A Separate Peace Allegorical Essay

Essay by Silent_General1High School, 10th gradeA+, April 2004

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Book: A Separate Peace; Author: John Knowles. This is an Allegorical essay of the various themes of "A Separate Peace," including the fall from grace and the naivete needed to form a separate peace.

Adolescent notion instinctively harbors the concept of peace, while mature conception is only capable of perceiving pandemonium. In A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, Gene and Finny are essentially estranged by the awareness of themselves and the world around them. Gene, enclosing the psyche of manhood, represents the iniquity in mankind. While Finny, inexperienced in the dealings of the world, represents the good that development into adulthood cannot embrace. These two separate consciousnesses prove to be detriment in their correlation.

Modesty, while being increasingly difficult to find in the world, is rarely a disadvantage to character. Finny show's an inherent ability to excel in just about anything. His most defined aspect was his refinement in any athletic activity.

What made him different was that winning didn't make him happy. In fact, one of his most enjoyable games was Blitzball, a game with fierce athletic necessities but no set winners. He took his modesty even farther one day while he and Gene are in the pool alone and he broke a school record on the first attempt. "No, I just wanted to see if I could do it. Now I know, but I don't want to do it in public"(35:7). This instance shows that while being good at many things, Finny wishes no rewards or congratulations for his attempts, as most people in the world do. Although modesty was a sturdy trait in his character, another fundamental attribute brutally damaged Finny.

While childish insight offers internal serenity, it encloses many hazards inconceivable to those who contain it. Finny processes the capability to notice the...