Epic tales of boyhood friendships, with all the camaraderie, adventure, and wit that defines them would definitely depict A Separate Peace and Dead Poet's Society.
             These two works of art not only share there prestigious all boys boarding school setting, but the theme of nonconformity. However, differences between the two pieces do exist. A Separate Peace is a reminder of one of the minor themes in the novel, related to the danger of jealousy, while Dead Poets Society has "Carpe Diem," written all over it.
             Dead Poet's Society is a film about conflict and passion. It is set in a
             Vermont school, Welton Academy and the scenes largely involve the teacher,
             Professor John Keating and his students. Robin Williams is well cast as the independent, passionate teacher. His portrayal of Keating is both convincing and moving. Keating is a man who teaches because he loves to teach. He gives more than just knowledge to
             his students. He inspires them. He urges them to "seize the day!", to seek out their dreams and to believe in themselves. His teaching techniques are unconventional and appeal to the boys' imaginations. He earns their respect and becomes their friend and mentor. The novel, A Separate Peace, tells a story about a young man's struggle to achieve and maintain such a separate peace. And although the setting is in America in the midst of war, the focus of the novel is internal. For the majority of the plot, the distant war is an illusion for the students in Gene's class, and for the reader, the war becomes the biggest metaphor of the novel: a metaphor for the internal conflict of a sixteen-year old boy. Gene's soul becomes a battleground where jealousy, fear, love, and hatred combat for control of his actions. And amidst the turmoil of adolescence, it is the victory of the dark forces of human nature that make Gene realize that each person is alone with his enemy, that the only significant wars are not made b...