John Knowles wrote a compelling novel A Separate Peace which portrays the lives of young men living in the time of World War II. At an all boys school in New England, Finny and Gene are growing up surrounded by war. At the age of 17, these young men have their whole lives ahead of them; however, for these boys, they could be nearing the end. The themes of innocence, fear, and war are hanging over these boys throughout the novel like a dark, ominous cloud. Finny and Gene are just boys forced to grow
simply irreplaceable. However, these meaningful relationships are too often shattered by the competition found within humanity. Every day people compare themselves to one another in an attempt to be the best. Portrayed in life and in A Separate Peace by John Knowles, this constant battle chains rivalry to every relationship. Life is full of rivalry and has been for millions of years. In the early 1800s, English naturalist Charles Darwin realized the extent of competition within nature. Throughout
wait to be drafted. John Knowles captures the anxiety of teenagers moments before the war in his 1959 novel A Separate Peace. He depicts the effects of the war on youth with the progression of decisions certain characters make throughout the novel. Characters’ traits begin to descend into a negative state, displaying the unfortunate reality of the youth of the time period. In addition, the interactions between characters begin to alter as the pressures of war intensify. Knowles accurately portrays
of the fears that takes root in Gene’s life without Finny there. Monophobia, proditiophobia, atelophobia, these are some of the fears that begin to cripple Finny. Everyone is afraid of something. There is no one who is without fear, and John Knowles makes that very clear in his book A Separate Peace. Isaiah 41:9-13 says, “I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am
Vonnegut suggests in Slaughterhouse-Five that death is nothing to fear or grieve upon. Vonnegut’s message is presented by the main character, Billy Pilgrim. Billy’s story is told in the third person, flashing back and forth through time in his convoluted, nonlinear life experiences. Just after his daughter’s wedding, Billy is abducted by Tralfamadores and brought to their home planet. These Tralfamadores are able to see in the fourth dimension, and they are also able to see past, present, and future