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A Separate Peace
by John Knowles
A Separate Peace explores the compassion and conflict in two young boys’ friendship.
Set at the Devon School, a fictional academy in New Hampshire, John Knowles’ A Separate Peace explores the compassion and conflict in two young boys’ friendship.
Reflecting on the summer of 1942, Gene Forrester serves as the narrator of Knowles’ story. Looking back on his childhood friendship with his athletic, mischievous roommate, Finny, the speaker examines their strange relationship. As Finny’s polar opposite, quiet and studious, Gene both reveres and detests his best friend. Despite his conflicting feelings, the two are devoted to one another, bonding by creating and leading a secret group of boys who risk injury by jumping out of a tree into a river. Though he never shows it to his friend, Gene grows jealous of Finny’s athleticism and popularity. His competitive nature gradually seeps into their friendship, and Gene becomes convinced that Finny is trying to destroy his academic standing. His paranoia and conflicting feelings about Finny are finally manifested one day when, while standing with Finny atop the tree ready to jump into the river, Gene accidentally shakes the branch, resulting in a horrible accident. As Finny’s entire future is altered, Gene finds that he cannot forgive himself for the incident and is racked with guilt about what he may or may not have done on purpose.
John Knowles’ novel, more than just a story of the friendship between two boys, explores the loss of innocence facing young men with the outbreak of World War II. Gene and Finny’s complex, flawed relationship is at the center of the story, driving the plot forward. As Gene dedicates himself to helping Finny, trying to hide what he thinks is the truth about the accident, readers are drawn in by the torment that both he and Finny feel as their friendship is put in jeopardy. This powerful coming of age story explores the power of both friendship and competition.
Title: A Separate Peace
Author: John Knowles
Publisher: Scribner
ISBN: 0743253973
Review written by: Meghan Moynihan
Reviewer's Rating:9
Reader's Rating: 3.00
Reader's Votes: 2
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