A Separate Peace
Falling To Peaces
John Knowles' novel- 'A separate peace' is a
rickety bridge over the troubled waters of war
*warning- contains moderate spoilers*
After receiving this book as a gift, I was compelled to start reading due to the attractive front cover, which pictured the silhouette of a boy leaning against a tree, in the foreground of a turquoise sunset. It was a picturesque scene, adequately portraying the sense of 'peace' implied by the novel's title. Now, I've heard the sayings, and I accept my mistake: one should never judge a book by its cover. Luckily for me, however, this novel turned out to be just as captivating as the design that covered it.
The setting for this novel is early 1940s America, as the whisperings of World War 2 crescendo into shouts. More specifically, the characters reside in a New Hampshire boarding school, which at present remains ignorant to the tribulations of the future. The Devon School is a sanctuary for the introverted Gene Forrester; a place where he can study and relax at his leisure. Or at least it would be, were it not for his gregarious best friend Finny, constantly at his tail to cause mischief. Esteemed sportsman, occasional school record-breaker and universal social butterfly- Finny is everything that Gene admires, and, (secretly), everything that Gene wants to be.
Primarily, the boys' summer is spent in tranquillity, intermixed with various adventurous plights administered by Finny. For example, a tree overhanging a river on campus becomes the perfect destination for an initiation ritual, welcoming members into a club known as the 'Super Suicide Society'. As the unofficial deputy-head member, Gene is expected to attend every society meeting, regardless of his fast-approaching examinations. This becomes an issue for Gene, as his academic success is a credit to his personality, and more importantly- virtually the only practice in which he is superior to Finny. Progressively, Gene begins to suspect that the societies' antics are designed as a means of sabotaging his academic prospects, fuelled by Finny's envious desires. This growing tension reaches its climax during one particular trip to the initiation tree.
In an impulsive moment of bravado, Finny suggests that Gene join him for a simultaneous jump from the fragile tree branch into the river a few feet away. It is during this plight that a seemingly innocent accident occurs, resulting in Finny's premature fall from the branch, missing the refuge of the river and instead striking the coarse ground below. In an instant as rapid as the time taken to fall, gone are Finny's future prospects: his sporting career, his passion for exploring, even his chances of fighting in the war. With one arrow pointing towards a simple mistake and 99 others pinpointing Gene as the aggressor responsible for Finny's fall, the remaining section of the novel becomes a nervous wreck of blame and speculation.
Amongst this, another key character is the socially awkward, rather quirky individual known by his friends as 'Leper'. By name and by nature, Leper is the straggler of Devon society, until he impulsively resolves to become one of the school's very first WW2 volunteers. He holds a particularly interesting relationship with Gene, varying from inquisitive friend to perceptive accuser of Finny's accident. Combined with Brinker, the school's frequent-committee-leader and all-round pratt, the boys create a significant body of blame against Gene. The war may be an eruption of flames outside, yet within the school walls the boys have their very own dwindling fire of ambush and betrayal.
Central to this novel are the various schoolboy attitudes towards the war, ranging from a mighty heroic quest to the way that Finny sees it: a corrupt conspiracy invented by 'fat old men who don't want us crowding them out of their jobs.' He remains adamant of his contempt and utter disbelief in WW2, that is until his accident renders him the allegorical representation of his friend Leper. It seems that the "fat old men" conspiracy has been a defence mechanism to mask the fact that Finny will never achieve his dream of living (and indeed dying) a war hero. This presents an interesting idea that whilst war is no doubt a terror, it can be seen by many as a duty and beyond that- a destiny. John Knowles seems to craft the perfect war contender- sporty, strong, handsome, resilient- before denying him the right to really show his stripes. The destruction of character that follows really takes its toll on the reader, posing a controversial question: do some men need war?
Against this, Gene remains symbolic of the men that are expected to, yet possess neither the desire nor the capacity to wage war. He is the shy, academic side of society, envying and secretly admiring the warrior qualities of Finny. Of course, the close relationship that the two boys share caused controversy in the years after the book was published, with many scholars now understanding their bond as one of repressed homosexual feelings. Whilst certainly a convincing argument, this was not how I received their relationship. From my perspective, Gene admires Finny, but quite in the way that a son admires his Father- a figure who seeks to both nurture and control him. More than that, I believe this novel confirms that two very different men can be drawn to each other, and in fact need each other to function effectively as a whole. Society cannot function alone as a body of fighters, however strong-willed and courageous they may be. We need the sensitive, the thoughtful, the intellectual.
In terms of the novel's title, it is clear that the 'peace' refers to the safe haven of the Devon School, in the final summer before the sixteen-year-old boys must enlist, or face social alienation. However, little else within the novel is reminiscent of peace at all. Finny's questionable accident is fuelled by raging jealousy, whilst the boys' investigation of the event seeks to create division. Even within the most harmonic of places, there is capacity for corruption. Indeed, even within the most innocent of hearts, there is capacity for evil. Such is how I received this novel, leaving me to mourn the blissful summer that the boys had once shared, before all the scheming and lies and violence and betrayal and war.
I recommend this novel as a real page-turner, with both light-hearted themes about friendship and youth, mixed with darker tones of deception and cowardice. John Knowles has created a largely timeless coming-of-age story, with compelling characters that forever grasp the reader's affection. Expect to laugh, expect to shed a tear, and expect to discover more about human nature than previously anticipated.
Amongst this, another key character is the socially awkward, rather quirky individual known by his friends as 'Leper'. By name and by nature, Leper is the straggler of Devon society, until he impulsively resolves to become one of the school's very first WW2 volunteers. He holds a particularly interesting relationship with Gene, varying from inquisitive friend to perceptive accuser of Finny's accident. Combined with Brinker, the school's frequent-committee-leader and all-round pratt, the boys create a significant body of blame against Gene. The war may be an eruption of flames outside, yet within the school walls the boys have their very own dwindling fire of ambush and betrayal.
Central to this novel are the various schoolboy attitudes towards the war, ranging from a mighty heroic quest to the way that Finny sees it: a corrupt conspiracy invented by 'fat old men who don't want us crowding them out of their jobs.' He remains adamant of his contempt and utter disbelief in WW2, that is until his accident renders him the allegorical representation of his friend Leper. It seems that the "fat old men" conspiracy has been a defence mechanism to mask the fact that Finny will never achieve his dream of living (and indeed dying) a war hero. This presents an interesting idea that whilst war is no doubt a terror, it can be seen by many as a duty and beyond that- a destiny. John Knowles seems to craft the perfect war contender- sporty, strong, handsome, resilient- before denying him the right to really show his stripes. The destruction of character that follows really takes its toll on the reader, posing a controversial question: do some men need war?
Against this, Gene remains symbolic of the men that are expected to, yet possess neither the desire nor the capacity to wage war. He is the shy, academic side of society, envying and secretly admiring the warrior qualities of Finny. Of course, the close relationship that the two boys share caused controversy in the years after the book was published, with many scholars now understanding their bond as one of repressed homosexual feelings. Whilst certainly a convincing argument, this was not how I received their relationship. From my perspective, Gene admires Finny, but quite in the way that a son admires his Father- a figure who seeks to both nurture and control him. More than that, I believe this novel confirms that two very different men can be drawn to each other, and in fact need each other to function effectively as a whole. Society cannot function alone as a body of fighters, however strong-willed and courageous they may be. We need the sensitive, the thoughtful, the intellectual.
In terms of the novel's title, it is clear that the 'peace' refers to the safe haven of the Devon School, in the final summer before the sixteen-year-old boys must enlist, or face social alienation. However, little else within the novel is reminiscent of peace at all. Finny's questionable accident is fuelled by raging jealousy, whilst the boys' investigation of the event seeks to create division. Even within the most harmonic of places, there is capacity for corruption. Indeed, even within the most innocent of hearts, there is capacity for evil. Such is how I received this novel, leaving me to mourn the blissful summer that the boys had once shared, before all the scheming and lies and violence and betrayal and war.
I recommend this novel as a real page-turner, with both light-hearted themes about friendship and youth, mixed with darker tones of deception and cowardice. John Knowles has created a largely timeless coming-of-age story, with compelling characters that forever grasp the reader's affection. Expect to laugh, expect to shed a tear, and expect to discover more about human nature than previously anticipated.
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