In the Literary Criticism “Counterpoint”, by James M. Mellard, the critic analyzes the juxtaposition between components in the novel, A Separate Peace, by John Knowles. Mellard strongly suggests to his readers how Knowles uses “counterpoint in character development, symbolism, plot and structure” (Mellard 56), which brings forth the ultimate question of how does counterpoint support A Separate Peace’s “ultimate theme” (56). The fundamental answer to this proposed question, in the eyes of Mellard, is that contrasting concepts are used to prove Knowles’ portrayal of diminished innocence and the path to maturity.
At his first point, Mellard illustrates how counterpoint is the greatest technique in Knowles’ arsenal of fiction based writing approaches. …show more content…
The author exemplifies that contrast in A Separate Peace which helps the reader distinguish key points of character, conflict, and story in which Knowles intended the reader to find. This perspective, in Mellard’s opinion, creates insightful distinction between characters, events and setting, therefore generating the elevated theme deliberately planned by Knowles. Next, the author chooses to depict the differentiation between the Devon summer and the Devon winter as a subtopic under seasonal counterpoint. Mellard finds this divergence leads into Gene’s ultimate growth by analyzing the “balancing of the world fantasy, dream and desire, against the world of fact, even of nightmare and repulsion” (57-58). Mellard believes that with every fun filled aspect of our life comes a contrasting, negative feature as well. This is proven by his mindset that Gene’s journey mimics the cycle of summer and winter. He poses the idea that people, such as Gene, may change with the seasons, leading into the suggestion that the seasons do not only reflect how life may change Gene, but also how …show more content…
The Devon River of beauty and summer Naguamsett River to create “a vicissitude which suggests once again that youth cannot avoid responsibility of maturity” (59). Mellard uses this impression of the rivers to show the inescapable aspect of human life, that being our gradual loss of innocence. He then finishes with a comparison of how the Devon River is where Gene hangs out with Finny during the summer, while the key event in winter is one of “Gene and Quackenbush catapulting into the Naguamsett” (59) fighting. This lays out the author’s intentions for using this example, which is to point out how change can also lead to conflict between the conceptual relationship of Gene and Finny combines with the two falls of Finny. The author supports this by implying that “the conflict between Finny and Gene runs much deeper…for there are essential oppositions in personality” (60). Mellard uses this layout to depict how greatly jealousy tears the relationship between the so-called best friends apart, therefore resulting in Finny’s fall from the tree and eventual fall down the staircase. He
At his first point, Mellard illustrates how counterpoint is the greatest technique in Knowles’ arsenal of fiction based writing approaches. …show more content…
The author exemplifies that contrast in A Separate Peace which helps the reader distinguish key points of character, conflict, and story in which Knowles intended the reader to find. This perspective, in Mellard’s opinion, creates insightful distinction between characters, events and setting, therefore generating the elevated theme deliberately planned by Knowles. Next, the author chooses to depict the differentiation between the Devon summer and the Devon winter as a subtopic under seasonal counterpoint. Mellard finds this divergence leads into Gene’s ultimate growth by analyzing the “balancing of the world fantasy, dream and desire, against the world of fact, even of nightmare and repulsion” (57-58). Mellard believes that with every fun filled aspect of our life comes a contrasting, negative feature as well. This is proven by his mindset that Gene’s journey mimics the cycle of summer and winter. He poses the idea that people, such as Gene, may change with the seasons, leading into the suggestion that the seasons do not only reflect how life may change Gene, but also how …show more content…
The Devon River of beauty and summer Naguamsett River to create “a vicissitude which suggests once again that youth cannot avoid responsibility of maturity” (59). Mellard uses this impression of the rivers to show the inescapable aspect of human life, that being our gradual loss of innocence. He then finishes with a comparison of how the Devon River is where Gene hangs out with Finny during the summer, while the key event in winter is one of “Gene and Quackenbush catapulting into the Naguamsett” (59) fighting. This lays out the author’s intentions for using this example, which is to point out how change can also lead to conflict between the conceptual relationship of Gene and Finny combines with the two falls of Finny. The author supports this by implying that “the conflict between Finny and Gene runs much deeper…for there are essential oppositions in personality” (60). Mellard uses this layout to depict how greatly jealousy tears the relationship between the so-called best friends apart, therefore resulting in Finny’s fall from the tree and eventual fall down the staircase. He