In "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles, the main literary element is by far motif. Over and over again the symbol of war occurs in Knowles' writing. In occurs in many different ways and forms. The main plot of the story is about the war between the main character (Gene) and his best friend, but while this war is happening, World War II is also a very big part of the boys' lives. Everyone is tangled in this web of war, and in almost every paragraph there is something mentioned about "The war". The story also revolves around Gene's inner war within himself. He wants to be a better person, and be more like his best friend Phineas, but he struggles with what he really believes, and who he really is.
Another major part of the story is the horror and consequences of war. You really begin to realize how terrible war is when one of Gene's friends goes crazy from being in the war. Also, you see how misunderstandings can lead to fighting and wars. Over the course of a year of Gene's life, he learns how wars are caused by the ignorance of human beings, and he begins to understand why people should not hate one another. He finally grasps the reason his friend Phineas was so remarkable; because he never hated anyone, and was not ignorant enough to start any wars.
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I read A Separate Peace over the summer and i totally agree with you. I think that the war was a huge part of the story. It was the main reason why Gene was so sad and pretty much sick of everything, including the war. I hope you are enjoying the book!
ReplyDeleteGreat understanding of the story, Linnaea! I loved this book and I completely agree with you about the motif. I loved all the symbolism in the story, it just shows what a great author John Knowles is. I hope you liked the book as much as I did!
ReplyDeleteLinnaea, I absoulutele, positively agree with you! You are ssssssssssssssssssssssssooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo right! I mean, i think that too! i put that down for my motif too!!!! YOu are like, right on tp of things, Linnaea!
ReplyDeleteI read A Separate Peace for my summer reading assignment. I agree with you that motif is a huge part in the book.
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