A Separate PeaceA Separate Peace

John KnowlesJohn Knowles

Chapter 1 and 2 Chapter 1 and 2

In chapter one, Gene realizes he In chapter one, Gene realizes he has “escaped” something since he has “escaped” something since he has left Devon. What is it?has left Devon. What is it?

Chapter 1 and 2Chapter 1 and 2

In paragraph 9 of chapter 2, Gene In paragraph 9 of chapter 2, Gene explains why the school atmosphere explains why the school atmosphere is more relaxed for the sixteen-year is more relaxed for the sixteen-year olds than it is for the seniors. What olds than it is for the seniors. What reasons does he see for the reasons does he see for the difference?difference?

Chapter 1 and 2Chapter 1 and 2

What connection did Finny make What connection did Finny make between jumping from the tree and between jumping from the tree and the war?the war?

Chapter 1 and 2Chapter 1 and 2

What is the Super Suicide Society What is the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session? What is of the Summer Session? What is significant about its title?significant about its title?

Chapters 3 and 4Chapters 3 and 4

In chapter 3 there is a break after which the In chapter 3 there is a break after which the narrator talks about a moment in history that narrator talks about a moment in history that for him represents reality. for him represents reality.

What is this time? Who are its leaders? What What is this time? Who are its leaders? What are some of the characteristics of the situation?are some of the characteristics of the situation?

What is unique about this passage? What is unique about this passage?

Chapters 3 and 4Chapters 3 and 4

““To keep silent about this amazing happening To keep silent about this amazing happening deepened the shock for me. It made Finny deepened the shock for me. It made Finny seem too unusual for– not friendship, but too seem too unusual for– not friendship, but too unusual for rivalry. And there were few unusual for rivalry. And there were few relationships among us at Devon not based on relationships among us at Devon not based on rivalry.“ -Ch. 3, p. 45rivalry.“ -Ch. 3, p. 45

Chapters 3 and 4Chapters 3 and 4

“ “ I should have told him then that he was my I should have told him then that he was my best friend also and rounded off what he had best friend also and rounded off what he had said. I started to; I nearly did. But something said. I started to; I nearly did. But something held me back. Perhaps I was stopped by that held me back. Perhaps I was stopped by that level of feeling, deeper than thought, which level of feeling, deeper than thought, which contains the truth.” Ch. 3, p. 48contains the truth.” Ch. 3, p. 48

Chapters 3 and 4Chapters 3 and 4

““The beach shed its deadness and became The beach shed its deadness and became spectral gray-white, then more white than spectral gray-white, then more white than gray, and finally it was totally white and gray, and finally it was totally white and stainless, as pure as the shores of Eden. stainless, as pure as the shores of Eden. Phineas, still asleep… made me think of Phineas, still asleep… made me think of Lazarus, brought back to life by the touch of Lazarus, brought back to life by the touch of God.” Ch. 4, p.50God.” Ch. 4, p.50

Chapters 3 and 4Chapters 3 and 4

““The thought was, You and Phineas are even The thought was, You and Phineas are even already. You are even in enmity. You are both already. You are even in enmity. You are both coldly driving ahead for yourselves alone. You coldly driving ahead for yourselves alone. You did hate him for breaking that school did hate him for breaking that school swimming record, but so what? He hated you swimming record, but so what? He hated you for getting an A in every course but one last for getting an A in every course but one last term. You would have had an A in that one term. You would have had an A in that one except for him. Except for him.” Ch. 4, p.53except for him. Except for him.” Ch. 4, p.53

Chapters 3 and 4Chapters 3 and 4

““It wasn’t my neck but my understanding It wasn’t my neck but my understanding which was menaced. [Finny] had never been which was menaced. [Finny] had never been jealous of me for a second. Now I knew that jealous of me for a second. Now I knew that there was never was and never could be any there was never was and never could be any rivalry between us. I was not the same quality rivalry between us. I was not the same quality as he.” Ch. 4 p. 59as he.” Ch. 4 p. 59

Chapter 5Chapter 5

What are some examples of allusions What are some examples of allusions so far in so far in A Separate PeaceA Separate Peace. Explain . Explain your answer.your answer.

Chapter 5Chapter 5

What are some examples from the What are some examples from the text of foreshadowing. What text of foreshadowing. What indications did the text give that indications did the text give that hinted at Finny’s fall?hinted at Finny’s fall?

Chapter 6 Chapter 6

Back at Devon, Gene must attend the Back at Devon, Gene must attend the opening chapel service. There he makes opening chapel service. There he makes the following observation: “If you broke the following observation: “If you broke the rules, then they broke you. That, I the rules, then they broke you. That, I think, was the real point of the sermon on think, was the real point of the sermon on the first morning.”the first morning.”

Chapter 6Chapter 6

What statements in chapter 6 show What statements in chapter 6 show that Gene’s identity is now blurring that Gene’s identity is now blurring into an association with Finny’s into an association with Finny’s identity? Why does Gene feel and act identity? Why does Gene feel and act like Finny? What are the emotions like Finny? What are the emotions behind this behavior?behind this behavior?

Chapter 6Chapter 6

After applying for crew manager, he adds, After applying for crew manager, he adds, “Jobs like mine were usually taken by boys “Jobs like mine were usually taken by boys with some physical disability, since everyone with some physical disability, since everyone had to take part in sports and this was all had to take part in sports and this was all disabled boys could do. As I walked toward disabled boys could do. As I walked toward the door I supposed that Quakenbush was the door I supposed that Quakenbush was studying me to see if he could detect a limp. studying me to see if he could detect a limp. But I knew that his flat black eyes would never But I knew that his flat black eyes would never detect my trouble.”detect my trouble.”

Chapter 6Chapter 6

When Quakenbush taunts him with being When Quakenbush taunts him with being maimed, Gene hits him and then explains, maimed, Gene hits him and then explains, “I didn’t know why for an instant; it was “I didn’t know why for an instant; it was almost as though I were maimed. Then almost as though I were maimed. Then the realization that there was someone the realization that there was someone who was flashed over me.”who was flashed over me.”

Chapter 6Chapter 6

Toward the end of chapter 6, Gene sums Toward the end of chapter 6, Gene sums up his feelings about athletic up his feelings about athletic participation: “I wanted no more of participation: “I wanted no more of sports. They were barred from me, as sports. They were barred from me, as though when Dr. Stanpoole said, ‘Sports though when Dr. Stanpoole said, ‘Sports are finished!’ he had been speaking of are finished!’ he had been speaking of me.”me.”

Chapter 6Chapter 6

Gene says, “I lost part of myself to Gene says, “I lost part of myself to him then, and a soaring sense of him then, and a soaring sense of freedom revealed that this must have freedom revealed that this must have been my purpose from the first: to been my purpose from the first: to become a part of Phineas.”become a part of Phineas.”

Chapter 6Chapter 6

What are some symbols that have What are some symbols that have appeared in chapter 6 that reflect the appeared in chapter 6 that reflect the change (or loss of innocence) that change (or loss of innocence) that occurred between the Summer and occurred between the Summer and Winter sessions? What else do they Winter sessions? What else do they represent? Give examples.represent? Give examples.

Chapter 6Chapter 6 ““To enlist. To slam the door impulsively on the past, to To enlist. To slam the door impulsively on the past, to

shed everything down to my last bit of clothing, to break shed everything down to my last bit of clothing, to break the pattern of life- that complex design I had been the pattern of life- that complex design I had been weaving since birth with all its dark threads, its weaving since birth with all its dark threads, its unexplainable symbols set against a conventional unexplainable symbols set against a conventional background of domestic white and schoolboy blue, all background of domestic white and schoolboy blue, all those tangled strands which required the dexterity of a those tangled strands which required the dexterity of a virtuoso to keep flowing- I yearned to take giant military virtuoso to keep flowing- I yearned to take giant military shears to it, snap! Bitten off in an instant, and nothing left shears to it, snap! Bitten off in an instant, and nothing left in my hands but spools of khaki which could weave only a in my hands but spools of khaki which could weave only a plain, flat khaki design, however twisted they might be.” plain, flat khaki design, however twisted they might be.”

What is Gene talking about here? Explain…What is Gene talking about here? Explain…

Chapter 7-8Chapter 7-8

1) Early in chapter 7, Brinker accuses Gene of 1) Early in chapter 7, Brinker accuses Gene of deliberately getting rid of Finny so he could deliberately getting rid of Finny so he could have the room all to himself. He says that have the room all to himself. He says that Gene committed “fratricide.” What do you Gene committed “fratricide.” What do you think this word means? think this word means?

2) How did Gene react to this statement?2) How did Gene react to this statement?

Chapter 7-8Chapter 7-8

Gene admits that war will be deadly, but adds, Gene admits that war will be deadly, but adds, “There was always something deadly lurking “There was always something deadly lurking in anything I wanted, anything I loved. And if in anything I wanted, anything I loved. And if it wasn’t there, as for example with Phineas, it wasn’t there, as for example with Phineas, then I put it there myself.”then I put it there myself.”

3) What is Gene saying here? Why is this 3) What is Gene saying here? Why is this significant to understanding his personality significant to understanding his personality and his guilt?and his guilt?

Chapter 7-8Chapter 7-8

4) In what ways is Phineas the same person he 4) In what ways is Phineas the same person he was during the summer? In what ways has he was during the summer? In what ways has he changed? Give examples.changed? Give examples.

5) How would you characterize Gene and 5) How would you characterize Gene and Finny’s relationship since Finny’s fall? Are Finny’s relationship since Finny’s fall? Are they more or less dependent on one another? they more or less dependent on one another? Are they better or lesser friends? Explain.Are they better or lesser friends? Explain.

Chapters 9-10Chapters 9-10 “…“…for on this day even the schoolboy egotism of for on this day even the schoolboy egotism of

Devon was conjured away…it wasn’t the cider Devon was conjured away…it wasn’t the cider which made me surpass myself, it was the which made me surpass myself, it was the liberation we had torn from the grey encroachments liberation we had torn from the grey encroachments of 1943, the escape we had concocted, this of 1943, the escape we had concocted, this afternoon of momentary, illusory, special and afternoon of momentary, illusory, special and separate peace.”separate peace.”

1) Examine the imagery and word choice in this 1) Examine the imagery and word choice in this passage. What is the tone? Give examples.passage. What is the tone? Give examples.

2) How does this quotation help explain the title of 2) How does this quotation help explain the title of the book? What do you think it means?the book? What do you think it means?

Chapters 9-10Chapters 9-10 ““You always were a savage underneath. I always You always were a savage underneath. I always

knew that only I never admitted it. But in the last knew that only I never admitted it. But in the last few weeks…I admitted a hell of a lot to myself…few weeks…I admitted a hell of a lot to myself…It’s you we happen to be talking about now. Like a It’s you we happen to be talking about now. Like a savage underneath…like that time you knocked savage underneath…like that time you knocked Finny out of the tree…Like the time you crippled Finny out of the tree…Like the time you crippled him for life.”him for life.”

3) What is the meaning and significance of this 3) What is the meaning and significance of this passage? Who is “you”? Who is “I”? What is it passage? Who is “you”? Who is “I”? What is it saying? Explain.saying? Explain.

Chapters 9-10Chapters 9-10 As Finny returns to Devon, Gene states, “peace had As Finny returns to Devon, Gene states, “peace had

come back to Devon for me.”come back to Devon for me.” 4) Discuss Finny as a symbol of peace. Does he 4) Discuss Finny as a symbol of peace. Does he

represent peace just for Gene or is there a wider represent peace just for Gene or is there a wider interpretation? Explain and give examples from the interpretation? Explain and give examples from the book.book.

5) The opposite of peace is, of course, war. How 5) The opposite of peace is, of course, war. How does the author play these two forces against each does the author play these two forces against each other? Can either force be successfully denied or other? Can either force be successfully denied or embraced? Why? (Think outside the box for this embraced? Why? (Think outside the box for this one… you can do it!! one… you can do it!! ) )