Analysis Of A Separate Peace- Essay, Research Paper
Analysis of A Separate Peace-
The title of the novel A Separate Peace implies many insights
which show how tranquillity existed at the Devon School; that which
occurred during a specific time period, or that of certain characters.
The Summer Session of Devon served as a peaceful interval between the
spring and fall semesters, during which Gene and Phineas found peace
within themselves.
The Summer Session was a few dozen boys being force-fed
education. The rules were not enforced strictly, if they were
enforced at all. The boys had been an idiosyncratic, leaderless
band…undirected except by the eccentric notions of Phineas.
(Knowles, 66.) During the Summer Session, Gene and Phineas were also
ineligible to be drafted into the army. They were in shaky transit
from the status of Lower Middler to Upper Middler, and were not old
enough to go to war. (Knowles, 7.) Because of their playful behavior
and their age, the boys lived a separate peace, away from rules, the
rest of the world, and the war. At the termination of the Summer
Session, Gene commented that peace had deserted Devon. (Knowles,
64.)
Another example of how a separate peace had existed at Devon
was Phineas. On page 195, Gene comments on how nothing had broken
[Finny s] harmonious and natural unity. (Knowles, 195.) The one way
in which Finny achieved and maintained his state of harmony was
denial. The most evident example was his response to the war. His view
was that there isn t any war, and the whole situation was invented
by fat old men in attempt to keep the kids in line. (Knowles, 107.)
His reaction was caused by the fact that he happened to be injured,
and unable to participate. Finny s way in establishing a separate
peace for himself was in complete denial of the situation. Another
evident example of creating a state of denial was his relationship
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jounced the limb so [he] would fall off, and Finny responds, of
course you didn t. (Knowles, 62.) It was possible that he knew the
truth about Gene, considering he had feelings about what had
happened. He confesses these feelings to Gene, and quickly dismisses
them, and even apologizes for having them in the first place, which
shows that he observed Gene s true evil and forced himself to deny it.
(Knowles, 58.) This denial helped Finny find peace within himself, and
to be at peace with Gene.
The last example of a separate peace was that which Gene found
within himself. He had always had trouble finding his true character,
and he helped himself do so by somewhat becoming a part of Phineas. On
page 54, Gene decides to put on Finny s clothes, for no apparent
reason. He looks in the mirror and realizes that he was Phineas,
Phineas to the life. (Knowles, 54.) At his new realization of
character, Gene says that he would never stumble through the
confusions of [his] own character again. (Knowles, 54.) After Finny s
accident, Dr. Stanpole tells Gene that Phineas would never be able to
play sports again. Gene decides he wanted no more of sports, as though
when Dr. Stanpole said Sports are finished he had been speaking of
[Gene]. (Knowles, 76.) In this way, Gene felt he was a part of
Phineas, and at peace with himself. When Finny dies, Gene did not cry
then or ever about him. He felt as if he had died himself. (Knowles,
186.) This shows how Gene had found his true self and was at peace by
becoming a part of Finny.
In conclusion, there were several forms of separate peace that
existed at Devon, the most significant being that of the Summer
Session, and that which Gene and Finny established for themselves. In
all forms of peace, a world had been created apart from that of
trouble, misunderstanding of character, reality, and war.