Use of Symbols in John Knowles novel, "A Separate Peace".

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 P. Coleman  

Phoebe Coleman

Ms. Thackeray

Sophomore Honors English

September 28, 2010

The Use of Symbols in A Separate Peace

        John Knowles’ novel, A Separate Peace, appears to start off as a simple tale of two adolescent boys, Gene and Phineas (Finny), bumbling their way through life.  Underneath that facade lies an increasingly sinister plot that takes the youths through a journey of self-discovery and shared turmoil. Knowles uses the seasons, the tree from which Phineas fell, and Maginot Lines as symbols to convey to the reader a deeper meaning of the transformation that reshapes the brother-like bond Gene and Phineas possess.

        The seasons of Summer, Fall and Winter are all degrees of time used in Knowles’ novel to indicate the drastic change in Finny (Phineas) and Gene’s friendship over the time they spend at Devon School. To begin, Summer symbolizes freedom and the carefree spirit both the boys have at this stage in their lives. Throughout this period they take a trip to the beach, invent and play Blitzball, jump from a tree on the Devon River, and experience the gift that is the freedom of summer. From this, we can see how connected Gene and Finny felt with each other; they shared a bond that was very powerful in both of their lives. They saw each other as equals, one athletic and one academic, with neither one trying to one-up or outdo the other. During the Fall months, Finny did not attend Devon School, due to his broken leg. Finny’s absence causes Gene to view life very differently and affects the way he embraces Finny’s return to Devon. Gene tries to pick up where he and Finny left off, but despite his efforts he cannot escape the feeling of regret and remorse he possess for his part in Finny’s injury. To continue, Fall represents the shift from the innocence of Summer to the antagonism of Winter. In the Winter, after the trial in the Assembly Hall, Finny falls again, breaking his leg for the second time. Gene wishes to come to his aid but, due to their frosty relationship, he is unable to, as he says:

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I dashed back up the stairs, found a blanket and gave it to Phil Latham. He carefully wrapped it around Phineas. I would have liked very much to have done that myself; it would have meant a lot to me. But Phineas might begin to curse me with every word he knew… I kept out of the way (page 179).

 Now, Gene and Finny’s camaraderie begins to unravel and fade and as an effect, of the failure in their relationship, Gene begins to feel the repercussions of this change.  Furthermore, we can see that Gene may no longer feel the ...

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