A Separate Peace by John Knowles - summary of theme and narrative

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A Separate Peace

One should never do such a thing; that when looking back in life they should repent it. A Separate Peace is a flashback novel, written by John Knowles. It takes place in the 1940’s in an all male boarding school in New Hampshire. Gene, a fairly young man now visits his old high school, Devon High School fifteen years after graduation, remembering mainly his summer before and his last year there. Gene had spent his time there with his “best friend” Finny. Finny was the time of guy that could get away with everything and anything, especially during the Summer Session the boys were attending. He was good at almost everything, well except for academics. Gene no doubt was the smart one of the two, while Finny was athletically strong. To understand the many feelings and actions that the characters go through, the setting should be taken into great consideration.

The 1940’s; World War two was taking place at that time. Men from all over the country were getting drafted. At the end of this year, these boys would also be drafted, fighting a war that their families, neighbors, teachers, and fellow citizens were already fighting.  Once the Summer Session finishes these boys will begin senior year, at the end of which they will be sent away. Amidst all this confusion and free there is a pair of boys, Finny and Gene. Finny was intimidating, basically everything he said was right, or believed to be right. Gene on the other hand followed. Never did he do anything out of his own will, but did it because he thought “ what would Finny think if I said no, he would think of me as a coward.” But then again these boys are best friends or so they say, than what is the need to feel such a way. Is it jealousy? Or maybe, suspicion. These concepts have always been out to ruin friendship and a true friendship is that which can withstand these.

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Is it jealousy when you think, “ He minded, despised the possibility that I might be the head of the school.”    “ Then the though struck me, Finny had deliberately been out to wreck my studies.” When a guy tells you, you are his best pal, a true friend would reply by giving some sort of nod or sign of the mutual feeling, but Gene never did that. He kept quiet because in his mind he knew that Finny was not his best friend. In his mind, Finny was out to get him when really he was just trying ...

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