John Knowles

John Knowles’s novel, A Separate Peace, takes place at the Devon School in 1959, and it is located in New Hampshire. This novel takes place during World War II, and even some of the main characters participate in the war at the end of the novel. This novel is told by Gene Forrester, and at a certain points of the novel, Knowles asks the audience to question his reliability as a narrator. Gene’s friend, Phineas, plays a large role in the novel because Gene is jealous of Finny for many reasons,…

people. Throughout A Separate Peace, John Knowles displays both the struggles and the special moments of having a true friendship. The main characters, Gene and Finny grow up despite their differences in personalities and opinions. This leading to some mishaps and misunderstandings. Friendship is needed in everyday life, however, it can also cause chaos between friends. From the very beginning, Knowles shows how friendship will be involved throughout the story. Knowles illustrated how Finny…

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…

“Envy is ignorance; imitation is suicide” (Emerson 370-372). In the novel A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles, is set during World War II at a boy’s school in New Hampshire. Gene, the main character and a student at the school, is a jealous-conformist that thrives academically. A Separate Peace demonstrates how Gene’s envy and imitation affects Gene and their friendship, but also shows Gene’s achievement of peace. Gene’s imitation of Finny affects him internally and externally. For…

when it is gone, it is very difficult to get back. This holds true to Gene and Phineas, or Finny, in John Knowles’ novel A Separate Peace. Throughout the novel, Gene’s trust in Phineas waivers constantly, for no good reason other than his own cynicism and jealousy. He was jealous of Phineas’ athletic ability and charm over the faculty and students at The Devon School. With their relationship, Knowles demonstrates that people’s individual jealousy, insecurities, and perhaps confusion in one’s…

A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, is a fictional novel about a boy named Gene Forrester and his life at the Devon Private School, during the early 1940’s. Gene faces many challenges and hardships throughout the book, one being the war. The war ends up taking over life at Devon, starting with the boys picking apples for the war effort, then Leper Lepellier enlisting, and eventually the troops moving in, and dominating life at Devon. The war slowly starts influencing life at Devon, starting with…

The Meaning of A Separate Peace A Separate Peace by John Knowles has a significant meaning in the title. In the book two main characters Gene and Phineas (Finny) struggle to find peace while living at Devon; a prep school and in the time of World War Two. Gene and Finny struggle through many conflicts and find ways to overcome them. A Separate Peace is used as the title because of the way the characters find peace in their own lives, deal with conflicts, and to become comfortable with themselves…

Set during the infamous World War II, A Separate Peace by John Knowles, unfolds into a story of a growing rivalry between two close friends. English Devon High School students, Gene Forrester and Phineas, are the best of friends, with the perfect balance of athletics and academics. However, Gene’s enmity towards Phineas drives him to have the ideal image of competing to become the top student at Devon. However, ultimately, when the two friends decide to jump off of a limb and into a river, Gene…

Princeton High School vs. Devon School A school is defined as an institution dedicated the education of children. John Knowles’ coming-of-age novel, A Separate Peace, brought to life the characters Gene and Phineas. The two boys are attending a preparatory school located in New Hampshire at the time of World War II. Knowles’ fictional school set years ago is unlike public school in the modern age. Princeton High School is a public school located in Princeton, Minnesota. It is interesting to…

A Separate Peace by John Knowles, is a non-fiction novel about kids in New England during world war II. The book focusses on showcasing these kids’ childhood and the experiences they encounter together. The setting of the novel helps reveal the character of Finny, by showing him beat the school’s swimming record, by showing him and Gene jump off the tree limb, and even the war has an effect on Finny’s character. When Knowles tells the reader about how Finny beat the school’s swimming record…