A SEPARATE PEACE By: John Knowles

John Knowles “All of my books are based on places, places I know very well and feel very deeply about. I begin with that place and then the characters and the plot emerge from it.” A Separate Peace began with a playing field at Exeter Academy.

John Knowles What do we know about the author? This story is somewhat biographical. Born in 1926 Knowles went to a prep school – Exeter Unlike Gene, he had a very positive experience at school

Information on Knowles Entered Phillips Academy when he was 15 yrs. old and was there during the four years of WWII ( 1941-45); the period included in the novel

Seal and translation Non sibi (“Not for oneself.”) Finis origine pendet (“the end depends upon the beginning.”) Xapiti oeot (“By the grace of god.”)

Phillips Exeter Academy Private boarding school; co-ed 9-12 1068 total; 858 boarding; 203 day 203 Faculty; average class size: 12 Located on 619 acres Harkness table: oval table in each classroom with teacher and students engaging in education Located in Exeter, New Hampshire

PLOT A young man trying to find out about his world and himself. In times of peace it is hard enough to change from adolescence to maturity, but in war time, the conflict may be greater because the values of the world and society are changing.

Types of Narrators First Person Narrator Uses “I” or “We”. Views action/events of the story from their own perspective. First person observer Tells story form the sidelines. First person participant Tells story while involved in the action/events. Gene Forrester is a First Person Participant One theme is the affect of time and events on memory Is Gene always reliable in his recounts of the events? Story telling technique: Flashback, we start in 1958 and reflect back to 1942.

Setting New England Prep School Gene Forrester is from the south Devon in New Hampshire Gene Forrester is from the south Never says exactly where he is from He makes up a false and romantic identity for himself He is an outsider at Devon. World War II is omni-present. The war encroaches on Devon and the students’ lives. The war as a threat to peace is a main theme.

Characters Stories seek to reveal character: either a particular individual or of human nature in general. Protagonist The main character Display a complex set of both good & bad traits Face: moral crisis, physical or emotional challenge Readers usually sympathize with protagonist Is it Gene or Phineas? Antagonist Some one opposed to the protagonist and who impedes his progress. Is it Brinker, the students at Devon, the world at war, or Gene himself? Finny

Plot Structure Equilibrium Protagonist’s life is in relative order, although he may not be satisfied Gene is a young man. Follows the rules, likes order, hard worker. Has a perfect best friend in Finny Complication Something disrupts the status quo and creates conflict Finny is a foil for Gene, upsetting Gene’s life Gene perceives that Finny is jealous of Gene, whereas the opposite is true Gene’s jealousy consumes him.

Plot Having resolved the conflict, a new state of equilibrium is achieved. Gene understands and somewhat forgives his nemesis, Brinker Hadley. Gene goes to war. Gene comes back to Devon years later to get closure on the big event in his life.

Characterization Round Are emotionally changed by the challenges they face and the decisions they make Flat Do not emotionally develop during the course of the story Dynamic Their actions impact the course of events in the story Static They participate in the story but do not alter the chain of events

Characterization Grid High impact on events Gene Finny Brinker Significant emotional development & change Little emotional development & change Leper The Deans Low impact on events

Literary Devices - Metaphors World War II The internal war that each student fights within himself. The focus of the novel is internal and on the young people. Gene’s mind becomes a battle ground for conflicting emotions like jealousy, fear, love and hate. Finny Peace. lost during war. WWII When Gene cannot acknowledge his feelings and is at war with himself. Finny is a victim and a casualty Winter Carnival A reckless celebration during the dead of winter Joy and peace in the midst of war and conflict.

Literary Devices - Metaphors Metaphor: a figure of speech in which a comparison between two unlike objects is suggested or implied. Blitzball: A sport without competitors Life at Devon. individual struggle or every man for himself Finny triumphs at this game Snowball Fight: Similar to blitzball, but this time Finny is defeated. It brings an end to Finny and the peace he represents. The surf at the beach. The control that Finny had over Gene

Literary Devices - Symbols Symbols: The use of one object to represent or suggest another. They embody universal suggestions of meaning. Summer & Winter sessions at Devon Summer sessions are times of anarchy and freedom. The innocence of youth. Winter sessions are dark, disciplined and filled with work. They also represent the shift from youth to the responsibilities of adulthood and the war. Finny’s fall from the tree. End of the summer session. A fall from innocence, like Adam & Eve, who are exiled from the Garden of Eden.

Flashbacks Shifting backward in time Writers use this to achieve different purposes. For example, an author might flash back to a character’s past experiences and current thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Knowles uses this through Gene as he remembers what happened at the tree.

Motifs – recurring themes War We see war through out the novel. WWII is a key element of the setting It encroaches on life at Devon Students like Gene at war with themselves Peace Amidst the competition among students Competition among the students In and out of class Athletics Tree climbing, swimming, skiing, crew Competitive sports Blitzball Non-competitive Jealousy, Envy Particularly Gene and Brinker Rash Actions Gene, Leper, Brinker

Themes – Ignorance & War Ignorance in the human heart leads to conflict or war. Gene looks back later in life and says “Finny had escaped this hostile world…nothing broke his harmonious unity so at last I did.” Gene was, “on active duty all my time at school; I killed my enemy there.”

Bildungsroman Coming of Age story The journey from innocence to experience. Gene breaks out of his comfortable, predictable life by following Finny. Gene is frightened by Finny’s freedom and then threatened by it. Discomfort leads to suspicion and jealousy.

Bildungsroman Conflicting and confusing emotions. Gene: unjustified jealousy. Mixing love and hate. Rash behavior. Gene injures Finny. Finny: Denies the war because he can not participate in it. Brinker: Models Gene He is jealous of Gene’s devotion to Finny He seeks to bring down Gene in a manner similar to the way Gene brought down Finny. Leper: Acts rashly and is the first student to enlist in the service.

Forming an Identity Seeking to establish, but being uncomfortable with one’s identity. Gene is from the south and does not quite fit in. He makes up a false identity. The pictures of the old south on his walls. Gene’s desire to blur his own identity with Finny’s. Wearing Finny’s clothes. After accident they depend on each other. Gene does sports for Finny. Gene lets Finny coach him. Finny live vicariously through Gene. Gene finds happiness in losing himself in Finny. Gene does not like himself. Gene likes Finny very much. In the end Gene feels as if Finny’s funeral is his own.

Literal Meaning of “A Separate Peace” Refers to the withdrawal of one of a group of combatants, though the total war continues. Finny makes a separate peace and removes himself from the war atmosphere by refusing to accept the existence of conflict. He call it a myth and denies the reality, and by doing so achieves a separate peace of his own.

Winter and Summer Sessions Summer is allied to peace, the winter is engulfed by war. There was a freedom and joyousness in the summer session. In winter, a sterner regimen takes control and harsher values emerge. Finny, allied to summer, has brought with him the sense of freedom and pleasures.

Symbolism of the tree and Devon River The setting of the book is beautiful, but one thing is forbidden – jumping out of the tree. It is as much a forbidden one as the Biblical tree. The boys do climb the tree and they do jump. Gene is overcome by his jealousy and driven to harm Finny. Finny fall physically, but Gene falls spiritually. Like Adam, he brings sin into his world

Microcosm A microcosm is a little world. It is a miniature of a larger happening. The conflict between Gene and Finny is a reflection of the larger conflict between nations. The distrust and jealousy which instigated Gene’s jealousy also instigated WWII. Knowles stresses that the evil that stems from within the human heart, and that the nature of the conflicts is identical although the size and scope may differ.

Comparison of Gene and Finny Gene is a good athlete and superior student. He is very serious and preferred studying to other activities. He wouldn’t admit that Finny is his best friend. He build resentment toward Finny. Gene faced the war and saw evil and hatred in men’s hearts. Finny is a superior athlete and average student. He enjoyed fun. He was honest and open about his true feelings. He admitted Gene was his best friend. He refused to accept the reality of a war. He was totally good and felt no hatred toward others.

The excellent exterior acoustics recorded his rushing steps and the quick rapping of his cane along the corridor and on the first steps of the marble stairway. Then these separate sounds collided into the general tumult of his body falling clumsily down the white marble stairs.

From my locker I collected my sneakers, jock strap, and gym pants and then turned away, leaving the door ajar for the first time, forlornly open and abandoned, the locker unlocked. This was more final than the moment when the Headmaster handed me my diploma. My schooling was now over.

Tone Does the author focus on the innocence of youth or the difficulty in growing up? Is the tone hopeful or dark? Are people basically good or evil?