ASeparatePeaceByJohnKnowles

Name___________________________________

AdvancedEnglish10–Mr.McGuire

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Introductionto“ASeparatePeace”

John Knowles—writer of novels, short stories, andmagazine and newspapers articles—was born in 1926in West Virginia. When asked about how he writes,Knowles explains that he never writes with anyaudience in mind. He states that his novels all beginwithasenseofplace;heletsthewritingcarryhimfromthere.HeattendedPhillipsExeterAcademy(aboardingschoolinNewHampshire),thesettingthatinspiredhisnovelASeparatePeace.Thenovelwashailedbycriticsas “a novel of altogether exceptional power anddistinction…Knowles draws with tenderness andrestraint the pure joy of affection between the boys,theirlaconic,conscientiouslyfantasticlanguage,andtheextra tension of the summer—1942—when they seetheir youth curtailed by war.” Peace Breaks Out is asequeltoASeparatePeace.Knowlesdiedin2001.

BeforeYouRead:ThefollowingstatementsreflectthethemesofASeparatePeace.Afterreadingeachone,indicateyouropinionandexplainyourreasoning.1.Truefriendsneverlietooneanother. □Always□Sometimes□NeverExplanation:2.Jealousyiscommonbetweengoodfriends. □Always□Sometimes□NeverExplanation:3.Warsareusuallyfoughttodefendfreedom. □Always□Sometimes□NeverExplanation:4.It’sbesttoconfessyourmistakes. □Always□Sometimes□NeverExplanation:

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HistoricalBackground:Reviewtheworldsituationin1942‐43—thetimeofthestory.• JapanhadattackedPearlHarbortheyearbefore,resultingindeclarationofwarby

theUnitedStatesagainstJapanandGermany(afterthosecountriesdeclaredwar).• In1942,RooseveltandChurchillsignedtheAtlanticCharter,an8‐pointdeclaration

ofprinciples.• IntheUnitedStates,110,000AmericanJapaneseweremovedtointernmentcamps.• TheBattleofMidway,Japan’sfirstmajordefeat,occurredinJuneof1942.• InAugust1942,theMarineslandedonGuadalcanalandbegantoexpeltheJapanese.• U.S.troopsinvadedItalyinSeptemberof1943(shortlyaftertheendofthenovel).

WordCluster:Brainstormassociationswiththephrase“BOARDINGSCHOOL.”EssentialQuestions:Whatqualitiesdoyoulookforinafriend?Whatsortsoferrorscanyouforgiveafriendfor?Inwhatsituationswouldn’tyouforgiveyourfriend?

BOARDING SCHOOL

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Chapter1(pages1‐13)1.HowdoesthenarratorfeelaboutbeingbackatDevon?WhatisDevonlike?2.Whydoesthenarratorconcludethatthestairsmustbeveryhard?Howdoesthatfactmakehimfeel?3.Howisthenarratorsurprisedbythetree’sappearance?Whatdoeshemeanbysayingthatheremembereditas“highasthebeanstalk”andhowdoesitseemnow?4.Explainthesignificanceofthefollowingquote.“Thetreewasnotonlystrippedbythecoldseason,itseemedwearyfromage,enfeebled,dry.Iwasthankful,verythankfulthatIhadseenit.Sothemorethingsremainthesame,themoretheychangeafterall—plusc’estlamêmechose,plusçachange.Nothingendures,notatree,notlove,notevenadeathbyviolence.Changed,Iheadedbackthroughthemud.”(page8)5.Flashbacksinvolveinterruptionoftheactionwithascenethatoccurredearlier.Whataresomefilms/books/storiesthatalsousethistechnique?6.RefertotheCharacterMapsonpages16and17ofthispacket.BegintocompletethemwithwhatyouknowaboutGeneandPhineas.

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Chapter2(pages14‐24)1.Theboyshavebrokenarulebymissingdinner.HowdoesFinnyexplaintheirabsence?2.Finnyis“amodelboywhowasmostcomfortableinthetruant’scorner.”(page16)Explainthiscontradictoryquote.HowisFinnydifferentfromsomeoftherule‐breakersyouknow?3.HowdoesFinnyavoidgettingintotroubleatthetea?Doeshelie?HowdoesGenefeel?4.Compare/contraststudentlifeatDevonwithstudentlifeatWoodlandHillsHighSchool.

DevonSchool WoodlandHillsHighSchool‐importanceofphysicalprowess‐emphasisongamesandsports‐competitivespirit‐highacademicstandards‐studyingVirgil‐boardingschool‐beautifulsetting‐schooluniform‐‐

5.Geneobservesthat“sarcasm[is]theprotestofpeoplewhoareweak.”(page22)Doyouagreeordisagreewiththisstatement?Provideexamples.

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Chapter3(pages25‐40)1.WhatrulesdoesFinnykeepfaithfully?Howdotheserulesdifferfromtheruleshedoesn’tobey?2.DescribetheSuicideSociety.3.Explainthesignificanceofthefollowingquote.“Everyonehasamomentinhistorywhichbelongsparticularlytohim.Itisthemomentwhenhisemotionsachievetheirmostpowerfulswayoverhim,andafterwardwhenyousaytothisperson‘theworldtoday’or‘life’or‘reality’hewillassumethatyoumeanthismoment,evenifitisfiftyyearspast.Theworld,thoughhisunleashedemotions,imprinteditselfuponhim,andhecarriesthestampofthatpassingmomentforever.”(page32) 4.GenewillneverforgetthetimeheandFinnybikedtothebeachandsleptthere.Describeatimewhenyoudidsomethingoutrageouswithafriend(orsomethingyouwouldLIKEtodo).Explainwhyyoudidordidn’tregretitlaterandkeepitclean!EssentialQuestion:Doescompetitionbringoutthebestorworstinpeople?

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Chapter4(pages41‐52)1.Whatsortoflong‐lastingimpressiondoesdawnonthebeachcreateforGene?WhydoesGenelinkofLazarus?2.WhatsuspicionsdoesGenedevelopaboutFinny?WhydothesesuspicionsmakeGenefeelbetter?3.Compare/contrastGenewithChet.

4.WhydoesFinnywantGenetojumpwithhim?Howisthatironic?

Both Chet Gene

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Chapter5(pages53‐63)1.WhateffectdoesFinny’sinjuryhaveonGene?Ontheotherstudents?Ontheteachers?2.WhydoesGeneputonFinny’sclothes?Howdoeshefeelinthem?3.WhydoyouthinkGenedecidestotellFinnythetruthabouttheaccident?Doyouthinkthatistherightdecision?4.Explainthesignificanceofthefollowingquotations.“Youaren’tgoingtostartlivingbytherules,areyou?”Igrinnedathim.“Ohno,Iwouldn’tdothat,”andthatwasthemostfalsething,thebiggestlieofall.(page32) 5.Settingrefersnotonlytothetimeandplaceofastory,buttothesocialmilieu.RereadthedescriptionofFinny’shome(pages59‐61)andlookforcluestothesocialclimateinwhichFinnymusthavegrownup.WhatexpectationsdoFinny’sparentsprobablyhaveforhim?

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Chapter6(pages64‐77)andChapter7(pages78‐94)1.WhatdoesGenerememberwheneverhelooksattheriver?Doestheimagemakeyouthinkofanythingelse?Isthememoryahappyone?2.HowcanyoutellthatGenehasalotofinsightintowhyQuackenbushissonasty?Isitaccuratetosaythattheargumentarisesfromdeeperresentments?Isthattrueofmostarguments?3.WhatdoesitmeanthatatDevonthestudentshad“manypublicfaces?”(page80)DostudentsatWoodlandHillshavedifferentpublicfaces?4.WhatdoesBrinker’s“warpoem”revealabouthisattitudestowardthewar?5.HowdoesGenerespondtoBrinker’sdeclarationthathewillenlistthenextday?Whydoesheactinthismanner?

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Chapter8(pages95‐114)1.WhydoesGenestartprayingagain?2.Explainthesignificanceofthefollowingquote.“Untilnow,inspiteofeverything,Ihadwelcomedeachnewdayasthoughitwereanewlife,whereallpastfailuresandproblemswereerased,andallfuturepossibilitiesandjoysopenandavailable,tobeachievedprobablybeforenightfellagain.Now,inthiswinterofsnowandcrutcheswithPhineas,Ibegantoknowthateachmorningreassertedtheproblemsofthenightbefore,thatsleepsuspendedallbutchangednothing,thatyoucouldn’tmakeyourselfoverbetweendawnanddusk.”(page97)3.WhywouldFinnydenythewar?Explainandsupportyouranswer.4.Rereadpage103andthenobservestudentswalkingaroundWoodlandHills.Usingthepassageonthispageasamodel,describethetypesofwalkingstylesyouobserve.

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Chapter9(pages115‐129)1.WhydoesLeperenlist?Doyouthinkheisavictimofpropaganda?2.DescribetheWinterCarnival.3.Sometimesanauthorstateshisthemedirectly—puttingallorpartofitinthe“mouth”ofthenarrator.Thetitleandthelessonslearnedbythecharactersareoftencluestothethemeaswell.Refertopage128forthetitlephraseofASeparatePeace:“theescapewehadconcocted…thisspecialandseparatepeace.”Knowlesdescribesthroughoutthestoryhowthespecial,protectedworldinwhichtheboyslivedinsulatedthemfromthewar—foratime.Withthisinmind,howislostinnocenceacentralthemeofthenovel?

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Chapter10(pages130‐143)1.WhatdoesGenedecidedtodowhenhegetsthetelegram?Whatdoesthisshowyouabouthim?2.Inareversalofthe“flashback”technique,thenarrator“fastforwards”withafewimagesofwhathiswarexperienceturnedouttobe.HowdoesGene’sexperienceinthearmyturnouttobesimilartohistriptoseeLeper?3.WasitwrongofGenetohitLeper?Explain.4.WhyisGene,whoisonthebrinkofadulthood,unableandunwillingtofeelsorryforLeper?EvaluateGene’sresponsetoLeper’sbreakdown,andexplainwhattheresponsesuggestsaboutGene.

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Chapter11(pages144‐169)1.Describe/explainthedetailsofthe“inquisition.”2.ExplainwhattheadultGenemeanswhenhesaysthatBrinkerforgotthat“Justiceincarnateisnotonlybalancingthescalesbutalsoblindfolded.”(page160)3.GenehassufferedagreatdealofguiltsincehecausedFinnytofallfromthetree.Whoistoblameforthissecondaccident?WasBrinkeroversteppingboundariesheshouldnothavecrossed?WasLeper?

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Chapter12(pages170‐186)andChapter13(pages187‐196)1.DoesFinnyforgiveGene?Explain.2.Explainthesignificanceofthefollowingquote.“IdidnotcrythenoreveraboutFinny.IdidnotcryevenwhenIstoodwatchinghimbeingloweredintohisfamily'sstrait‐lacedburialgroundoutsideofBoston.Icouldnotescapeafeelingthatthiswasmyownfuneral,andyoudonotcryinthatcase.”(page186)3.GenemusesabouthowFinnywasdifferentfromothers.Inwhatway?4.Whatdoesthefinalpassageofthestorymeantoyou?

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Addendum1–CharacterMap:Gene

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Addendum2–CharacterMap:Phineas

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Addendum3–BigIdeasAsyoureadASeparatePeace,refertothestatementsbelowanddefendorrefutethemwithevidencefromthestoryandpersonalexperience.Notehowyouropinionschangeasthebookprogresses.1.Themorethingsremainthesame,themoretheychangeafterall.2.Warsaremadebysomethingignorantinthehumanheart.3.Theclosestfriendshipsofteninvolveintenserivalry.

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4.Partoffriendshipconsistsofacceptingafriend’sshortcomings.5.Sarcasmistheprotestofpeoplewhoareweak.6.Whenyoureallylovesomething,itlovesyoubackinwhateverwhatithastolove.

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Addendum4–EssentialQuestionsAsyoureadASeparatePeace,refertothequestionsbelowanddefendorrefutethemwithevidencefromthestoryandpersonalexperience.Notehowyouropinionschangeasthebookprogresses.

Whatcausesjealousybetweenfriends?Whatfactorsseemtobeathreattofriendship?Iswaranecessaryevil?Issininevitable?Isredemptionpossible?Howshouldwedealwithguilt?Isthelossofinnocenceinevitable?Whatdoestheauthor’sattitudetowardwarseemtobe?Whatdoestheauthor’sattitudetowardhumannatureseemtobe?Howdotheeffectsofwaronourcurrentgenerationcomparetotheeffectsontheboysinthenovel?Doweneedtoaccepttherealityofevilinthehumanheartandworldtosurvive?