A Seperate Piece

A detailed Summary of A Seperate Piece

In his book A Separate Peace John Knowles communicates what war really is. He

uses a number of complex characters in a very complicated plot in order to convey the

harsh, sad, cruel, destructive forces of war. The Characters Gene and Finny are used as

opposing forces in a struggle between that cold reality of war-that is World War II in this

story-and a separate peace. A peace away from the real war and all of the terrible things

that come with it. Through their relationship, that is a struggle on both sides form the

beginning, Knowles establishes the reality of war in all of its essence.

Gene Forrester is established as the force of reality which is the war. This idea is

established clearly in a lengthy speech Gene gives as the narrator of the story in Chapter

Three: Everyone has a moment in history which belongs particularly to him. It is the

moment when his emotions achieve their most powerful sway over him, and afterward

when you say to this person “the world today” or “life” or “reality” he will assume that

you mean this moment, even if it is fifty years past. The world, through his unleashed

emotions, imprinted itself upon him, and he carries the stamp of that passi

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does appear to have mental illness and has turned into a violent person who is very

decides no to because he doesn’t want to desert his friend who he has hurt enough

as though behind a curtain of plastic.” This passage shows us that although Gene may not

and “shattered” on of his legs while Gene jumps “with unthinking sureness.” Here we see

His previous exchange is forgotten for a while as school begins. When it begins to

already. With this in mind Gene comments, as the narrator, “peace had come back to

the point at which Gene comes to realize that Finny doesn’t believe there is a real war

the Army after realizing that he was going to receive a Section Eight any ways (a Section

I HAVE ESCAPED AND NEED HELP. I AM AT CHRISTMAS LOCATION.

game appears to be a substitute for the real war more and more as Chapter Three

The boys eventually come to hold a trial with Gene to find out the truth about the

We were standing on a limb, I a little farther out than Finny. I turned to say

Approximate Word count = 2949
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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