Abstract
The paper focuses on the theme of life's contrasts in "A Separate Peace", by John Knowles. The paper portrays how these contrasts are shown by contrasting characters, contrasting seasons and good vs. evil. The paper describes the main characters, Gene and Finny and the Devon School where the novel takes place.

From the Paper
"Life's contrasts could be compared to a big box of crayons. They are varied from bright colors to pastel shades, and life's colors change with each day (Smithwick). Life's contrasts help build character, help to reveal who a person really is, and is experienced by most everyone on a daily basis. In the novel A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, the main characters are two teenagers, Gene and Finny. The story takes place in the 1940's at a prep school called Devon. Gene and Finny are best friends who are trying to figure each other out. A major theme of this book is life's contrasts, which is shown by contrasting characters, contrasting seasons, and good vs. evil."

Tags:contrasts, characters, seasons, good, vs., evil, Gene, Finny

Abstract
This paper focuses on the character Phineas, known as Finny, in "A Separate Peace," by John Knowles, exposing the ambiguity of his role which appears to be the symbolic representation of the innocent who is sacrificed in exchange for redemption. The writer describes Finny's fearless and uninhibited character, and its impact on those around him, particularly the narrator, Gene, whose envy of Finny results in indirect murder. However, it is also Finny's way of setting his own rules, disregarding convention and always getting away with it that eventually leads to his death.

From the Paper
'"The most beautiful school in New England"(Knowles) is the set for the joyful Summer sessions of 1942 when two boys who became best friends will forcefully pass from the happy days of childhood to the drama of adults living in the middle of a world, war still fighting to shape their own identities. The narrator, through the voice of Gene Forrester who immerses back into the summer of 1942, tells the story of his friendship with the best athlete of the school, Phineas, ended tragically by Phineas' fall from a tree.'

Tags:symbolism, conventional, sin, authority, careless, perdition

Abstract
This paper discusses "A Separate Peace," John Knowles' first published novel. The paper discusses the plot of the story and the characters within it and focuses primarily on the relationship between two boys - Finny and Gene. The paper concludes that the story is about war between best friends - the loss of innocence and the importance of having to go through the battle.

From the Paper
"But was Finny Gene's enemy? The implication is that, yes, he was; Finny was this great sort of presence that seemed to always have a hold on Gene. Finny never hurt Gene, but Gene believed, because of Finny's superior nature, that he was out to destroy him. Perhaps what Gene is talking about when he said he killed his enemy at Devon was not that he killed Finny, his enemy (even though that might seem like the plausible theory). Perhaps Gene was referring to himself as the enemy; his childhood self was his enemy and he killed him when he made mistakes and had to live with the recourse of those mistakes."

Tags:enemy, war, friendship, plot

Abstract
The writer discusses the book as it traces the progression of the main character from childhood to adulthood. The paper uses passages from the book to illustrate the growth of Gene in relation to his friendship with Phineas. According to the writer, Gene is forced to adopt more mature concepts as he encounters jealousy rage, and the eventual propensity to harm his friend.

From the Paper
"In the classic bildungsroman the reader follows the main character from childhood to adulthood. John Knowles? A Separate Peace manges to capture this journey as taking place within the space of less than a year. The novel describes the struggle of two prep school students, Phineas (Finny) and Gene, to deal with the treachery of one and the effects it has on both of them. Gene's envy of his friend leads him to cause great harm to Finny. Ultimately Gene is forced to accept adult notions of morality and to leave childhood behind."

Tags:growth, development, jealousy, adolescence, students

Abstract
This paper draws a timeline of 12 major events that shape the direction of John Knowles' great novel, "A Separate Peace". The paper presents these events in chronological order and summarizes them and discusses their importance. The paper demonstrates how each of these events is meant to illustrate to the reader the main themes of the book: the pain of growing up and losing innocence, the process of transformation that shapes the lives of the main characters, and the phenomenon of people finding fulfillment through their relationships with others. The paper concludes that the book is a powerful glance at what it was like to come-of-age during a period in history when the world seemed to be careening off into madness.

From the Paper
"Over the next few pages, a timeline will be drawn up of 12 major events that shape the direction of John Knowles' great novel, "A Separate Peace". These events will be presented in chronological order and, in addition to being summarized, their importance will be discussed. Ultimately, what should become clear is that each of these events is meant to illustrate to the reader the main themes of the book: the pain of growing up and losing innocence, the process of transformation that shapes the lives of the main characters, and the phenomenon of people finding fulfillment through their relationships with others. In the end, the book is a powerful glance at..."

Tags:john, knowles, peace

Abstract
The paper is a timeline of 12 major events, occurring in chronological order, that comprise the core of John Knowles,' "A Separate Peace". By outlining these events and discussing their significance, the paper highlights how this book is about coming-of-age as an adult, about personal transformations (both good and bad) and about friends finding fulfillment through each other. In the end, the paper shows how the story is all about growing up during difficult times and being forced to confront painful realities - war, human frailty, and the loss of innocence being chief among them.

From the Paper
"The following brief paper is a timeline of 12 major events, occurring in chronological order, that comprise the core of John Knowles,' "A Separate Peace". By outlining these events and discussing their significance, the next few pages will highlight how this book is about coming-of-age as an adult, about personal transformations (both good and bad) and about friends finding fulfillment through each other. In the end, the story is all about growing up during difficult times and being forced to confront painful realities - war, human frailty, and the loss of innocence being chief among them."

Tags:innocence, transformation, friendship

Abstract
The paper outlines twelve major events in chronological order in John Knowles' book, "A Separate Peace", and explores their significance. The paper highlights the ideas of coming-of-age as an adult, personal transformations and about friends finding fulfillment through each other. The paper shows how the story is about being forced to confront painful realities; war, human frailty and the loss of innocence being chief among them.

Outline:
First Major Event: The Return to Devon
Second Event: Climbing up the Tree (the Second Climb)
Third Event: Finny's Confession of Friendship and Gene's Hesitation
Fourth Event: Gene Flunks the Trigonometry Test
Fifth Event: Finny's Fall
Sixth Event: The Visit in the Infirmary and the Failed Confession
Seventh Event: The Confession at Finny's Home in Boston
Eighth Event: Gene's Decision to Enlist - and how It Is Interrupted by Finny's Return
Ninth Event: Gene Decides to Become an Olympic Athlete
Tenth Event: the Fight with Leper at Leper's Home in Vermont
Eleventh Event: the Tribunal
Twelfth Event: Finny's Death

From the Paper
"In chapter one, the narrator of the story returns to the elite Devon school campus in New Hampshire 15 years after graduation. Upon his return, the narrator is re-introduced to the fear he felt at the time (he was a student during the height of the Second World War) and he is prompted to recollect the summer of 1942 when his room-mate, Phineas or "Finny," persuaded him to jump off the branch of a tree found on the Devon campus; the tree, as it turns out, is located right beside a river and it is into the river that one must jump. Ultimately, the act of jumping into the river, and the wrestling that Finny and the narrator do afterwards, causes them to miss dinner that evening."

Tags:war, human, frailty, innocence, friendships, fulfillment

Abstract
This paper focuses on three passages from the novel. By examining these passages the writer shows how each segment of Knowles' work completes many tasks simultaneously-- each paints an experience, divulges character, conjures moods, promotes narrative, is vibrant with imagery, innovative in technique, and masterfully constructs theme.

From the Paper
"This passage re-creates the student's experience at almost any school. Everyone, at least once, has envied someone else's gifts. At the same time, however, it shows that Gene is a much darker character, and much more involved in analysis of the world around him than Finny is. Furthermore, by using words like "enmity" and "coldly," Knowles sets the macabre mood that must necessarily be present, in this the scene that creates an emotional foundation for Finny's fall. For, indeed, once Gene discovers that Finny does not share his "deadly rivalry," his envy becomes stronger and more embittered, and it is during this second envy that Finny falls."

Tags:student, peer, pressure, social, acceptance, gene, finny, life, wwii

Abstract
This paper compares and contrasts the theme of American angst in the novels, "A Separate Peace" and "The Catcher in the Rye."

From the Paper
"A central theme in much of contemporary American literature is the development of the adolescent into a young adult, a process that psychologists have come to regard as emotionally charged, filled with multiple pitfalls and a source of often quite extreme stress. (Kagan and Havemann) In this essay, an examination of how adolescent angst emerges in characters created by J. D. Salinger and John Knowles will be presented. Knowles' book "A Separate Peace" is focused on the characters of Gene and..."

Tags:The Catcher in the Rye, A Separate Peace, angst

Abstract
The writer of this paper examines the depiction of adolescents in two particular works of literature written within a span of 400 years. This paper explores the key emotional factors of the teenage characters of both novels and details the similarities and difference in both works of writing. The writer asserts that when Shakespeare wrote "Romeo and Juliet" the average life span was much shorter than it is today, which resulted in teens assuming more adult responsibilities at a far younger age. This paper also delves into teenage infatuation and romance and examines whether these particular emotions and feelings have changed over the years. This paper contains relevant plot and character information for both "Romeo and Juliet" and "A Separate Peace."

From the Paper
"Those who would argue that teenagers today are much different than those Shakespeare describes could point to the fact that the Renaissance adolescents took themselves much m ore seriously. Critics of my position might point out that Romeo and Juliet is about real love and A Separate Peace isn't about love at all. However, I must point out that in this modern novel, where modern teenagers interact in many ways, they never seem to think or talk much about girls, and yet there is still-without any homosexual overtones-a story of romantic passion. Gene loves Finny much as Romeo loves Juliet. As with all infatuated teenagers, much of their love is in their minds. Their feelings get confused; they act reflexively, unthinkingly, immaturely; and Romeo, Juliet, and Finny all end up dead."

Tags:literature, youth, teen, love, feelings, emotion, perception