"A Separate Peace," by John Knowles, is a novel that tells the story of pain and betrayal of two friends, Gene and Phineas.

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"A Separate Peace," by John Knowles, is a novel that tells the story of pain and betrayal of two friends, Gene and Phineas. One of the major themes of this novel is illusion versus reality. In the novel the proof of this statement can be found in incidents like Gene’s visit to Leper’s home, every ones personal attitudes towards war, experience of the war, and from the Winter Carnival.

        Firstly, Devon seems to be a place of peace, where the boys are removed from the war, but Leper makes the war and the real world’s problem (outside world) more real to the boys at Devon. Therefore, when Gene receives Leper’s telegram it makes the war a reality, close to home.

“I have escaped [from the war] and need help. I am at Christmas location.

You understand. No need to risk address here. My safety depends on you  [Gene] coming at once.” (129)

Leper means that his military experiences have been horrible, when he tells Gene that he escaped from the war and begs him to come for a visit. However, when Gene arrives to Leper’s home, he is shocked to learn about his strange hallucinations and that the army wants to give him a Section 8 discharge for psychological reasons. Moreover, when Leper talks about his fearful images, caused by the war Gene cannot take it; he aggressively responds by saying:

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“This has nothing to do with me. Nothing at all. I don’t care.” (143)

Furthermore, in this incident Gene is refusing to acknowledge the reality of a world war, mainly because he has not yet resolved his own personal war (guilt of causing Finny’s accident). By the end of this incident, however, it is apparent that man cannot really run away from anything - in this case reality.

        In addition, from the forming of the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session, to the shoveling of snow at the railroad yard, everyone at Devon becomes absorbed by ...

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