny] broke through the little branches below and hit the bank with a sickening, unnatural thud” (Knowles 60). The fall of Finny marks a turning point in the novel. Gene changes from an innocent boy who played carelessly on the fields of Devon, to a mature Gene who not only realizes the errors of his ways, but feels regret in the face of his actions. Gene realizes the mistake he has made, Finny was never jealous of him, he (Gene) “was not of the same quality as [Finny]” (Knowles 59). The experience of handicapping Gene’s best friend, Finny, changes Gene from the innocence of a child to an adult. Due to his actions, Gene undergoes internal conflict over his irrational actions and the consequences it played on Finny’s life. The battle over Gene’s innocence represents Gene’s coming of age and maturity. Gene witnesses his maturity when he returns to Devon fifteen years after he studied there. Gene sees the tree he once played with, the tree he made memories in, the tree he used …show more content…
Knowles’s writing provides AP students an example of effective writing using imagery and symbolism. After Phineas breaks his leg, Gene remembers “Phineas… balancing on one foot on the prow of a canoe like a river god, his raised arms invoking the air to support him, face transfigured, body a complex set of balances and compensations, each muscle aligned in perfection with all the others to maintain this supreme fantasy of achievement, his skin glowing from immersions, his whole body hanging between river and sky as though he had transcended gravity and might be gently pushing upward with his foot” (Knowles 75). Knowles uses excellent imagery which demonstrates the intricate details of Gene’s memory of Finny before his tragic fall. Knowles effectively uses this imagery by creating a sense of nostalgia, describing each detail of Finny even down to the muscle on his body, even hinting that Finny symbolizes Christ. This level of description in imagery is important for AP students to acquire and without this novel the students would not be learning how to effectively use imagery and would indirectly harm them. Knowles also demonstrates his use of symbolism in the novel. When Finny’s bone breaks, Finny tells Gene that he believes that the “bone [is] supposed to be stronger when it grows together over a place where it’s
Throughout A Separate Peace, Knowles carefully, yet successfully develops the inevitable loss of innocence theme. He is able to prove the Latin inscription “Here Boys Come to Be Made Men” (165), by describing the necessity of transition to adulthood. If Finny never accepted the tragedy that occurred to him and the new perspective of the world, he wouldn’t have been able to live beyond his illusion. If Leper didn’t let go of his imaginary world of nature, he would not have been able to become the individual he is at the end of the novel. And if Gene did not try to fight his enemy he would not have resolved the issue of self-identity. Knowles effectively develops the theme, thus portraying it as a necessary part of life.
The theme “rite of passage” was used in the novel A Separate Peace, by John Knowles. This moving from innocence to adulthood was contained within three sets of interconnected symbols: summer and winter, the Devon and Naguamsett Rivers, and peace and war. These symbols served as a backdrop upon which the novel was developed. The loss if Gene Forrester’s innocence was examined through these motifs.
In John Knowles’ A Separate Peace, characters Gene and Phineas begin their journeys to adulthood in a war-torn environment. The dynamic formed between a world full of struggle and the crucial age of development in high school proves to be an excellent setting to examine the abilities of both Gene and Phineas to “come of age.” Being a Bildungsroman, the theme of coping with war and death is highlighted via the imagery that surrounds both Gene’s epiphany moment at the marble stairs, and its introduction at the beginning of the novel. Additionally, Knowles employs a flashback to set a nostalgic and somewhat reflective mood, which further extends this meaning. In Knowles’ “coming of age” novel A Separate Peace, the use of imagery surrounding the marble stairs, and a reminiscent flashback aid Gene discovers that war and death can never be understood.
It brings up several valid points and presents new ways of thinking that the reader may not recognize until digging deeper into A Separate Piece. Chapter 7: After the Fall gives the reader a more knowledgeable perspective on the novel and its characters, especially Gene and Finny and the relationship that the two have. Without viewing this literary analysis, a student wishing to write a paper on A Separate Peace would have great difficulty suggesting and supporting ideas involving Gene and Finny’s
This story, A Separate Peace, exhibits interesting main characters which establish the frequent struggles of personal identity in adolescence. Gene's story is set in a boarding school called Devon during World War II and "The War" which he speaks of, gives overcast and grim feelings for his classes' future like an impending doom they cannot escape. Finny is a rebellious, charming, and very athletic boy. His charisma comes from his ability to make up rules and ideas on the spot and being able to get out of any trouble, which is magnetic to the other boys at Devon. Most of the teachers admired Phineas because he was the poster boy of boys not yet affected by the war, as mentioned by Gene when he says, "But there was another reason.
In John Knowle’s, A Separate Peace, there is a transformation in all the key elements in the book, from the rivers to the tree to the seasons to the characters. The transformation is specifically seen in Leper, Gene, and Phineas. These three young men experience a change not just because of the transitions through adolescence. These changes also come about because of the war, the school, and an injury.
John Knowles’ novel, A Separate Peace, reveals the many dangers and hardships of adolescence. The main characters, Gene, and Finny, spend their summer together at a boarding school called Devon. The two boys, do everything together, until Gene, the main character, develops a resentful hatred toward his friend Finny. Gene becomes extremely jealous and envious of Finny, which fuels this resentment, and eventually turns deadly. Knowles presents a look at the darker side of adolescence, showing jealousy’s disastrous effects. Gene’s envious thoughts and jealous nature, create an internal enemy, that he must fight. A liberal humanistic critique reveals that Knowles’ novel, A Separate Peace, has a self contained meaning, expresses the enhancement of life, and reveals that human nature does not change.
The legend of the Fountain of Youth says that anyone who should drink from or bathe in the waters of the fountain will have their youth restored. The legend has endured for thousands of years; one of the first accounts of its existence is in the writings of a Greek historian named Herodotus from 5 BCE. People have always lusted after youth and innocence, and often they lust in vain. In contrast, author Joe Hill claimed in one of his novels, “Innocence ain’t all it’s cracked up to be, you know. Innocent little kids rip the wings off flies, because they don’t know any better. That’s innocence.” In the case of Phineas, one of the main characters in John Knowles’ A Separate Peace, Hill is correct. The innocence and youthfulness which Phineas
“I found it. I found a single sustaining thought. The thought was, You and Phineas are even already. You are even in enmity. You are both coldly driving ahead for yourselves alone. . . . I felt better. Yes, I sensed it like the sweat of relief when nausea passes away; I felt better. We were even after all, even in enmity. The deadly rivalry was on both sides after all.”
"A Separate Peace." Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Vol. 3. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp., 1993.
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.
Brenda Shoshanna once stated, “All conflict we experience in the world, is a conflict within our own selves.” This quote recognizes how much conflict influences our everyday lives and personality. The wise words were especially true for Gene, the main character in A separate peace, who let his battles with other characters and the society of his time become his own internal battles. In John Knowles’s novel, A separate peace, all the types of conflict are shown through the main character Gene.
“To follow or not to follow?” is the conflict of both A Separate Peace by John Knowles and Initiation by Sylvia Plath. Each main character must choose what action to take; however, it is the way they choose that sets these stories apart. Different examples of conformity in each book yield different results, showing readers potential outcomes of decision making.
In "A Separate Peace" many characteristics of becoming a man can be seen. For example, as the novel progresses, so does Gene's maturity. Gene's first seen in the novel as a boy, not yet brought on by nature, but as one gets deeper into the novel, one sees change; Gene embarks on life change that all men journey through once in their life. Gene begins to see his life and others from a totally new standpoint, as though even from a newer perspective. In Chapter two and chapter three, Gene, develops a sheer envy for Finny, and acknowledges it as the truth. He is extremely envious of the methods in which Finny uses to escape his unusual actions and his popularity. He embeds himself in a pool of self-assurance, by repeatedly telling himself over and over again that having
Stillinger, Jack, Deidre Lynch, Stephen Greenblatt, and M H. Abrams. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Volume D. New York, N.Y: W.W. Norton & Co, 2006. Print.