comparison of A seperate peace and Catcher in the Rye
A Separate Peace was written by active author John Knowles from his real experiencesand personal struggles. Knowles attended Phillips Exeter Academy, an exclusive NewHampshire prep school, for two summer sessions in 1943 and 1944. This book vaguelyoutlines his experiences at Exeter with himself as the main character but under the nameof Gene Forrester. Knowles' novel tells the story of a young man's struggle to escape fromhimself and his world, to achieve a special and separate peace. Similar to A SeparatePeace, "The Catcher in the Rye" is also a story of an emotionally disturbed young teenageboy, named Holden Caulfield. Holden is telling this story in first person, although thewhole thing is all one big flashback. The story is one of a young Boy trying to grow up inan Adult world, and trying to show that he is an Adult. As Holden is learning, there aremany depressing things in the world. Holden, being the Idealist that he is, searches to findeverything that needs to be changed, but never gives an alternative to the situation orthing. These novels can relate to each other through their themes which are, lack of
Holden believes that the children are almost perfect in the way that they aretruthful, innocent and not "phony". Children are still discovering new things and are open to learning,while adults do not learn, but conform. Throughoutthe novel, Gene realizes the difference between his state 15 years after Devon, and hisstate while at the school. Children are still discovering new things and are open to learning, while adults do notlearn, but conform and therefore can't discern between reality and illusion. However, Gene would be hardpressed to admit this, and tries to avoid the subject of his "savage" underpinning. Finny is far more complex, as we find out at the end, than Gene would liketo believe him to be; and as Gene finds out, what is on the surface sometimes does notdenote what is hidden underneath. Gene feels this especially, and this is one of the thingsthat traumatizes Leper, being suddenly thrown into the world of adulthood. Even after Finny's accident, Gene insists that Finny has never beenconflicted, after Finny has tried so hard to avoid implicating his friend despite his angerand bitterness. " Holden wants to preserve the innocence of childrenbecause he sees children as the only people who are able to see the truth behind theillusions of the world. Holden, like everyone, is struggling to disengage himself "from the illusionsof transitory actuality in order to lay hold upon the inner reality that alone endures". "They never try to impress others by being somethingother than themselves. Just as the war encroaches upon Gene and the boys at school, theiradulthood also looms before them. Holden slowly matures throughout the novel, finally growing up in the park at thecarousel. Gene tells of how they were children of "carelesspeace," set apart from adults by their lack of knowledge of the war, and their utterabandon to their own small, happy worlds.
Common topics in this essay:
Holden Idealist,
Exeter Academy,
Caulfield Holden,
Forrester Knowles',
John Knowles,
Catcher Rye,
Separate Peace,
Adult Holden,
separate peace,
discovering learning adults,
learning adults learn,
children discovering learning,
learning adults,
world children,
truth illusions,
illusions world,
truth illusions world,
adults learn,
illusions world children,
able truth,
preserve innocence,
people able,
children discovering,
|
Acceptance Essays
