Preview

Separate Peace Essay

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
400 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Separate Peace Essay
A Separate Peace Essay Places, usually known as nouns, but combined with time they create setting. Setting is one of the most important things in any written piece of art, it tells the reader what, and when; two of the six most important questions in writing. In A Separate Peace setting is very important and also greatly used. Not only does it contrast with thematic content, but it also complements thematic content. Setting also discusses, it discusses importance of certain scenes and people. Setting say many things, but it also reveals many things, told and untold. It will tell you who has been in it and around it by a mere footprint, but it will also tell you if somebody is destined to be nice or mean by its location. Gene and Finny are destined to be nice and charming because they live in the south, while somebody that is from the east may not be so fortunate. Setting reveals a lot about people and events also, like when Gene wrestled one of his friends into the creek, the winter setting told the readers the water was freezing, and that was the reason they got out so quickly. Sometimes a setting will contrast with what is happening creating an interesting situation, usually it complements the situation. Hot – cold, dark – light, wet- dry, things are constantly contrasting, even settings and nature. Throughout this novel nature opposes what the settings do, and goes in the opposite direction. When Finny had to walk across the field covered in ice on crutches he was contrasting with nature. Just like hot and cold contrasting has a pair; complementing, also known as comparing. Complementing is usually what teenage boys do, but nature actually does it all by itself, nature complements the settings with beautiful sunsets, or gorgeous waterfalls. In this novel babbling brooks, Victorian buildings, and marble all complement the setting of Devon, while southern hospitality and corn fields complement the characters. People, places, and things are constantly

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    At the beginning of Chapter 11, Gene has come back from Vermont and wants to see Finny. He becomes part of a snowball fight that Finny organized. Later, Gene tells Finny and Brinker that Leper was Absent Without Leave. Brinker reacts by saying that “poor old Leper” couldn’t handle life in the army. He guesses that Leper must be crazy and Gene confirms his suspicions. Later, Brinker tells Gene that things won't be normal unless people start acting natural about what happened to Finny.…

    • 340 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    These two novels, Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger and Separate Peace by John Knowles both share narrator similarities throughout the book because both show major changes and growth of the two protagonists.…

    • 227 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In comparing and contrasting the book A Separate Peace by John Knowles and the movie directed by Larry Peerce, I found both differences and similarities. Unlike most movie/book comparisons I found mostly comparisons. Don’t get me wrong, they are different but the main points are very similar.…

    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Both the movie and the book share a basic concept of showing an understanding of a story being told. The book does a more in depth explanation and a better job of narrating the story. John Knowles novel, A Separate Peace, is a story about a destructive and corrupt relationship between Finny and Gene who both attend Devon School around World War ll where most boys went off to fight in the army not realizing there was already a war created within themselves, hence the title, A Separate Peace. The book does a much more effective job of telling the story compared to the movie. In the novel, the story is being told from Gene's perspective whereas in the movie, it is being told from a third persons point of view. Also, Cliff…

    • 359 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Greasy Lake vs a&P

    • 1059 Words
    • 5 Pages

    According to the dictionary, setting is defined as “the surroundings and environment of anything,” or “ the locale or period in which the action of a novel, play, film, and etc.”. When writers begin writing their story, they must think about where and when the story will take place. It is important because the setting creates the mood and the world of the story. Although the stories “A&P” by John Updike and “The Greasy Lake” by T.C. Boyle are completely different when it comes to the setting, both of their settings are almost as important as the actual story itself.…

    • 1059 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Genes enemy is his innocence and he killed it, you can't live with your innocence your whole life it's impossible. You can't be perfect so that means you're going to lose your innocence as well. Gene lost most of his during his years at Devon. He experienced things that should only happen when he's older but instead he experience it at a young age. The death of his best friend was something to never forget and he lost his innocence because it was partially his fault.…

    • 385 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the novel A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, the story of Gene's painful growth into adulthood from childhood is told, as a journey of deepening his understanding about the world. Gene's innocence at the beginning of the book represents comfort in childhood. By following the rules and only rebelling through sarcasm, “the protest of people who are weak” (22), Gene maintains a comfortable life. Furthermore, this shows that growth can only come through conflict and struggle, and Gene's childlike behavior shields him from adulthood. Later in the book, Gene and Brinker decide to enlist together but Gene has second thoughts. His second thoughts come from the realization that, “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”(196). Gene steps into adulthood by admitting what he has done at Devon and how he feels about. Throughout the course of only one year Gene goes form a child to an adult. Gene stated “It seemed appropriate that my baptism there had taken place on the first day of the winter session, and that I had been thrown into it" (86). John Knowles uses powerful words in this passage to portray Gene's dramatic change from an oblivious child to the clarity of adulthood. Gene feels that he was “baptized” in the Naguamsett River implying that he has become something new and has stepped into adulthood. Gene’s growth into adulthood from childhood is shown throughout the course of the novel.…

    • 257 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Friendship is a special bond between two people; a bond that depends on one important element, trust. The book A Separate Peace focuses on the relationship between two adolescent boys in prep school. Phineas and Gene had two completely different personalities. Phineas, athletic and adventurous, had a wild imagination, and never followed tradition. Gene, smart in academics, conservative, and hard working, would have preferred to follow the rules. It hardly seems that the two could become friends, being so different from each other; having little in common, what time could they possibly spend together? When Phineas persuaded Gene into biking to the beach with him, Gene thought of several reasons not to go, still he went with Phineas. Much of…

    • 350 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay On A Separate Peace

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages

    To enhance and create a short movie previewing the novel, A Separate Peace, music, colors, pictures, and words were utilized. The colors and music relate to the characters and their feelings. On the other hand, the pictures make it more pleasing to watch and allow viewers to connect the words and ponder. Additionally, the phrases assist in understanding the pictures and allow for a smoother transition. Together the factors build upon one another to compose the short film.…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the book A Separate Peace written by John Knowles the main character attends an all boys school. The book is set during World War One and explains how life and how the boys at the school are effected. There are two main themes in the book and they are jealousy and friendship. The two themes are actually mainly between two friends that attend Devon. The two themes show up several times throughout the entire book. The two boys both experience the to themes and both have to over come their jealousy and keep their friendship…

    • 729 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Betrayal, one of the most horrible things you could do to anyone your family, a friend anyone. To me it’s one of my all time most hated things a person could do and it’s almost unforgivable. In this book A Separate Peace by John Knowles two boys Phineas and Gene who are best friends at a boarding school in New Hampshire experience some of the worst kinds of Betrayal you could think of. Gene commits a very bad betrayal when he jousts the tree limb they are both standing on ending up with Finny falling and badly breaking his leg. This was no accident because Gene can’t stand the guilt.…

    • 1011 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the story A Separate Peace, Gene’s change is due to his obsession over Phineas. Because Finny saves Gene’s life, he developed special feelings for him. After that, Gene tries extra hard to be like Finny. Although Gene feels as if he has complete and utter control over Finny, he doesn’t. But by the end of the story, Gene’s feelings toward Finny reverse themselves. Gene’s obsession with Phineas takes a toll on him to the point that he can no longer handle it.…

    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In many relationships, there is an extrovert and an introvert; the extrovert being the more likeable and outgoing person, while the introvert being the quiet and less noticed person. This relationship many times causes tension between the two friends, but many times the tension is only felt by one person; usually the introvert, thus jealousy becomes prominent. In A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, this is the case between best friends Finny (the extrovert), and Gene (the introvert). Both boys attend The Devon School, an upscale boys boarding school in the Northeast part of the United States. This jealousy exists between both boys, but only affects Gene, because he thinks about it constantly, and Finny doesn’t realize it. Many journeys are constantly impacted by jealousy, and the potential for evil that humanity possesses is revealed.…

    • 998 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A Separate Peace Essay

    • 962 Words
    • 3 Pages

    One of the most questioning events in the book was when Finny "fell" out of the tree and the night of the day it happened Gene had thoughts that a friend shouldn't have. "Holding firmly to the limb I took a step toward him, and then my knees bent and I jounced the limb" (Knowles60). "That night I slept easily... I was confronted with myself, and what I had done to Finny" (Knowles62) Each of the quotes say that he done something to Finny, that it was his fault, and he did it most likely out of jealousy and anger. The first quote is the…

    • 962 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Symbolism started as a loosely organized literary and artistic movement that originated with a group of French poets in the late 1800s. Within a century, symbolism will become a big influence on European and American literature. In the novel A Separate Peace, two rivers that are described are the Devon and the Naguamsett. The Devon river was filled with fresh water, flowed past hills, highland farms, and forests, passed the school grounds, then went over a little waterfall into the Neguamsett. The Naguamsett River was ugly, saline, fringed with marsh and seaweed, and its course ended in the ocean. These rivers and the relationship between the two have many important symbolic meaning in the novel. One interpretation of the rivers is Gene as…

    • 625 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays