Deerfield Academy

In the film ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ directed by Frank Darabont, symbolism was used to develop meaning and understanding of the themes of brutality, resourcefulness, hope and freedom. The symbols of water, the tunnel, the game of chess, Jake the crow and the music ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ were particularly important throughout the film. Water is used by people for simple tasks such as washing clothes or dishes, taking a shower watering the garden, drinking and other everyday activities.…

As Gene Forrester revels in his youthful life at Devon, the war becomes a constant reminder of maturity and adulthood, evincing the transformation that immerses Gene in John Knowles’ A Separate Peace. First, Gene’s recollection of the mythical tree in his childhood, now seemingly insignificant after fifteen years, elicits a musing conviction with the stark change in perspective. Insisting that "nothing endures, not a tree, not love, not even a death by violence,” Gene implies that the crime of…

this subtle relationship between truth and illusions in his book A Separate Peace. The book describes the fictional life-story of, Gene, a teenage boy, and the trials and tribulations he undergoes with his so-called friend, Phineas, at Devon, the academy they attend. Knowles heightens the tension between the various characters in the book, by setting the story in 1942, deep in World War II, with confusion and angers flaring even this far from the battlefield. While so far from, and innocent to…

Annalyse Potter Kiernan per. 1 A Separate Peace Characters featured in books or written pieces are very similar to people in this modern day life. Rivalries are extremely common when it comes to both fiction and nonfiction. To be more specific, a rivalry is another way of expressing competition. In A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles, Gene and Finny show many examples of competition throughout their friendship during the book. Chapter 4 represents a time where their rivalry was at it's…

Kyle Kennedy Nordsiek Honors American Literature 12 October 2015 Expectations Versus Reality in A Prayer for Owen Meany Throughout A Prayer for Owen Meany, events often do not play out as the characters originally intended or predicted. This motif – that “nothing bears out in practice what it promises incipiently” – is one of the most important motifs in the novel, and it is realized through several major events. Three components of the book are significant examples of this motif: Johnny’s…

In an ever changing world, what is promised initially may not always go as planned when it is put to the test. John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany, tells the story of Johnny Wheelwright, a boy growing up in Gravesend, New Hampshire, struggling with identity and faith. But one cannot tell the story of Johnny Wheelwright without including Owen Meany, the tiny, dwarflike boy who is the only reason Johnny believes in God. Owen is a major spiritual character and his actions have direct correlations…

good in redemption. However, this suffering does show the redemption that accompanies these struggles, nor is there long lasting suffering within the characters. Instead, in the finale, the two brothers finally understand each other and the need to redeem oneself by having hope in life and in new beginnings. During Sonny’s performance the speaker states, “ I saw my little girl again, felt Isabel’s tears, and yet aware that this was only a moment, that the world waited outside, hungry as a tiger,…

In Separate Peace the characters battle with their identity. Gene is one of the many characters that struggles to be himself, instead he tries to be other people. Given that Gene has a hard time with his identity, he tries to be someone he is not: Gene tries to be Finny. Finny can be described as athletic, outgoing, and a risk taker, all things that Gene does not possess. Although Gene is far from Finny’s qualities he tries to duplicate them. Gene said “I decided to put on his clothes…

Early on in the film, the Shawshank prison library is revealed. This occurred when Andy Dufresne is assigned to be the assistant bookkeeper to work under Brooks, who is the current and long-standing bookkeeper for the library. The first impressions of the library is that the library is old and broken down. Later on in the film, Andy decides that he is going to attempt to obtain some funding for the library by mailing a letter out to the state Senate every week. Eventually, the state Senate…

In his work A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving delves into the fundamentals of faith through his narrator, Johnny Wheelwright, and Johnny’s best friend Owen Meany. Johnny and Owen are best friends as they grow up in Gravesend. Owen and Johnny spend nearly every waking minute with each other, often at Johnny’s grandmother’s house. During one of their many childhood sleepovers, Owen comes down with a fever. After Owen wakes Johnny up, Johnny sends him down the hall to his mother’s room. Johnny’s…