A Separate Peace

John Knowles

The major focus of this unit will be based around our understanding of the major characters and how they interact with one another. They raise a lot of key questions about human relationships and whether we truly are our brother’s keeper—and to what extent!

We will be doing journal writes that help us to see our progression as the story moves on. At times, I will ask you the same question after we have new knowledge from the story to see if you still feel the same way.

Themes

Am I my Brother’s Keeper?

Rite of Passage

With knowledge comes loss of innocence

Peace and War

In search of self-Identity—Who am I in relation to others?

Problems with conformity

Jealousy vs. Envy

The five images of man

Separate Peace Context

The central story of A Separate Peace begins lessthan a year after the December 7, 1941, Japaneseattack on Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii. Shortly afterthe surprise bombing, which claimed the lives ofmore than 2,000 U.S. soldiers, the United Statesentered World War II.

During the 1930s, when international conflicts began to erupt in Asia, most Americans didnot want the United States to become involved inconflicts overseas. As other conflicts erupted andspread, many Americans sympathized with theplight of longtime allies, and their fight againstNazi Germany. However, recalling the pain andhorror of World War I, most Americans stillwanted the United States to remain neutral. Withthe bombing of Pearl Harbor, however, the opinion of the American public almost immediatelyshifted to favor U.S. involvement, and the peoplequickly readied themselves for war.

In 1940, when the U.S. government instituted the first peacetime draft in the nation’s history, all men aged twenty-one through thirty-fivewere required to register for military service. Afterthe United States entered the war, the registration age was lowered to eighteen. Many youngmen did not wait to be drafted; patriotism was atan all-time high, and teenagers often felt that itwas their duty to enlist.The war brought changes to the Americaneconomy and lifestyle. The military needed weapons,and this need created jobs. The American peopledid all they could to aid the country. They attendedrallies, bought war bonds, conserved fuel and rubberby car pooling, and planted “victory gardens” to supplement the sometimes meager supply of fresh fruitsand vegetables.

Americans tolerated the sometimesfrustrating lack of everyday items such as shoes, butfound other shortages considerably less tolerable. Forexample, in a popular song of the time, “They’reEither Too Young or Too Old,” a woman lamentsthe shortage of eligible men.

John Knowles, in an article about his schooldays, describes how the “man shortage” at home,in the States, changed the makeup of the Exeterfaculty:

All the faculty . . . were between fifty andseventy years old when I first entered Exeter inthe fall of 1942. I had a young French teacherand one other young teacher but they had leftfor the war by midyear. All of the faculty on thecampus were so much older than we were, thatwe had no connection with them. They werejust too old, too tired, and too busy. One of thereasons that [the main characters in ASeparate Peace]develop this intensely closefriendship is that they had no one to relate to; noolder person to pattern themselves on, to lookand talk things over with. . . .

In short, American life, as it had been, changed“for the duration”—a phrase that meant “until theend of the war.” To the characters in A SeparatePeace,“for the duration” seems very long indeed.

Character Analysis

Sports / Finny
Gene
Studies / Finny
Gene
Rules / Finny
Gene
Outlook on Life / Finny
Gene

Study Guide

STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR

A SEPARATE PEACE

Chapter 1

  1. Where did the narrator return to? How long had passed since he had been there last?
  1. What two places does the narrator go to visit?
  1. What summer does most of the action take place?
  1. What did Finny want to do? Why?
  1. Who completed the activity?
  1. Describe the relationship between the narrator and Finny.

Chapter 2

  1. What happens with Finny and Mr. Prud’homme?
  1. Why is the faculty more indulgent with these boys?
  1. What is Finny’ emblem?
  1. What happens at the traditional tea?
  1. Why is the narrator disappointed by these events?
  1. What happens when the two boys go out on the branch together?
  1. What society do they form?

Chapter 3

  1. How often does the society meet? How do all meetings begin?
  1. What is blitz ball? Who creates this and makes up the rules?
  1. What happens at the pool? What does the narrator want to do about that?
  1. How does Finny react?
  1. How do the boys get to the beach? How long does it take?
  1. What activities do they partake in while at the beach?
  1. What does Finny tell the narrator while on the beach?

Chapter 4

  1. What happens to the narrator when he returns to school?
  1. What is the narrator’s goal for his school career?
  1. What does the narrator think that Finny feels about this goal?
  1. What does the narrator believe that Finny is doing to him?
  1. What does the narrator dedicate himself to?
  1. What does Finny say will happen the night before the French final exam?
  1. How does the narrator react to the meeting? What does Finny tell him to do

and why?

  1. What does the narrator realize about himself and Finny?
  1. What does Finny want to do that night at the tree?
  1. What happens that night?

Chapter 5

  1. What happened to Finny? How does the narrator feel?
  1. What does the narrator do one evening when dressing for dinner?
  1. What does the doctor tell him about Finny’s condition?
  1. How does the narrator react to this news?
  1. What does Finny remember about that night in the tree?
  1. What does the narrator want to tell Finny? Does he?
  1. What does the narrator do when he is passing through Boston on his way back to Devon?
  1. What does he tell Finny? How does Finny react? What does the narrator say to try to make things better?

Chapter 6

  1. Who is Brinker Hadley?
  1. Who is Quackenbush? What happens between him and the narrator? What

causes this to happen?

  1. What happens when the narrator returns from this adventure?
  1. Whydid the narrator decide to be assistant crew manager?
  1. How does Finny react to this news? What does he tell the narrator that he will be doing when Finny returns?

Chapter 7

  1. What does Brinker say that upsets the narrator (Gene)? Is he serious?
  1. What happens when the boys go to the Butt room?
  1. How does Gene handle this confrontation?
  1. What is one of the things the boys do to help out due to the war effort? What is another thing that they did?
  1. Who does Gene meet on his way to the train? What is this person doing?
  1. After working at the railroad, what does Brinker announce? What does Gene decide? What happens to change those plans?

Chapter 8

  1. How does Finny react to Brinker’s question?
  1. What does Finny want to do on his first dayback on campus?
  1. Where do they go?
  1. What does Finny tell Gene about the war?
  1. What does Finny make Gene do? What does he tell Gene his aim was?
  1. What does Gene do every morning?

Chapter 9

  1. Who is the first boy to enlist? What branch of the service does he want to join?
  1. How do the boys react to this enlistment after he is gone?
  1. What is the winter carnival? Whose idea is it?
  1. What events make up the carnival?
  1. Who does Gene get a telegram from? What does it say?

Chapter 10

  1. What is Leper like when Gene visits?
  1. Why did he “escape” the army?
  1. What does he say that sets Gene off? What does Gene do?
  1. How did Leper react to his service experiences?

Chapter 11

  1. What does Gene do when he returns to Devon after visiting

Leper?

  1. What does Brinker think is the reason for Gene not enlisting?
  1. What is the one thing that Finny believes in?
  1. Who does Finny see hiding in the bushes? What does seeing him prove to Finny?
  1. Where does Brinker take Gene and Finny at night?What is their purpose?
  1. How does Finny handle their questions? What does he try to do for Gene?
  1. Who is the surprise witness for the trial? What does he say?
  1. How does Finny react to this testimony? What happens to Finny?

Chapter 12

  1. Where is Finny taken? What does Gene do?
  1. How does Finny react to seeing Gene? What happens to him?
  1. Where does Gene spend the night?
  1. Why does Gene return to the infirmary?
  1. What does he tell Finny?
  1. What does Finny say about denying the war? What does Gene say about Finny being a solider?
  1. What is resolved between the boys?
  1. What does the doctor tell Gene? How does Gene react? Why?

Chapter 13

  1. What moves into the Far Common in June?
  1. What branch of the service does Gene join? Brinker?
  1. What does Gene say his war was?
  1. What was Finny the only one not to do during his time on earth?