Get ready for your
quiz over Chapters 1-3 of
A
Separate Peace
By John Knowles
Announcements: No vocab this week.
Essay peer edit on block day. Bring a typed rough draft!
A Separate Peace Pacing
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4-5 due Friday, May 17th
6-8 due Monday, May 20th
9-11 due on Block Day, May 22nd/23rd
12-13 due on Friday, May 24th
Test over A Separate Peace on May 29/30
About the Author
John Knowles
• Born in West Virginia on
September 16, 1926
• Knowles was educated at Phillips
Exeter Academy, which served as a
model for the setting of A Separate
Peace.
• A Separate Peace was Knowles’
first work, which earned him the
Rosenthal Award of the National
Institute of Arts and Letters. This
established Knowles as a
successful author.
Phillips Exeter Academy
• Devon School, the setting of A Separate Peace, is based
heavily on the Phillips Exeter Academy.
Phillips Exeter Academy
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
shielded from reality.
Historical Context
World War II
• Began in 1939 when the Germans invaded Poland, and officially
ended in August 1945, when the Japanese surrendered.
• A Separate Peace takes place during the summer of 1942, directly
in the center of World War II.
In America:
In order to cope with the war, America instituted rations on books,
sugar, coffee, and other goods.
• To conserve gasoline, a national 35 MPH speed limit was
implemented, and driving for pleasure was banned.
•By the summer of 1942, many Americans realized that the war was
far from over.
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.
Literary Context
• A Separate Peace belongs to a genre of literature
called Bildungsroman. This translates to “a novel
of formation.” This is a German term which
describes a novel whose main character matures
over time, usually from childhood.
•a coming of age novel that represents the
psychological, moral & social maturation of the
protagonist.
• Similar to Lord of the Flies, Jane Eyre, or To Kill a
Mockingbird, A Separate Peace deals with children
coming to terms with their identity and what role
they play in the world.
Main Themes
Internal and external conflicts.
The plot is dominated by Gene’s progression toward maturity.
What is percieved versus what is the truth?
The duality of man (good and evil inside all of us)
The relationship between war and peace.
The backdrop of the war plays a vital role in the novel.
The nature of friendship.
The relationship between Gene and Finny is the novel’s focus.
The power of guilt and jealousy.
People’s ability to change.
Is change really possible?
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
Archetypal Characters
• The Christ figure – a
sacrificial, blameless
person who takes on
the sins of a
community.
• The Judas/betrayer –
The person who
turns on the Christ
figure for personal
gain.
Situational Archetypes
The Ritual:
Ceremonies that
mark the rite of
passage into
another state.
– Sacrificial
– Initiation
– Coming of Age