In times of war, people and societies change to adapt to the lifestyle war brings with it. In John Knowles" A Separate Peace the characters must adapt to the lifestyle brought forth by World War II. Some make it through these times better than others and some just don't make it at all. This brings me to my reasoning for the theme of this novel; "survival of the fittest". .
From the beginning of this novel it is made abundantly clear that Phineas and Gene are the fittest. In chapter one Phineas is described as ".the best athlete in the school" with "a strong neck in and uninterrupted, unemphatic unity of strength."(8) Clearly Phineas is the fittest physically. His physical build and superior athletic ability give him that advantage over everyone else enabling him to survive. Then there is Gene, who is also a good athlete but is no Finny. Gene couldn't be "just good but exceptional" in his academics (46). He has to stand out for his achievements. His just being good at school would not make him even with Phineas. Gene wants "to be head of the class, valedictorian."(43) Gene sees it that Finny is the best athlete in school and he is his best friend so he has to be best at something too. You don't stand out for just being good at something you have to be exceptional to survive. Another character of this novel, Lepper Leppellier, also comes to the realization of the survival of the fittest in this quote: "I"m almost glad this war came along. It is like a test, isn't it, and only the things and people who've been evolving in the right way survive."(117) And later in the novel we find out that he was definitely not the fittest, he went crazy. He did realize however, Gene to fit the characteristics he was referring to in the quote above. Well, with Phineas and his broken leg, Gene is not only the smartest but also the best athlete.
Indefinitely, Lepper realizes the "survival of the fittest" reality yet he is not the "fittest" due to the fact that the war made him crazy.
So they created a separate peace. ... Finny found his separate peace within his denial. ... This is where Gene and Finny find a separate peace. ... He wished to clear his separate peace. ... Given these facts, Gene received his separate peace through Finny. ...
Separate Peace In John Knowles book A Separate Peace he communicates how the war in him was taking its toll on him. ... (Knowles, 32) This is what Gene stands for in the book A Separate Peace. ... This is the start of a separate peace. ... This is like Finny's world of a separate peace. ... Finny has created a separate peace at Devon that he substitutes for the real war. ...
A Separate Peace is a mind riveting novel dealing with adolescent development and one boy's struggle to understand himself and the world in times of turmoil. ... I feel that the novel A Separate Peace is truly focused on two wars. ... I think it is interesting that John Knowles named his novel A Separate Peace. "A separate peace" refers to the Devon School that Gene attends. ... A Separate Peace is definitely a mind bending novel. ...
A Separate Peace was written by active author John Knowles from his real experiences and personal struggles. ... The primary setting of A Separate Peace is at the Devon School. ... A Separate Peace considers two conflicts: man against man and man against himself. ... The style of A Separate Peace is realistic. ... I would recommend A Separate Peace to everyone who has eyes to read it or someone to read it to them. ...
A Separate Peace was written by active author John Knowles from his real experiences and personal struggles. ... The primary setting of A Separate Peace is at the Devon School. ... A Separate Peace considers two conflicts: man against man and man against himself. ... The style of A Separate Peace is realistic. ... I would recommend A Separate Peace to everyone who has eyes to read it or someone to read it to them. ...
John Knowles's A Separate Peace was a wonderful story about friendship and life. ... I didn't really have a "favorite part" of A Separate Peace, nor did I have a favorite character. ... John Knowles A Separate Peace is a wonderful book that teaches a lot about friendship and trust. ...
A "Separate Peace" (published in 1960) takes place during the Second World War in a New England Prep School called Devon (based on Phillips Exeter Academy). ... The main characters Gene and Finny are always struggling between the "separate peace" and the real war. ... The war in Europe took away the peace from the boys, affected them, and influenced them to be ready for what was coming to them. ... Even thought he tried to hide it by making the Separate Peace, in which he and Gene practiced for Olympics. ... Even Finny who was thought to be in a "Separate Peace" admitted the reality of th...
A Separate Peace Symbols are often used throughout the novel A Separate Peace, to help the reader distinguish between who or what is moral and immoral. ... The second main symbol would be the Winter Carnival, which represented the peace and freedom that were considered as qualities of Finny. ... The Devon River symbolized peace because the war did not really affect the people in Devon, but the Naguamsett River represented Europe where the war was taking place with all the battles. ... He was trying to make it seem like he was infected with the filth, which represente...
A Separate Peace A Separate Peace true relates to a person going through adolescence. ... He seems to be at peace with him self when things around him are at peace as well. ... Him seeing the women's face on men's bodies and human parts on chairs and tables shows that he was not at peace anymore. He needs to be in the woods or oust side to be a peace. ...
In general the setting is its own separate peace. ... The winter carnival is an example that shows the students at the school creating their own separate peace. ... Finny successfully creates his own separate peace by creating a fantasy world. ... In this novel, A Separate Peace is shown through different examples. ... A separate peace for some is what resolves a problem that can have an effect on someone's life. ...
