I. Authorial Background At the age of fifteen John Knowles started attending school at Phillips Exeter Academy. This was a well-known boarding school in New Hampshire. Exeter was very similar to Devon, the fictional school he describes in his novel "A Seperate Peace". Knowles graduated in 1...

A Separate Peace was written by active author John Knowles from his real experiences and personal struggles. Knowles attended Phillips Exeter Academy, an exclusive New Hampshire prep school, for two summer sessions in 1943 and 1944. This book vaguely outlines his experiences at Exeter with himsel...

John Knowles's novel, A Separate Peace, relates to the struggle of male adolescents growing up during the difficult times of World War II. Set at Devon Academy, a private Eastern preparatory school, the story focuses mainly on the relationship between Gene Forrester and his friend, Phineas, wh...

What is meant by the title of the book? Focus on the symbolic meaning. John Knowles's A Separate Peace tells a story of growing up fueled by the impulsing emotions of adolescents that burst from the seams of friendship, envy, violence, and hatred. All these emotions are explored as Finny an...

In the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles, a schoolboy and his friend go through a dramatic struggle that demonstrates the idea that when opposites attract there could be dire consequences. Finny an all around athlete and popular kid has a misfortunate accident when he falls from a tree. Gene a ...

In the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles, a schoolboy and his friend go through a dramatic struggle that demonstrates the idea that when opposites attract there could be dire consequences. Finny an all around athlete and popular kid has a misfortunate accident when he falls from a tree. Gene a ...

In the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles, Gene Forrester is a character wrought with inner-conflict. The first trait that contributes to Gene's inner-turmoil is that he is dreadfully lacking in self-confidence and he is uncomfortable with the person he has been all his life, especially ...

A Seperate Peace The line between friendship and hatred can sometimes be very unclear. Where exactly does one cross over this line? Could it possibly be when one discovers envy within himself for his friend, or is it when he begins to wish he is somewhere other then where he is? In the novel A S...

In the story "A Separate Peace," John Knowles created the world of The Devon School. The story is set in a boarding school during World War II in New England. Two friends, Gene and Finny, learn the dark side of adolescence, which changes their viewpoints forever. The following essay wil...

"All of them, all except Phineas, constructed at infinite cost to themselves these Maginot Lines against this enemy they thought they saw across the frontier, this enemy who never attacked that way–if he ever attacked at all; if he was indeed the enemy." Gene remarked. (p.196) A Sep...

A Separate Peace Contrasting Essay Gene vs. Finny A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles, is a story about two teenage boys who are supposedly friends, yet have more differences than they share similarities. The two main characters in A Separate Peace are Gene and Finny, who both attend Dev...