kchen
New Member
Posts: 16 
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Post by kchen on Oct 30, 2015 2:00:48 GMT
In A Separate Peace, symbolism is used to represent the relationship between Gene and Finny and Gene’s coming-of-age. After Finny breaks his leg, he tells Gene that the bone should grow back stronger than before. However, this is proven wrong when Finny breaks it again falling down the stairs. In a way, this represents their friendship. Finny thinks that even though they have suffered a break in their friendship due to Gene’s jealousy, it will be strengthened after it has healed. But just like Finny’s leg, it is weaker than before. Gene is maturing but Finny stays in the childhood state and holds him back from becoming an adult. It is a bit ironic that the very thing that causes Gene to start growing up, and also forces a rift between them, is what Finny thinks will make their friendship stronger.
What do you guys think are some other symbols?
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Post by rdeorio3 on Nov 1, 2015 22:29:48 GMT
Symbolism plays a large role in A Separate Peace. One of the symbols I saw in the book was both the summer session and the winter session. In the summer session at Devon was a time of anarchy and freedom. The teachers were lenient with rules and when Finny's enthusiasm and silver tongue could get him out of anything. It was a time of care free fun. This session symbolizes innocence and youth. The session comes to an end with Finny's actual and symbolic fall. Then the students at Devon entered the winter session. This is a time when we start to learn more about Brinker and how he a hard working and order-loving kind of guy. Brinker embodies the spirit of the winter session. It is dark, disciplined, and filled with difficult work. The winter session symbolizes the infringing adulthood and wartime, which is drawing increasingly closer for the boys at Devon. The two sessions together symbolize shift between the childhood stage of life and the liminal state.
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