A Separate Peace Theme Essay

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One major theme Knowles creates in A Separate Peace is the development of childhood into adulthood, and with that, the fall from innocence. The novel itself is a coming of age story that tells of Gene’s development into adulthood. Author James Ellis describes the plot of the novel as, “What happens in the novel is that Gene Forrester and Phineas, denying the existence of the Second World War as they enjoy the summer peace of Devon School, move gradually to a realization of an uglier adult world”. One symbol that represents the development of childhood into adulthood are the summer and winter school sessions at Devon. The summer session is a carefree time during which the teachers are very lenient and Gene and Finny, with the help of Finny’s clever means of talking his way out of issues, are able to get away with just about anything. During this …show more content…
In the beginning of the novel, Gene was innocent, with a childlike attitude towards the world. He conforms to the rules of the school, a safe and predictable environment, however, when he is this sheltered, there is no room for him to grow and mature. The only way he can grow is through conflict, which Finny brings into his life. Finny is a character foil of Gene; even though they are remarkably similar in looks, they could not be more different in personalities. Finny is carefree, while Gene is filled with anxiety about everything he does, and it is Finny’s lightheartedness that creates conflict within Gene. When Finny breaks Gene’s wall of conformity to the rules, it results in uncertainty and uneasiness for Gene. This uneasiness causes Gene to make the rash assumption that Finny is deliberately trying to sabotage him, and with this mindset, along with the jealousy Gene feels towards Finny, he makes the decision to knock Finny out of the

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