Irony
"Yes, he had practically saved my life. He had also practically lost it for me. I wouldn't be on the damn limb except for him. I wouldn't have turned around, and so lost my balance, if he hadn't been there. I didn't feel any rush of gratitude towards Phineas" (33). Through this quote, it is evident that Gene believes Finny is at fault for his near death experience. This quote shows irony because despite the fact that Finny saved Gene's life, Gene still finds a way to be angry with and ungrateful for Finny. Also, later on in the novel, a similar situation occurs where Finny is falling off of the the tree, and Gene sits back and watches him fall instead of attempting to save him.
Point of View
John Knowles' A Separate Peace is written in first person with Gene as the narrator. Since the novel is written in first person, readers receive a more personal level. Also, the point of view of the novel is effective because since Gene is reflecting on events that occurred in the past, it causes readers to develop a feeling of uncertainty, and wonder if the Gene's description of events is accurate.
Symbolism
"'Isn't the bone supposed to stronger when it grows together over a place where it's been broken once?' 'Yes, I think it is'" (155). Throughout the novel, Finny's broken bone symbolizes his friendship with Gene. When Finny first broke his leg, he and Gene were at a bad place in their relationship, and Gene was extremely jealous of Finny, and wanted nothing more than to be better than Finny. However, as the novel progresses and Finny's bone begins to heal, his friendship with Gene heals as well, and they once again establish a strong relationship. However, it was when Finny fell down the stairs and broke his leg again that he realized Gene purposefully pushed him out of the tree.
Summer: In the novel the book starts in summer and it symbolizes a time of freedom and happiness. The teachers were easy going and it was when Finny could get away with anything. Gene becomes the top of the class and Finny breaks one of the school records. Finny and Gene's frienship was strong and they always spent time together. Summer symbolized innocence and youth because all the boys were very happy and weren't worried about the war.
Winter: After Finny's fall, winter follows and it is fille with dark and difficult work. For example the boys begin to follow what is going on in the war and they start to think about enlisting. Leper even goes to war and goes insane because of it. The boys begin to fall apart as Brinker begins to push Gene to confess what he had done to Finny. Winter symbolizes adulthood and that the boys are no longer innocent. They have to face the fact that there is a war going on and they are living through it.
Finny's Fall: Finny's fall symbolizes a fall of innocence. The students from Devon start with a naive chilhood, with not knowing anything about this war occuring, then become marked as adults as they begin to realize the events that are actually occuring. Finny's fall ends the summer session which is when the students were carefreee. After Finny's fall, winter begins and war is discussed frequently. The boys all of a sudden care about this war and have no time to fool around and be kids because of this war.
World War II: In the novel, each character has some kind of war going on with themselves. Specifically Gene has the biggest war with himself. He does not know who he is and throughout the novel he is trying to find a sense of himself. Since he had a hard time finding himself, he finds himself through Finny and becomes part of him. At the end of the novel when he is refelcting on Finny's death, Gene says, “I never killed
anybody and I never developed an intense level of hatred for the enemy. Because my war ended before I ever put on a uniform; I was on active duty all my time at school; I killed my enemy there. Only Phineas was never afraid, only Phineas never hated anyone” (196). When he refers to this enemy, he is referring to himself and the demons inside him. By “killing” Finny he thinks he has killed a part of himself as well. When Gene says he had been on active duty throughout his time at school he meant in war with himself, and who he really was.
Foreshadowing
"I began to examine each one closely, and finally identified the tree I was looking for by means of certain small scars rising along its trunk, and by a limb extending over the river, and another thinner limb growing near it. This was the tree" (4). Gene arrived at Devon furiously searching for a specific tree. This foreshadows the tree's significance throughout the novel because he traveled back all the way to Devon in search for this tree. Also, in this particular quote, Gene mentions the limb that extends over the river, and that limb holds significance as well because that was the limb Finny fell off of. His reference to this limb foreshadows the limb's importance because the limb allowed Gene was able to identify the tree.
"Our footsteps fell guilty on the marble floor. We continued across the foyer to a dreamlike bank of windows, turned left up a pale flight of stairs…and into the assembly room. From the high ceiling one of the celebrated Devon chandeliers, all glittering tears, scattered thin illumination" (157). John Knowles' careful word choice in this passage foreshadows the idea that something bad is going to happen, which ultimately ends up being Finny falling down the "pale flight of stairs" and breaking his leg once again. The words, "fell guilty," "pale flight of stairs," and "tears," cause the passage to have a dark, dreary tone, indicating that something bad is about to happen.
Conflict
"'You were there too, weren't you Gene?' This new voice from the platform continued. 'Yes.' I said with interest, 'Yes, I was there too.' 'Were you near the tree?'" (162). Throughout the novel, Gene is constantly accused of pushing Finny out of the tree and causing Finny to break his leg. This conflict continues over the course of the novel because many characters yearn to know if Gene truly did push Finny out of the tree. Even Gene himself struggles to decide whether or not he pushed Finny.
Tone and Mood
The tone of John Knowles' A Separate Peace is very dark, dreary, and at times, regretful. The tone causes readers to establish a melancholy, uneasy mood.
Imagery
"The snow, white almost to blueness, lay like a soft comforter over the hills, and birches and pines indestructibly held their ground, rigid lines against the snow and sky" (132). This is an example of imagery because Knowles' beautifully describes the setting. His details are so accurate and descriptive that the readers feels as if they are actually there.
Picture of boys on tree from: http://www.lakelandschools.us/lh/bosullivan/A%20Separate%20Peace%20Webquest_files/branch.gif
"Yes, he had practically saved my life. He had also practically lost it for me. I wouldn't be on the damn limb except for him. I wouldn't have turned around, and so lost my balance, if he hadn't been there. I didn't feel any rush of gratitude towards Phineas" (33). Through this quote, it is evident that Gene believes Finny is at fault for his near death experience. This quote shows irony because despite the fact that Finny saved Gene's life, Gene still finds a way to be angry with and ungrateful for Finny. Also, later on in the novel, a similar situation occurs where Finny is falling off of the the tree, and Gene sits back and watches him fall instead of attempting to save him.
Point of View
John Knowles' A Separate Peace is written in first person with Gene as the narrator. Since the novel is written in first person, readers receive a more personal level. Also, the point of view of the novel is effective because since Gene is reflecting on events that occurred in the past, it causes readers to develop a feeling of uncertainty, and wonder if the Gene's description of events is accurate.
Symbolism
"'Isn't the bone supposed to stronger when it grows together over a place where it's been broken once?' 'Yes, I think it is'" (155). Throughout the novel, Finny's broken bone symbolizes his friendship with Gene. When Finny first broke his leg, he and Gene were at a bad place in their relationship, and Gene was extremely jealous of Finny, and wanted nothing more than to be better than Finny. However, as the novel progresses and Finny's bone begins to heal, his friendship with Gene heals as well, and they once again establish a strong relationship. However, it was when Finny fell down the stairs and broke his leg again that he realized Gene purposefully pushed him out of the tree.
Summer: In the novel the book starts in summer and it symbolizes a time of freedom and happiness. The teachers were easy going and it was when Finny could get away with anything. Gene becomes the top of the class and Finny breaks one of the school records. Finny and Gene's frienship was strong and they always spent time together. Summer symbolized innocence and youth because all the boys were very happy and weren't worried about the war.
Winter: After Finny's fall, winter follows and it is fille with dark and difficult work. For example the boys begin to follow what is going on in the war and they start to think about enlisting. Leper even goes to war and goes insane because of it. The boys begin to fall apart as Brinker begins to push Gene to confess what he had done to Finny. Winter symbolizes adulthood and that the boys are no longer innocent. They have to face the fact that there is a war going on and they are living through it.
Finny's Fall: Finny's fall symbolizes a fall of innocence. The students from Devon start with a naive chilhood, with not knowing anything about this war occuring, then become marked as adults as they begin to realize the events that are actually occuring. Finny's fall ends the summer session which is when the students were carefreee. After Finny's fall, winter begins and war is discussed frequently. The boys all of a sudden care about this war and have no time to fool around and be kids because of this war.
World War II: In the novel, each character has some kind of war going on with themselves. Specifically Gene has the biggest war with himself. He does not know who he is and throughout the novel he is trying to find a sense of himself. Since he had a hard time finding himself, he finds himself through Finny and becomes part of him. At the end of the novel when he is refelcting on Finny's death, Gene says, “I never killed
anybody and I never developed an intense level of hatred for the enemy. Because my war ended before I ever put on a uniform; I was on active duty all my time at school; I killed my enemy there. Only Phineas was never afraid, only Phineas never hated anyone” (196). When he refers to this enemy, he is referring to himself and the demons inside him. By “killing” Finny he thinks he has killed a part of himself as well. When Gene says he had been on active duty throughout his time at school he meant in war with himself, and who he really was.
Foreshadowing
"I began to examine each one closely, and finally identified the tree I was looking for by means of certain small scars rising along its trunk, and by a limb extending over the river, and another thinner limb growing near it. This was the tree" (4). Gene arrived at Devon furiously searching for a specific tree. This foreshadows the tree's significance throughout the novel because he traveled back all the way to Devon in search for this tree. Also, in this particular quote, Gene mentions the limb that extends over the river, and that limb holds significance as well because that was the limb Finny fell off of. His reference to this limb foreshadows the limb's importance because the limb allowed Gene was able to identify the tree.
"Our footsteps fell guilty on the marble floor. We continued across the foyer to a dreamlike bank of windows, turned left up a pale flight of stairs…and into the assembly room. From the high ceiling one of the celebrated Devon chandeliers, all glittering tears, scattered thin illumination" (157). John Knowles' careful word choice in this passage foreshadows the idea that something bad is going to happen, which ultimately ends up being Finny falling down the "pale flight of stairs" and breaking his leg once again. The words, "fell guilty," "pale flight of stairs," and "tears," cause the passage to have a dark, dreary tone, indicating that something bad is about to happen.
Conflict
"'You were there too, weren't you Gene?' This new voice from the platform continued. 'Yes.' I said with interest, 'Yes, I was there too.' 'Were you near the tree?'" (162). Throughout the novel, Gene is constantly accused of pushing Finny out of the tree and causing Finny to break his leg. This conflict continues over the course of the novel because many characters yearn to know if Gene truly did push Finny out of the tree. Even Gene himself struggles to decide whether or not he pushed Finny.
Tone and Mood
The tone of John Knowles' A Separate Peace is very dark, dreary, and at times, regretful. The tone causes readers to establish a melancholy, uneasy mood.
Imagery
"The snow, white almost to blueness, lay like a soft comforter over the hills, and birches and pines indestructibly held their ground, rigid lines against the snow and sky" (132). This is an example of imagery because Knowles' beautifully describes the setting. His details are so accurate and descriptive that the readers feels as if they are actually there.
Picture of boys on tree from: http://www.lakelandschools.us/lh/bosullivan/A%20Separate%20Peace%20Webquest_files/branch.gif