READING QUIZ!!!!!!!
Get a pen/pencil and a sheet of paper for your quiz.
** Reminder: Typed copy of your rough draft due in class on
Block Day. Get out your outline so I can approve your thesis!!
Final essay due on May 17 (Friday)
A Separate Peace Reading Quiz
1. Write 2-3 sentences describing Finny’s character.
2. Write 2-3 sentences describing Gene’s character.
3. What shocking “tribute” to the school does Finny make?
4. How can you see the influence of the war on Gene, Finny,
and their classmates? Give 2 examples of how it affects
them.
5. What club does Finny invent in chapter 2? What is the
initiation act for this club?
6. What sport does Finny invent in chapter 3? What does the
creation of this sport emphasize about Finny’s character?
7. At the end of chapter 3, Finny makes an important
revelation to Gene. What is Gene’s response to Finny’s
statement? Why might this response be significant?
Discussion Topics:
-John Knowles
-WWII and The Draft
-Boarding School in
the 1940s
- A Separate Peace
John Knowles
• Born September 16, 1926
• Died November 29, 2001
• Attended high school at
Phillips Exeter Academy (an, at the
time, all boys private school)
• Attended college at Yale where he
worked for the Yale Daily News and
was a varsity swimmer.
John Knowles – Writing Career
• A Separate Peace was
published first in London in
1959, then in New York in 1960.
• He also wrote Peace Breaks
Out, which serves as somewhat
of a sequel to A Separate
Peace.
• A Separate Peace is his most
highly acclaimed work.
World War II
• WWII began when Germany invaded Poland on
September 1, 1939.
• America joined World War II in reaction to the
attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
• World War II lasted 6 years (1939-1945).
• At its conclusion, more than 60 million people
had lost their lives.
As you read pay
attention to the
drastically
different image
of America that
you saw in Of
Mice and Men
vs. what you
see in A
Separate Peace.
America During WWII
• Rationing: a system established in 1942 to make sure everyone
could buy necessities without inflation.
Consumers need rations books, coupons, or tokens to be able to
purchase items such as
- Coffee
- Sugar
- Gasoline
- Typewriters
- Bicycles
- Nylon
- Meat
- Cheese
- Butter/Margarine
- Canned Goods
and many more . . .
Ending Unemployment
• The problems with
unemployment caused by the
Great Depression ended with
America’s involvement in
WWII.
• War production created
millions of new jobs.
• With civilians going overseas
to fight, students, women, and
retired citizens entered the
workforce.
The Draft
• FDR signed the Selective Service & Training Act in 1940.
• It required all men sign up for selective service upon turning
18. These men could be called to war at anytime if their draft
card was selected.
• The draft for WWII lasted from 1940-1943. Of the 50 million
registered, 10 million were inducted into the military.
Boarding School
aka “Prep School”
•The term “prep school” comes from
preparatory academy: boarding schools were
meant to prepare students for college.
•Students lived at the school in dorms.
•The schools were single sex.
•These schools provided a well-rounded
education as well as promoted physical fitness.
The Victory Corps
•During WWII, schools
emphasized physical
fitness to prepare their
male students for war.
•The boarding schools
would participate in
“Victory Corps.”
•This required students
to participate in war
oriented extracurricular
activities and home front
volunteer projects.
1940s Prep School Elitism
•1940s prep schools were
viewed as elitist “clubs”
•They were meant for the
children of the very wealthy,
and these children were
often disconnected from
society and from reality.
•Prep schools contributed to
the “old boy network:” a
group of individuals who
were privileged because of
who their family was and
who they knew.
A Separate Peace
• Setting: Summer of 1942 to Summer of
1943 (During WWII),
Devon School, New England
• Devon School: It is a private, all boys,
boarding school. The students live at
Devon during the school year.
• Main Characters:
- Gene Forrester: the narrator,
very intelligent and focused on
academics
- Phineas aka “Finny”: Gene’s
best friend and roommate,
very athletic, daredevil personality
Bildungsroman
• “novel of formation”: a coming of age
novel that represents the
psychological, moral & social
maturation of the protagonist.
Popular Bildunsroman Stories:
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
- Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
- Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
- The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Warm-Up
• What do you think about “frenemies”?
Is competition between friends healthy
or will jealousy eventually tear the
friendship apart?
Take out your notes to add to them. 
Major Themes
• The power of jealousy and
guilt
• The negative impact of
codependency on
individuality
• The questioning of
friendships
• What is perceived versus
what is the truth
• The duality of man
(the struggle with internal
enemies, good vs. evil)
What Is An Archetype, Again?
• Archetypes are recurring
patterns (plot structures,
symbols, character types,
themes) that occur in mythology,
religion, and stories across
cultures and time periods.
Archetypal Settings and
Symbols
Water: the mystery of
creation; the life cycle (birthdeath-resurrection);
purification and redemption
The Sea: the mother
of all life; death and
rebirth; the
unconscious
Archetypal Settings and
Symbols
The Underworld: a place of death;
represents an encounter with the
dark side of the self
Archetypal Settings and
Symbols
Tree: inexhaustible life due to its growth,
proliferation, and generative and
regenerative processes; wisdom
Situational Archetypes
The Fall: a descent
from a higher to a
lower state of being,
from innocence and
bliss to loss–often
accompanied by an
expulsion from
paradise
Situational Archetypes
The Ritual:
Ceremonies that
mark the rite of
passage into
another state.
– Sacrificial
– Initiation
– Coming of Age
Chapter 1-3 Discussion
• How does Knowles establish that
the novel is a bildungsroman?
• How would you describe the Gene’s
tone as a returns to Devon?
Chapter 1 – 3 Discussion
• How would you
characterize Gene?
• How would you
characterize Finny?
• How do Gene and Finny
function as foil pairs?
• What are you noticing about
the way Gene describes his
friendship with Finny?
Chapter 1 – 3 Discussion
• How do you see the influence of WWII on
the characters? How is it simultaneously
creating conflict and building bonds?
• What archetypes have been established in
the first 3 chapters?
Warm Up
Get ready for the Chapter 4-8 quiz!!
Chapter 4 -5 Discussion
In chapter 4 and 5 our biggest question to answer is whether or
not Gene deliberately “jounces” the limb so that Finny will fall.
You are going to split into 2 groups:
Gene is guilty vs Gene is not guilty
You must find evidence to prove whether or not Gene deliberately
causes Finny to fall. As you find evidence you need to consider
the following:
1. If Gene did this on purpose, are his actions justified?
2. Do Gene or Finny (or both) display any signs of guilt?
Why might they be feeling guilty.
You must present your information to the opposing side. You will
have the opportunity to switch sides if you opinion changes!
Thematic Connections
How does Ch 4-5 cause you to question
what is the truth versus what is
perceived as the truth?
Thematic Connections
How are you seeing the dangers of
codependency on identity? Consider this
for both Gene and Finny.
Chapter 6-8 Discussion
• How does the change in the seasons reflect a
deeper meaning at the beginning of chapter 6?
• The fall of Finny is considered the climax of this
novel. Why do you think this is the case?
• Describe the two rivers that run by Devon.
What do you think might be their symbolic
significance in the story?
• What is ironic about Gene’s new position as a
crew manager? Why might he have taken this
position?
Chapter 6-8 Discussion
• When Finny leaves school, who takes over the
leadership of the boys? What is the difference
between these two characters?
• How is the war becoming more real for the
boys? Why might Finny think the war is fake?
• How does Finny’s fall actually bring Gene and
Finny closer? What does this reveal about both
boys?
• What is Finny’s reaction to Gene’s confession?
What does this reveal about him?
• How might the title describe Finny during these
chapters?
Development of Archetypes
How are these archetypes continuing to
be developed in the story?
Trees
Water
The Ritual
The Underworld
The Fall of Man
These archetypes have just
been introduced. Where
are they present? How are
they important to the
development of the story?
Warm-Up
Are you noticing any patterns that
are developing in A Separate Peace?
Are there any images or concepts that
seem to be repeating?
Motifs in Literature
A motif is an element or idea that repeats
throughout a piece of literature.
This is different from a
symbol because a symbol
might only occur once.
Motifs in Literature
A motif can be expressed by a collection of symbols.
Ex: Motif: Fragmentation (of a family, perhaps)
Symbols: a broken window, a runaway pet,
shattered glass
Motif: Light vs Dark
Symbols: moon shadows, a candle, a
thunderstorm, etc…
Motifs in Literature
Motifs help contribute to an overall theme of
the story.
Ex: Motif: Light vs Dark
Theme: Love survives death
Life renews itself
Knowledge conquers fear
The duality of man
Motifs in Literature
Common Motifs in Literature:
Clothing
Seasons
Colors
Paradise/
Garden of Eden
Serpent
Trees
Importance of Threes
The Quest
The Betrayal
The Faithful Friend
The Damsel in Distress
Born Again
Floods
Transformations
The Inward Struggle
Motifs in Literature
Example:
Motifs in Literature
Motifs in A Separate Peace
Transformations
Seasons
Athletics
References to War
Clothes
Falls
Motif Storyboard
Transformations
Seasons
Athletics
Front: Image capture one
instance of this motif
Front: Image capture one
instance of this motif
Front: Image capture one
instance of this motif
Back: 2 quotes
- ch 1-4, ch 5-8
- Explain how this motif is
showing a change in
character, tone/mood, or
is emphasizing a theme
Back: 2 quotes
- ch 1-4, ch 5-8
- Explain how this motif is
showing a change in
character, tone/mood, or
is emphasizing a theme
Back: 2 quotes
- ch 1-4, ch 5-8
- Explain how this motif is
showing a change in
character, tone/mood, or
is emphasizing a theme
References to War
Clothes
Falls (think literal
and figurative)
Front: Image capture one
instance of this motif
Front: Image capture one
instance of this motif
Front: Image capture one
instance of this motif
Back: 2 quotes
- ch 1-4, ch 5-8
- Explain how this motif is
showing a change in
character, tone/mood, or
is emphasizing a theme
Back: 2 quotes
- ch 1-4, ch 5-8
- Explain how this motif is
showing a change in
character, tone/mood, or
is emphasizing a theme
Back: 2 quotes
- ch 1-4, ch 5-8
- Explain how this motif is
showing a change in
character, tone/mood, or
is emphasizing a theme