John Knowles’s A Separate Peace
1.
What does Knowles achieve by
using the following simile: “Skiers in
white shrouds winged down virgin
slopes, silent as angels”?
2. Why might Knowles have Gene
walking through the rain on his
return visit to Devon?
A. Represents the power of nature and/or man’s
instincts/allegorically it is a point from which to fall
10. What might the student body as a
whole at Devon represent?
B. Gene says that the war was “his moment in history”
which heightens the contrast between the warchanged outside world and the relative peace of the
school. All of this supports the tragic tone of the
novel.
C. At first Brinker is highly involved in politics on
campus, but over the course of the novel he gradually
becomes disillusioned with it all, including the war.
D. Finny is sports-minded and loves to takes risks,
whereas, Gene is academic-minded and abides by the
rules.
E. It represents the trial in that all the boys turn on
Finny. Finny doesn’t want the trial, but the boys
pursue it. Allegorically, it can of course represent the
effects of the war on the Devon school.
F. Glorifies the war effort in Leper’s eyes and changes
the course of events by introducing the war to the
school, which causes all of the students to confront
reality.
G. The mock trial in the Butt Room hints at the climax of
the novel. Gene is unable to say one thing that would
stop the insinuations. The result is that the scene
creates tension between Gene and those he observes
around him, therefore elevating his conflict and
confusion.
H. Represent the flow of life; each parallels the
personality traits of Gene and Finny; contrast between
the pure simplicity of summer and the harsh ugliness
of winter
I. Metaphor for the entire generation of American young
men who had to grow up too quickly to meet the
demands of WWII.
J. Symbolizes the best qualities of being young and as
yet untouched by the adult world
11. How does the tree serve as a
symbol?
K. Symbolic of the demise of youthful innocence
resulting from the war
12. What might Finny’s personality
represent?
L. Gene claims that the encounter has changed him. His
being “drenched” may suggest a symbolic cleansing.
3. What might Finny’s death symbolize?
4.
How does the snowball fight parallel
what happens in the climax of the
novel?
5. Explain one use of foreshadowing
within the novel.
6.
What do the Devon and the
Naguamsett symbolize?
7.
Why is Brinker considered a
dynamic character?
8.
How does Knowles use a flashback
as a framing device in the plot?
9. How does Finny serve as a foil for
Gene?