By: Mike Dwyer and Tyler Milligan

In A Separate Peace, Knowles shows how wars are fought everyday; he makes this clear in the contrast between the reality of the war and the boys’ life at Devon.

The war and Devon were as different as could be, but slowly came together. The following quotes and passages show how through the story Devon and the war slowly merged into one.

“I think we reminded them of what peace was like, we boys of sixteen....We were careless and wild, and I suppose we could be thought of as a sign of the life the war was being fought to preserve....We reminded them of what peace was like, of lives which were not bound up with destruction. Phineas was the essence of this careless peace." Pg. 23-24

This quote shows how different the war was from Devon because the boys are using themselves as an example for the soldiers to look at for peace.

"In the same way the war, beginning almost humorously with announcements about [no more] maids and days spent at apple-picking, commenced its invasion of the school. The early snow was commandeered as its advance guard.“ Pg. 93

This quote shows how the war and Devon school finally cross with each other.

“I still instinctively live and think in its atmosphere.” Pg. 40

This quote means that Gene is starting to realize how the war is coming into Devon school, and how similar the two are.

“For me, this moment-four years is a moment in history-was the war.”

This quote explains how Gene sees the war’s relation to him. He can tell how the war and Devon have finally become each other.

“I turned right and followed the army air force out into the playing fields of Devon” Pg. 203

This quote means that Devon school has finally conjoined with the war. Specifically, it means that they have the same things going on inside them both, like war, death, loss of friends, and betrayal.