A Separate Peace - Symbolism

Want to read the rest of this paper? Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay and over 50,000 other term papers

is the theme of maturity. The two rivers that are part of the Devon School property symbolize how Gene and Finny grow up through the course of the novel. The Devon River is preferred by the students because it is above the dam and contains clean water. It is a symbol of childhood and innocence because it is safe and simple. It is preferred which shows how the boys choose to hold onto their youth instead of growing up. The Naguamsett is the disgustingly dirty river which symbolizes adulthood because of its complexity. The two rivers intermingle showing the boys’ changes from immature individuals to slightly older and wiser men.
Sooner or later, Gene and Phineas, who at the beginning of the novel are extremely immature, have to face reality. Signs of their maturity appear when the boys have a serious conversation about Finny’s accident. Finny realizes that Gene did shake the tree limb purposely so that he would fall. However, he knows that this action was spontaneous, and that ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays. Write better papers. Get better grades. Already a member? Login

interact. Leper enlists in the army after being impressed by a film shown by a recruiter from the U.S. ski troops. "The ski movie had decided him. ‘I always thought the war would come for me when it wanted me…I never thought I’d be going to it. I’m really glad I saw that movie in time, you bet I am’" (826) Leper is amazed by these men and how they, with their recognizable and friendly faces, give a clean response to war. However, he has a breakdown of emotions after joining the troops. He becomes psychotic, goes AWOL, and is given a Section Eight. The war proves too much for such an innocent, isolated boy. He is unprepared for the gory, gruesome things he sees when he arrives for ...

Succeed in your coursework without stepping into a library. Get access to a growing library of notes, book reports, and research papers in 2 minutes or less.

CITE THIS PAGE: