Set amidst the turmoil of the 1940s but featuring boys who are minimally affected by it, A Separate Peace narrates the lives of Finny and Gene, who experience mental and physical repercussions of World War II yet never go so far as to even enlist in the army. Despite their isolation in a New England boarding school far from the true horrors of war, elements of the international conflict still weave themselves into the students’ everyday lives, allowing Knowles to express his opinions on the war without showing the gruesome details of it, utilizing his two main characters, Phineas and Gene. Phineas is what Gene is not - an idealistic, nearly impossible human being who has no innate need for competition. Gene is the opposite. The two form a close
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For the boys at Devon, the most peaceful time of the year was the summer session, something created only to keep up with the fast-paced world of World War II. Despite its purpose to further advance learning, the summer lacks the strictly educational feeling of the rest of the year. For the novel’s plot, the summer session serves two purposes: it represents peacetime not only from the strict staff but also the war itself, and it is the time in which the true character of Finny can be shown, as it is the only time in the novel in which he is truly content. Phineas and Gene cohabitate well for much of the session, especially as there is nothing substantial to cause a rift in their friendship; together, they adventure to the beach, create a secret society, and invent a sport. Something curious happens, though, towards the end of the summer session. Neither Phineas nor Gene seemed to harbor ill will towards the other, nor had either caused significant harm, yet seeds of jealousy were planted in Gene as he saw Finny succeeding again and again at whatever he tried. He was creating an enemy out of a friend, seeing the worst in
For the boys at Devon, the most peaceful time of the year was the summer session, something created only to keep up with the fast-paced world of World War II. Despite its purpose to further advance learning, the summer lacks the strictly educational feeling of the rest of the year. For the novel’s plot, the summer session serves two purposes: it represents peacetime not only from the strict staff but also the war itself, and it is the time in which the true character of Finny can be shown, as it is the only time in the novel in which he is truly content. Phineas and Gene cohabitate well for much of the session, especially as there is nothing substantial to cause a rift in their friendship; together, they adventure to the beach, create a secret society, and invent a sport. Something curious happens, though, towards the end of the summer session. Neither Phineas nor Gene seemed to harbor ill will towards the other, nor had either caused significant harm, yet seeds of jealousy were planted in Gene as he saw Finny succeeding again and again at whatever he tried. He was creating an enemy out of a friend, seeing the worst in