World peace

Throughout the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles, the characters Gene, Finny, and Leper struggle against the effects of World War II on their final year of youth. Finny and Gene share the freedom of jumping out of a tree together daily, which eventually comes to an end when Gene shakes the branch and causes Finny to fall and shatter his leg. After this incident, Finny is restrained by his cast and Gene is restrained by guilt. Leper is restrained by the war, and he frees himself by…

Natasha Natasha is an essential character in War and Peace that spans the book from beginning to end. She is the daughter in the Rostov family, dear friend of Pierre, and love interest of Andrei. She starts out as a young 12 year old girl that develops into a woman over the course of the book. Natasha is expected to come into her true self in the midst of war and family crisis. This character study will analyze Natasha’s development in War and Peace by exploring her beginnings, intermediate…

American Novelist, John Knowles, in his book "A Separate Peace" describes the flashback of a friendship among two boys in rural New Hampshire. Phineas and Gene's bond becomes stronger through the course of the story as they spend more time together. As the story progresses, Gene becomes envious of Phineas' talents and his happiness. Because of this, Gene shakes the branch that him and Phineas perform their ritual on, and Phineas' leg snaps for the first time. When the novel comes to a close…

“A Separate Peace” by John Knowles takes place at Devon school during World War II. Narrated by Gene Forrester, readers are able to experience his emotions and thoughts of his life during the time spent at his boarding school. Human emotions and suspicions can cause people to make irrational decisions. Phineas is flawless, to Gene, and his perfection displeases Gene. When the boys at Devon School were having tea with four masters and their wives, Phineas was caught wearing the school tie as a…

Unsettling Curiosity Oftentimes people think of the ideal nostalgia, getting comfort from looking back on the past, instead of the reality of pain and hardship. In A Separate Peace, a novel written by John Knowles, Gene the very impressionable narrator, looks back on his past with strong discomfort about what happens and what actions he commits. Every time Gene thinks of the tree where he pushed Finny (his best friend and roommate) off of, he is overridden with immense guilt. We intend to look…

In 1941 the attack on Pearl Harbor caused the United States to go to war, which forced many American boys prematurely become men. The novel “A Separate Peace” by John Knowles set in an era about two best friends attending an all-boys private school on the east coast and their personal struggles during World War II. The main character Gene is a teenager from the south, who arrived at The School of Devon where he meets his best friend Phineas. Finny is an optimistic, athletic kid who introduces…

First of all, Finny dies because of Gene’s sin. When Gene visits Leper, Leper is the first to accuse him of making Finny fall out of the tree, “… you knocked Finny out of the tree.” (145). Gene symbolizes Judas because he betrayed Finny. His betrayal resulted in Finny’s death. Also, Brinker symbolizes Pontius Pilate. Brinker holds the trial which ends in Finny falling down the stairs. Brinker is partially responsible for Finny’s death. In addition, Gene is only able to forgive himself because…

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…

In Jon Hassler’s Grand Opening, Brendan Foster proves that becoming an adult requires a conscious effort to right one's wrongs and make peace with one's foolishness. Brendan showed us that he was willing to betray a true friend in order to improve his status. We saw this when he ditched Dodger, “The more thought he gave it, the clearer it became that in order to be accepted by his glamorous classmates he would have to put a distance between himself and Dodger” (44). When Brendan saw that his…

For the first time in his adult life, Axel Oxenstierna, Chancellor of Sweden, suffered through a sleepless night. On November 6, 1632, Gustav II Adolf (also known as Gustavus Adolphus, the Latinized version of his name), the king of Sweden, fell during the Battle of Lutzen, part of the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) being fought by Sweden, France, and their allies against the Holy Roman Empire, and its allies. While Gustav had an heir in his daughter Christina, she was only 6 years old at the time…