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 himself as the main character but under the name
             of Gene Forrester. Knowles' novel tells the story of a young man's struggle to escape from
             himself and his world, to achieve a special and separate peace. Similar to A Separate
             Peace, "The Catcher in the Rye" is also a story of an emotionally disturbed young teenage
             boy, named Holden Caulfield. Holden is telling this story in first person, although the
             whole thing is all one big flashback. The story is one of a young Boy trying to grow up in
             an Adult world, and trying to show that he is an Adult. As Holden is learning, there are
             many depressing things in the world. Holden, being the Idealist that he is, searches to find
             everything that needs to be changed, but never gives an alternative to the situation or
             thing. These novels can relate to each other through their themes which are, lack of
             innocence, growing up, and facing reality.
             Holden believes that the children are almost perfect in the way that they are
             truthful, innocent and not "phony". "They never try to impress others by being something
             other than themselves. They rely on adults and have little or no responsibilities, but are
             open to learning and the truth." Holden wants to preserve the innocence of children
             because he sees children as the only people who are able to see the truth behind the
             illusions of the world. Children are still discovering new things and are open to learning,
             while adults do not learn, but conform. Gene tells of how they were children of "careless
             peace," set apart from adults by their lack of knowledge of the war, and their utter
             abandon to thei...