A Separate Peace Introduction to

By John Knowles

A Separate

Peace• Today’s presentation

– Author

– Setting

– Plot

– Characters

– Literary Elements

About the Author

John Knowles John Knowles

• Born in West Virginia on Born in West Virginia on September 16, 1926September 16, 1926

• Knowles was educated at Knowles was educated at Phillips Exeter Academy, which Phillips Exeter Academy, which served as a model for the setting served as a model for the setting of of A Separate PeaceA Separate Peace. .

• A Separate PeaceA Separate Peace was Knowles’ was Knowles’ first work, which earned him the first work, which earned him the Rosenthal Award of the National Rosenthal Award of the National Institute of Arts and Letters. This Institute of Arts and Letters. This established Knowles as a established Knowles as a successful author. successful author.

Phillips Exeter Academy • Devon School, the setting of Devon School, the setting of A Separate PeaceA Separate Peace, is based , is based heavily on the Phillips Exeter Academy.heavily on the Phillips Exeter Academy.

Phillips Exeter Academy

Plot Overview• Story is told as a flashback to 16 years ago from Gene Forrester’s

perspective• Gene was a quiet, intellectual student at the Devon School in New

Hampshire. • During the summer session of 1942, Gene becomes close friends

with Finny, his daredevil roommate• Finny prods Gene into making a dangerous jump out of a tree into

a river, and the two start a secret society based on this ritual. • Gene becomes jealous of Finny’s athletic accomplishments and

convinces himself that Finny is trying to distract Gene from achieving academically. While Gene’s jealously turns into hate, he carefully maintains a relationship with him.

• Gene admittedly watches as Finny falls from the tree, breaking his leg and ending his athletic prowess

• Gene Forrester• Finny • Elwin “Leper” Lepellier• Brinker Hadley • Cliff Quackenbush • Chet Douglass  • Mr. Ludsbury • Dr. Stanpole• Mr. Patch-Withers

A Separate PeaceCharacters

Gene Forester• Unreliable Narrator/protagonist

• Gene is in his early thirties, visiting the Devon School for the first time in years.

• Flashbacks to a story of his childhood from the vantage point of adulthood.

• Has love-hate relationship with his best

friend Finny

• Gene is also often jealous of Finny because he is good at everything and so carefree

Finny• Honest, handsome, energetic, self-confident, best athlete in the school

• Extremely likable – able to talk his way out of any situation

• Gene describes Finny like that of a Greek hero (always excelling physically, always spirited.)

• Finny loves the thrill of competition and does not care about winning/losing

• Always thinks the best of people, counts no one as his enemy, and assumes that the world is a fundamentally friendly place.

Ellwin Leper Lepellier

• Quiet, peaceful, nature-loving boy

• Shocks his classmates by being 1st in Devon to enlist in the army

• Shocks them again by deserting army shortly after joining

• Leper has hallucinations that reflect the fears and angst of adolescence

• He fears transformation of boys into men—and, in wartime, of boys into soldiers, which causes anxiety and inner turmoil.

Brinker Hadley Cliff Quakenbush

• straight-laced and conservative.

• complete confidence in his own abilities

• believes in justice and order and goes to great lengths to discover the truth when he feels that it is being hidden from him.

• Manager of the crew team

• Boys at Devon have never liked Quackenbush

•frequently takes out his frustrations on anyone whom he considers his inferior

Chet Douglass Mr. Ludsbury

Mr. Patch-Withers

• Gene’s main rival for the position of class valedictorian

• excellent tennis and trumpet player and possesses a sincere love of learning.

The master in charge of Gene’s dormitory

Stern disciplinarian

Dr. Stanpole 

• Devon’s resident doctor

• Caring man who laments the troubles that afflict the youth of Gene’s generation.

• Operates on Finny after his fall out of the tree

• The substitute headmaster of Devon during the summer session.

• Runs the school with a lenient hand

Literary Context • A Separate PeaceA Separate Peace belongs to a belongs to a genre of literature called genre of literature called Bildungsroman. Bildungsroman. This is a This is a German term which describes a German term which describes a novel whose main character novel whose main character matures over time, usually from matures over time, usually from childhood. childhood.

• The novel is based on events The novel is based on events that happened during Knowles’ that happened during Knowles’ years at the Phillips Exeter years at the Phillips Exeter Academy. Academy.

• Similar to Similar to Lord of the FliesLord of the Flies, , A A Separate PeaceSeparate Peace deals with deals with children coming to terms with children coming to terms with their identity set against the their identity set against the backdrop of World War. backdrop of World War.

Main Themes Loss of Innocence.Loss of Innocence.

The plot is dominated by Gene’s progression toward maturity.The plot is dominated by Gene’s progression toward maturity.

The relationship between war and peace.The relationship between war and peace.

The backdrop of the war plays a vital role in the novel.The backdrop of the war plays a vital role in the novel.

The nature of friendship.The nature of friendship.

The relationship between Gene and Finny is the novel’s focus.The relationship between Gene and Finny is the novel’s focus.

People’s ability to change. People’s ability to change.

Is change really possible?Is change really possible?

Biblical allegory.Biblical allegory.

Finny = Christlike Gene = Judas, betrayerFinny = Christlike Gene = Judas, betrayer

Historical Context World War II

• Began in 1939 when the Germans invaded Poland, and officially Began in 1939 when the Germans invaded Poland, and officially ended in August 1945, when the Japanese surrendered. ended in August 1945, when the Japanese surrendered.

• A Separate PeaceA Separate Peace takes place during the summer of 1942, takes place during the summer of 1942, directly in the center of World War II. directly in the center of World War II.

In America:In America:

In order to cope with the war, America instituted rations on In order to cope with the war, America instituted rations on books, sugar, coffee, and other goods. books, sugar, coffee, and other goods.

• To conserve gasoline, a national 35 MPH speed limit was To conserve gasoline, a national 35 MPH speed limit was implemented, and driving for pleasure was banned. implemented, and driving for pleasure was banned.

•Most young women either dated older men, or didn’t date at all!Most young women either dated older men, or didn’t date at all!

• By the summer of 1942, many Americans realized that the war By the summer of 1942, many Americans realized that the war was far from over. was far from over.

The Axis Powers

Four Faces of Aggression:

Italy

Japan

Germany

FASCIST ITALY:MUSSOLINI

• Extreme nationalism• Militaristic expansion to restore

Roman Empire• Charismatic leader• Belief in private property with

strong government control• Anti-communist• Installed in 1922• Made a pact with Hitler to

exterminate Jews

NAZI GERMANY:HITLER• Extreme nationalism and racism

• Militaristic expansion• Charismatic leader/ played on

fears and pride• Belief in private property with

strong government control • Anti-communist!• Gained power in 1933

Hitler

• He believed that the blond haired, blue eyed Germans were the dominant race. (Aryans)

• He blamed the Jews for Germany’s problems and situation

• He ordered the boycott of Jewish shops, the burning of books written by Jewish authors, and the imprisonment of Jews in concentration camps. (beginnings of the Holocaust)

JAPAN: TOJO AND HIROHITO

• Tojo became militaristic Prime Minister for Emperor Hirohito

• Militarism, Nationalism and Racism

• Sought Asian empire for imperialist efforts

Prime Minister Hideki Tojo (above) and Emperor Hirohito (below)

Pearl Harbor• Japan was desperate for oil. • They wanted to dominate the eastern world, and

the Pacific, and guess who was standing in their way??

• They launched a secret attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

• The attack destroyed 5 battleships, 3 cruisers, and several smaller vessels.

• Nearly 2400 people died.• Fortunately, the Pacific fleet’s aircraft carriers

were elsewhere. • Roosevelt called for Congress to declare war on

Japan, they did.

Pearl Harbor - Dec. 7, 1941• 2,400 Americans killed when Japanese war

planes bomb Pacific Fleet to take out battleships and carriers

• 20 Warships sunk & 150 planes destroyed• Japan also struck American bases in Pacific• FDR asks Congress for declaration of war -

“Day of Infamy” - the next day• Germany & Italy declared war on U.S.

Hitler’s acts of aggression

• Hitler was determined to return Germany to a dominant power and invaded the Rhineland- a section of Western Germany lost in the Treaty of Versailles.

• Hitler joins forces with Mussolini and becomes known as the Axis Powers

• 1938 Hitler annexed Austria and demanded possession of Sudetenland- a section of Czechoslovakia inhabited by Germanic people

Japan

• Japanese had lost most of their gains in China at the Washington Conference in 1921

• 1924- U.S. joined other Western nations banning Chinese immigrants

• 1931- Japan invaded and occupied Manchuria in northeastern China

• League of Nations demanded they get out, Japan pulled out of the League

• Continued aggression- seized Shanghai, Nanjing, Bejing, and other Southeast Asian countries.

Allied Forces- The Big 3

Winston Churchill- England

Franklin D. Roosevelt- U.S

Joseph Stalin- U.S.S.R.

• England and France were terrified of becoming involved in another war, and adopted a policy of Appeasement.

• They gave into the demands of Hitler, and assumed that he would be satisfied

• Munich Conference-they agreed to allow Hitler to annex part of Czechoslovakia in return for the promise that he would make no further territorial demands.

• He took ALL of Czechoslovakia.

• The Soviet Union under Stalin had originally signed a non-aggression pact with Hitler, but after Hitler invaded Poland, Stalin joined the Allied Forces.

• Nov. 1942-Soviets counter attacked Germans and by Feb. the German forces were depleted to 1/3 of what they had been- they then surrendered.

• In the Atlantic the allies used radar and sonar to find and destroy German subs, without these the German forces would be without food or weapons.

Africa in 1942

• American and British forces worked to push Rommel and his Africal Korps into Tunisia.

• Led by Major General Lloyd Fredendall and Major General George S. Patton

• By May, Rommel had fled and nearly 250,000 Axis troops surrendered.

• After victory in North Africa, Allies turned toward Italy.

• July 1943, 82nd Airborne jumped into the toe of Italy. • The invasion was a success and they pushed toward

Rome.• At this point, the Italians were sick of Mussolini and

overthrew him. • They killed Mussolini, hung him in public, then

dragged him behind a horse.• The Germans fought to the bitter end against the

Allies

• Americans had gained knowledge of the Japanese attack on Midway island through the code breaking, and were well prepared for the attack.

• June 4, 1942-Admiral Chester Nimitz sent planes out from the island to attack the Japanese as they were approaching, but most of them got shot down.

• At 10:42, the Japanese thought they had seen the last of the American planes and were refueling for a final attack on the island

• A group of dive bombers who had gotten lost found their target.

• 3 of the 4 Japanese ships were destroyed.• This was Japan’s last offensive move in the war

• The last two major battles in MacArthur’s island hopping were Iwo JIma and Okinawa

• Iwo Jima measures only a few miles, but there were 20,000 American casualties

• Japan starting using Kamikaze pilots

• During the invasion of Okinawa, they made 279 hits on American ships

Operation Overlord

• Aim was to drive the Germans out of France and defeat the Third Reich

• It was the greates amphibious invasion in history

• 176,000 troops carried on 5,000 vessels crossed the English channel to land along a 60 mile stretch of Coastline, Normandy, France.

• They landed June 6, 1944-D-Day

• The Germans knew the attack was coming, but expected it to be near Calais, where the English Channel is the narrowest.

• The Allies under the command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower landed safely on the beach of Normandy

Updated 2007

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

• August 6, 1945 atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and destroyed 60% of Hiroshima

• Japan still refused to surrender, and 3 days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. August 9, 1945.

• The 2 attacks took out about 150,000 lives immediately, and more with the after effects of the bombs.

V-E Day and V-J Day

• V-E Day May 7th, 1945– The Allies close in on Germany, Britain and the U.S.

from the west and the Soviets from the east– April 30th, Hitler commits suicide– One week later, Germans surrender

• V-J Day September 2, 1945– The U.S. drops two atomic bombs on Japanese cities– Threaten future attacks– Japan surrenders aboard the Missouri to Gen.

Douglas MacArthur September 2, 1945

African Americans

• One Million served in segregated units• Tuskegee Airmen – first black flying unit• African Americans served in support roles• Faced discrimination• 1.5 million left South to find work out West• NAACP membership increased • Smith v. Allwright (1944) SCOTUS ruled

unconstitutional to deny blacks party membership to exclude them from primaries

Mexican Americans

300,000 Mexican Americans served in white units during the war

• More worked in War Industry

• 1942 deal with Mexico allowed farm workers to cross the boarder during harvest season (braceros)

• Caused white resentment (Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles summer of 1943

Minority Participation in WWII

• Additional contributions of minorities:– Navajo communication codes (oral, not written;

could not be broken by the Japanese)– Mexican Americans also fought, but not in

segregated units– Minority units suffered high casualties and won

numerous unit citations and individual medals for bravery in action

Native Americans

• 25,000 served in military

• Navajo Indian language used as a code against Japanese (spoken-not written)

• Thousands Native Americans worked in war industry

• More than half never returned to reservations

Home Front Industry

• Many Businesses converted their businsseses to war product industries

• Henry Ford turned to making B-24 liberator bombers

• The Government established the cost-plus system in which they paid all development and production costs plus a percentage of those costs as profit on anything a company made for the war.

Home Front

• Coca-Cola said that every man gets a bottle of coke for 5 cents.

• Henry Kaiser introduced mass production that could assemble a ship in 14 days.

• His ships were called Liberty ships

• The jeep got it’s name from G.P. for General Purpose vehicle. It was established during WWII and 650,000 of them were produced.

Home Front

• Ration stamps were given out to attempt to distribute essential goods fairly. (Meat, butter, sugar and gasoline)

• Unemployment fell drastically

• Wages went up

• People joined unions

Costs of War• Federal Spending went from 9.4 billion dollars in

1939 to 95.2 billion in 1945• The GNP more than doubled• A raise in taxes paid for approx 41% of the cost of the

war• Revenue Act of 1942 increased the number of

Americans who paid income taxes. • It levied a flat 5% tax on all incomes over $624 per

year. The rest of the money to pay for the war came from banks and private investors, and the public

Women and the War

• While the men were off at war, women frequently worked in factories making war items.

• A popular symbol for this was Rosie the Riveter• Boyfriend at war, young, Middle classed and a Patriot• Posters were created telling women it was their

Patriotic duty to work during the war• Women made up 36% of the workforce

Home Front Society