A Separate Peace Biblical Parallel
Molly Smith
Mr. Harless
Honors English II
30 November 2013
Biblical Parallel Masterpiece John Knowles incorporates parts and pieces of the Bible throughout his novel, A Separate Peace. From the characters, to the setting, and to the situations and events, John Knowles carefully paints a masterpiece that is symbolic of the Bible. A Separate Peace by John Knowles is a biblical parallel in that Finny is a Christ figure, Devon School is symbolic of Heaven, and Gene’s loss of innocence is symbolic of the fall of man in the Bible’s Book of Genesis. Finny is displayed as a Christ figure throughout A Separate Peace. A Christ figure is forgiving, has disciples, and self-sacrificing (Foster 117-125). After having fallen out of the tree because of Gene, Finny refuses to believe that Gene would do such a thing. However, when he finally realizes that Gene did cause him to fall out of the tree, he chooses to forgive him. Finny also has many disciples or followers. “Phineas in those days almost always moved in groups the size of a hockey team” (Knowles 15). Many of his followers, especially Gene, aspired to be just like Finny. Another way that Finny exemplifies a Christ figure is that he is self-sacrificing. Even after winning all of the sports games, he is humble and does not want to take the credit. Finny’s character is in many ways similar to Jesus, therefore making Finny a Christ figure. Devon School is literally a separate peace for the boys attending the school just as Heaven is for Christians. The school is a sign of innocence and obliviousness from the war going on around them. Devon is like a safe haven for the boys just like heaven is for Christians; it one of the only places that protects them from the war. The boys do not know of all of the violence and tragedy going on around them outside of the school. It is “the last place of freedom and safety for the boys, guarding their last days of childhood and standing as the tame fringe of the last and greatest
Mr. Harless
Honors English II
30 November 2013
Biblical Parallel Masterpiece John Knowles incorporates parts and pieces of the Bible throughout his novel, A Separate Peace. From the characters, to the setting, and to the situations and events, John Knowles carefully paints a masterpiece that is symbolic of the Bible. A Separate Peace by John Knowles is a biblical parallel in that Finny is a Christ figure, Devon School is symbolic of Heaven, and Gene’s loss of innocence is symbolic of the fall of man in the Bible’s Book of Genesis. Finny is displayed as a Christ figure throughout A Separate Peace. A Christ figure is forgiving, has disciples, and self-sacrificing (Foster 117-125). After having fallen out of the tree because of Gene, Finny refuses to believe that Gene would do such a thing. However, when he finally realizes that Gene did cause him to fall out of the tree, he chooses to forgive him. Finny also has many disciples or followers. “Phineas in those days almost always moved in groups the size of a hockey team” (Knowles 15). Many of his followers, especially Gene, aspired to be just like Finny. Another way that Finny exemplifies a Christ figure is that he is self-sacrificing. Even after winning all of the sports games, he is humble and does not want to take the credit. Finny’s character is in many ways similar to Jesus, therefore making Finny a Christ figure. Devon School is literally a separate peace for the boys attending the school just as Heaven is for Christians. The school is a sign of innocence and obliviousness from the war going on around them. Devon is like a safe haven for the boys just like heaven is for Christians; it one of the only places that protects them from the war. The boys do not know of all of the violence and tragedy going on around them outside of the school. It is “the last place of freedom and safety for the boys, guarding their last days of childhood and standing as the tame fringe of the last and greatest
Cited: Foster, Thomas C. How to Read Literature like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines. New York: Quill, 2003. Print. Knowles, John (1959). A Separate Peace. New York, NY: Scribner. “A Separate Peace.” Novels for Students. Ed. Diane Telgen. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 1997. 240-261. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.