A Separate Peace
T H E G L E N C O E L I T E R A T U R E L I B R A R Y
Study Guide
for
A Separate
Peace
by John Knowles
i
Meet John Knowles
knuckled down, learned by myself how
to study, discovered I had a brain which
had more potential than a knack for
writing, and by the end of that first
term, I was passing every course
comfortably. . . . Meanwhile, I was
falling in love with Exeter.
Knowles’s affection for the school is reflected in
his first—and most famous—novel, A Separate
Peace.
Shortly after Knowles entered Exeter, the
United Sates declared war on Japan and entered
World War II. Like other young men of the time,
Knowles went into the military after he gradu-
All of my books are based on places, places I know
ated from high school. He trained to be a pilot
very well and feel very deeply about. I begin with
in the United States Army Air Force aviation
that place and then the characters and the plot
program, but when the war ended he decided to
emerge from it. . . A Separate Peace began with
go back to school. He attended Yale University
a playing field at Exeter Academy.
in New Haven, Connecticut, where he received
a bachelor’s degree in 1949.
—John Knowles
During his twenties, Knowles traveled and
earned a living as a freelance writer. He wrote
uthor John Knowles was born in 1926 in
the stories “Phineas” and “A Turn in the Sun,”
AFairmont, West Virginia, deep in the heart
which were to form the core of A Separate
of coal-mining country. Although some of his
Peace. Knowles then took a job as an associate
works reflect his West Virginia roots—in A Vein
editor of a travel magazine. Early each morning,
of Riches, for example, he tells the story of an
before going to the office, he worked on A
early twentieth-century miners strike—Knowles’s
Separate Peace.
best-known works are set in New England. His
The novel, which was first published in
father and mother were originally from
England in 1959 and the United States in 1960,
Massachusetts, and the family often spent sum-
proved to be a success—so much that Knowles
mer vacations there.
was able to resign from his job and devote his
Knowles’s love of New England stems from
time to writing and to travel. Since then,
his experiences as a student. At the age of fif-
Knowles has written a variety of novels, a short
teen, he applied to an elite New Hampshire
story collection, a travel book, and several
boarding school, Phillips Exeter Academy. Much
essays. None of these works has been as success-
to his surprise, he was admitted. At first, Knowles
ful as A Separate Peace, but the fact does not
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
felt out of place. He has said that his classmates
seem to trouble him. He says that because he
seemed “too eastern for me, too Yankee, too
does not write with a particular audience in
tough,” and that he found the New Hampshire
mind he is delighted that he has found any audi-
winter “breathtakingly cold.” Moreover, his
ence at all. Knowles may be too modest. He is
grades were not the best. He admits:
likely to continue to have an audience for many
It quickly seemed probable that I would
years to come. Today, Knowles lives in Fort
flunk out. . . . Then somehow or other I
Lauderdale, Florida, where he still writes.
A Separate Peace Study Guide
9
Introducing the Novel
To read A Separate Peace is to discover a
intoxicate me. Classroom windows were open;
novel which is completely satisfactory and yet so
the aroma of flowers and shrubbery floated in.
provocative that the reader wishes immediately
We were in shirt sleeves; the masters [teachers]
to return to it.
were relaxed. Studies now were easy for me.
The summer of 1943 at Exeter was as happy a
—James Ellis, “A Separate Peace: The Fall from
Innocence”
time as I ever had in my life.
Similarly, Knowles based many of the characters
It is unusual for an author’s first novel to earn
on former classmates of his. He has said that
awards and a wide audience, yet John Knowles’s A
Phineas (“Finny”) was, in part, inspired by David
Separate Peace did just that. In 1960, the year that
Hackett, a classmate who went on to play hockey
the novel was first published in the United States,
on a U.S. Olympic team. The inspiration for
the book won both the William Faulkner Award
Brinker Hadley was Gore Vidal, an Exeter gradu-
and the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation
ate who today is a noted author. Knowles loosely
Award. About ten years later, the story was
based the central character, Gene Forrester, on
adapted for the screen and made into a movie.
himself. In fact, there is a little bit of Knowles in
Today, A Separate Peace is standard reading in
all the characters. The author says:
many high schools. Why is the novel so popular
It is true that I put part of myself into all four
and so well respected?
main characters in A Separate Peace: Phineas,
One reason may be the time in which the
Gene, Leper, and Brinker. In addition to using
novel is set. The action takes place during the
[Gore Vidal] for Brinker, and myself for Gene,
early years of America’s involvement in World
I had to, as most novelists do, draw from myself
War II, a period in which many teenaged boys
for everyone in the book.
faced a difficult decision: Should they enlist or
As summer turns into fall, the characters expe-
wait to be drafted into the armed services? As a
rience conflicts that many readers have found to be
teenager during World War II, Knowles himself
absorbing and true to life. If the conflicts seem real,
faced this decision, and he drew on memories of
it is because they represent the kinds of inner strug-
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
this experience and others to portray what it is
gles that everyone experiences. Like real people,
like to be a young man during wartime. Many
the characters discover that the most challenging
critics consider the portrayal to be sensitive and
battles in life are often the battles within.
convincing. In the words of Warren Miller:
Mr. Knowles has something to say about youth
THE TIME AND PLACE
and war that few contemporary novelists have
The central story of A Separate Peace begins less
attempted to say and none has said better.
than a year after the December 7, 1941, Japanese
Although World War II affects the lives of the
attack on Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii. Shortly after
characters in the story, it would be wrong to call A
the surprise bombing, which claimed the lives of
Separate Peace a novel about the war. The story
more than 2,000 U.S. soldiers, the United States
does not take place overseas, in the thick of battle,
entered World War II.
but rather in the United States, at a fictional New
During the 1930s, when international con-
England boys’ school named Devon. Knowles
flicts began to erupt in Asia, most Americans did
based Devon School on Phillips Exeter Academy,
not want the United States to become involved in
the school he attended as a teenager. The author
conflicts overseas. As other conflicts erupted and
affectionately recalls a summer that he spent there:
spread, many Americans sympathized with the
The great trees, the thick clinging ivy, the
plight of longtime allies, and their fight against
expanses of playing fields, the winding black-
Nazi Germany. However, recalling the pain and
water river, the pure air all began to sort of
horror of World War I, most Americans still
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A Separate Peace Study Guide
wanted the United States to remain neutral. With
example, in a popular song of the time, “They’re
the bombing of Pearl Harbor, however, the opin-
Either Too Young or Too Old,” a woman laments
ion of the American public almost immediately
the shortage of eligible men.
shifted to favor U.S. involvement, and the people
John Knowles, in an article about his school
quickly readied themselves for war.
days, describes how the “man shortage” at home,
In 1940, when the U.S. government insti-
in the States, changed the makeup of the Exeter
tuted the first peacetime draft in the nation’s his-
faculty:
tory, all men aged twenty-one through thirty-five
All the faculty . . . were between fifty and
were required to register for military service. After
seventy years old when I first entered Exeter in
the United States entered the war, the registra-
the fall of 1942. I had a young French teacher
tion age was lowered to eighteen. Many young
and one other young teacher but they had left
men did not wait to be drafted; patriotism was at
for the war by midyear. All of the faculty on the
an all-time high, and teenagers often felt that it
campus were so much older than we were, that
was their duty to enlist.
we had no connection with them. They were
The war brought changes to the American
just too old, too tired, and too busy. One of the
economy and lifestyle. The militay needed weapons,
reasons that [the main characters in A
and this need created jobs. The American people
Separate Peace] develop this intensely close
did all they could to aid the country. They attended
friendship is that they had no one to relate to; no
rallies, bought war bonds, conserved fuel and rubber
older person to pattern themselves on, to look
by car pooling, and planted “victory gardens” to sup-
and talk things over with. . . .
plement the sometimes meager supply of fresh fruits
In short, American life, as it had been, changed
and vegetables. Americans tolerated the sometimes
“for the duration”—a phrase that meant “until the
frustrating lack of everyday items such as shoes, but
end of the war.” To the characters in A Separate
found other shortages considerably less tolerable. For
Peace, “for the duration” seems very long indeed.
Did You Know?
Boarding school is less familiar in the United
intended to encourage collaboration and the
States than in Europe, where it began.
sharing of ideas. Exeter and many other
Boarding schools are often called prepara-
preparator y schools also encourage students
tor y schools because they are intended to
to pursue knowledge on their own.
prepare students for some form of higher
Some parents worr y that boarding school
education.
students face too much around-the-clock
In the United States, most preparator y
pressure and miss out on the oppor tunity to
school students enroll at age four teen. The
spend time with their families. Students live
course of study is often challenging, and
in a competitive environment, and must deal
most students eventually go on to college.
with peer pressure that other students can
Many boarding schools have their own
leave behind at the end of a day. Those who
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
teaching philosophies. Phillips Exeter
prefer boarding school say that students
Academy uses what it calls the “Harkness
thrive in small classes, get more involved in
Plan,” in which twelve students work around
spor ts and activities, and learn at a young
an oval table in each classroom. This is
age how to get along with a variety of people.
A Separate Peace Study Guide
11
Before You Read
A Separate Peace Chapters 1–5
FOCUS ACTIVITY
Does competition bring out the best or the worst in people?
Think-Pair-Share
With a classmate, list some of the pros and cons of competition. Considering your list, do you think
competition is healthy or unhealthy?
Setting a Purpose
Read to see how competitiveness affects a friendship between two teenagers.
BACKGROUND
Did You Know?
Shifting backward in time is a literary device called a flashback. Writers use flashbacks to achieve different
purposes. For example, an author might flash back to a character’s past in order to provide background
information or to help readers see the connection between a character’s past experiences and current
thoughts, feelings, and behavior. As you read A Separate Peace, think about the functions of the flashback
in the story.
Getting to Know Characters
A Separate Peace has a first-person narrator—one who is a character in the novel as well as the storyteller,
or “voice” that describes what happens. In general, this narrative point of view shortens the psychological
distance between the storyteller and readers, creating the illusion that the narrator is speaking directly to
them, friend to friends.
Like real human beings, first-person narrators may be subject to errors in judgment. They may misin-
terpret the meaning of events, misunderstand other characters’ motivations, and lack the self-insight
necessary to understand their own motivations. When you read a first-person narrative, be alert to the
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
narrator’s limitations. Verify the accuracy of the narrator’s judgments by paying close attention to how the
characters interact with the narrator and each other, to what the characters say about the narrator and
each other, and to what the characters do.
VOCABULARY PREVIEW
anarchy [an
r ke¯] n. disorder; absence of rules
enfeebled [en fe¯ b ld] adj. weakened; depleted
indulgent [in dul j nt] adj. permissive
inure [in yoor ] v. to become used to something unpleasant
inveigle [in va¯
l] v. to entice; to trick into something
nondescript [non´di skript ] adj. uninteresting; drab
sedate [si da¯t ] adj. calm; serene
tacit [tas it] adj. unspoken
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A Separate Peace Study Guide
Name
Date
Class
Active Reading
A Separate Peace Chapters 1–5
The relationship between Finny and Gene is at the heart of A Separate Peace. Gene tells the reader about
Finny’s attitudes and comments on them. As you read, take notes, in the boxes below, on Finny’s ideas
about sports, studies, rules, and life in general. Also record Gene’s comments on those attitudes and the
effect the attitudes have on him.
Finny
a natural athlete, leader, and organizer; assumes he wil win and does
Sports
Gene
Finny
Studies
Gene
Finny
Rules
Gene
Finny
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Outlook
on life
Gene
A Separate Peace Study Guide
13
Name
Date
Class
Responding
A Separate Peace Chapters 1–5
Personal Response
If you could talk to Gene, what would you say to him?
Analyzing Literature
Recall and Interpret
1. At what time of year does Gene return to Devon to visit? What atmosphere, or mood, is
created by setting the story during this season? What do Gene’s descriptions of the sea-
son suggest about his state of mind?
2. Describe Finny’s relationship with his teachers. What does the teachers’ attitude toward
Finny suggest about his personality?
3. Gene believes blitzball is a perfect game for Finny. Explain how the game is played. How
do the rules of the game and the skills needed to play it reflect Finny’s character?
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4. Describe the awards Finny has won. What record does he break? What do the awards
and his refusal to make his accomplishment public suggest about him?
5. After the overnight trip to the beach, what does Gene decide Finny is trying to do to him?
What leads Gene to this conclusion? How does Gene feel when he realizes he is wrong?
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A Separate Peace Study Guide
Name
Date
Class
Responding
A Separate Peace Chapters 1–5
Analyzing Literature (continued)
Evaluate and Connect
6. Evaluate Finny’s response to his injury and Gene’s revelation. Is the response believable?
Is it consistent with Finny’s previous attitudes and behavior? Support your opinions with
evidence from the novel.
7. How might Gene answer the Focus Activity question? How might Finny? After reading
about them, would you change your answer to the Focus Activity question? Why or why not?
Literature and Writing
A Complicated Friendship
Review your Active Reading chart. Then write an analysis of Gene and Finny’s friendship
as it was before Finny’s fall. What conflicting feelings does Gene have about Finny? Which
person in the friendship, in your opinion, is more emotionally mature? Support your ideas with
details from the text.
Extending Your Response
Literature Groups
Was jouncing the limb a planned, conscious decision on Gene’s part or an impulsive act? In
your group, examine the dialogue and the events that occur just before and after the fall. After
examining this information, debate Finny’s accident. Why might Gene have wanted to see
Finny fall? How does Gene feel immediately afterward, and why might he feel this way? Why
does Gene later wear Finny’s clothing? Use details from the novel to support your conclusions.
Learning for Life
The novel provides Gene’s perspective on characters and events. To understand what other
characters think, observe what they say and do. Imagine that Finny has been asked by school
officials to help them write an accident report about his fall. Write the report based on Finny’s
perceptions of what happened. How would he explain his reason for being in the tree? how and
why he fell?
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A Separate Peace Study Guide
15
Before You Read
A Separate Peace Chapters 6–10
FOCUS ACTIVITY
Are you eager to leave your teenage years behind you?
Journal
In your journal, write about your feelings toward growing older and experiencing change. What
experiences do you hope to have as an adult? What might you miss most about being young?
Setting a Purpose
Read to learn how Gene and the other students feel about becoming adults.
BACKGROUND
Did You Know?
The Olympics are intended to provide a way for athletes of all countries to come together peacefully and
demonstrate their skills. The modern Olympic games were first held in 1896 and every four years subse-
quently for a time, except in 1916, during World War I, and 1940 and 1944, during World War II. More
recently, the games have been held every two years, with the summer Olympics and the winter Olympics
alternating.
The Home Front
Although the battles of World War II were fought overseas, the war touched the lives of Americans “back
home” in the states. To ensure that the armed forces had adequate supplies of fuel, food, and clothing, the
government instituted a rationing system that limited civilian access to gasoline, meat, shoes, cotton
clothing, and other goods. To urge Americans to conserve, radio personalities repeated slogans such as
“Use it up! Wear it out! Make it do!” In special movie ads, film stars reminded Americans to do their part
and invest in war bonds—interest-bearing loans to the government that helped pay for the war. Women
dropped off used hosiery in collection boxes labeled “Uncle Sam needs your discarded silk and nylon
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
stockings for gun powder bags. Please launder and leave here.” Children collected scrap metal, rubber, and
newspapers, donating them to “the national defense.” Many Americans had a family member, classmate,
sweetheart, or neighbor serving in the armed forces, and the reality that loved ones might be killed in
battle united Americans in a common cause.
VOCABULARY PREVIEW
extrovert [eks tr vurt´] n. outgoing person who enjoys the company of other people
funereal [fu¯ n¯er e¯ l] adj. solemn as befitting a funeral
gullible [ ul
b l] adj. easily tricked; naive
idiosyncratic [id´e¯ sin krat ik] adj. peculiar; eccentric
implausibility [im plo z b l
te¯] n. unlikeliness; unbelievability
sinecure [s¯ n kyoor´] n. position, usually salaried, that requires little or no work
sultriness [sul tre¯ nis] n. humidity; heat
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A Separate Peace Study Guide
Name
Date
Class
Active Reading
A Separate Peace Chapters 6–10
As you read more about Devon School, keep track of the traits of the important characters. Pay attention
to identifying characteristics or qualities that help define each person. Summarize your ideas in a few
words; then jot them in each circle.
Finny
Gene
studious and thoughtful
about Finny and the
world around him
Brinker
Lepellier
Devon School
Quackenbush
Chet
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A Separate Peace Study Guide
17
Name
Date
Class
Responding
A Separate Peace Chapters 6–10
Personal Response
How did Gene deal with his friendship with Finny after the accident? Would you have done
anything differently? Why or why not?
Analyzing Literature
Recall and Interpret
1. What does Gene do when Quackenbush accuses him of being maimed? What motivates
Gene to respond this way? In what sense might Gene be maimed?
2. Contrast the mood at Devon during the summer session and fall session. Identify at least
three factors that might account for this change in mood.
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3. What is Finny’s theory about the war? How might his injury influence his feelings
toward the war?
4. Why is it surprising that Elwin (Leper) Lepellier is the first Devon boy to enlist? In what
ways is he different from the other boys who talk of enlisting?
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A Separate Peace Study Guide
Name
Date
Class
Responding
A Separate Peace Chapters 6–10
Analyzing Literature (continued)
Evaluate and Connect
5. In this section, what details does the author use to show the ways in which war is changing
the atmosphere at Devon?
6. Review your response to the Focus Activity. How do you think the students in the
novel would answer the question? In your opinion, do most of the students have a clear
idea about what life as a soldier will be like? Explain.
Literature and Writing
Analyzing Character
In his note to Gene, Leper pleads, “I have escaped and need help. . . .” Why is Gene, who is
on the brink of adulthood, unable and unwilling to feel sorry for Leper? What might Gene
not wish to hear? In a paragraph, evaluate Gene’s response to Leper’s breakdown, and explain
what the response suggests about Gene. Be sure to support your opinions with examples from
the text.
Extending Your Response
Literature Groups
Finny organizes his own version of the Olympic games as part of his Devon Winter Carnival.
After finishing a decathlon, Gene says, “It wasn’t the cider which made me surpass myself, it
was this liberation we had torn from the gray encroachments of 1943, the escape we had
concocted, this afternoon of momentary, illusory, special and separate peace.” In your group
discuss what Gene means in this passage. What is the “separate peace” that Gene is describ-
ing, and how do the students achieve it on this day? At this point, what does the phrase “a
separate peace” mean to you and to the novel? Share your opinions with others in your class.
Performing
With a partner, prepare a dramatic reading of one of the following scenes:
• Leper’s discussion with Gene in Vermont Try to convey how the once-gentle skier has changed.
The person who reads Gene’s part should reveal Gene’s frustration with Leper’s
situation. Use all or part of the segment that begins a few pages from the end of Chapter 10,
when Leper says, “I don’t really hate Brinker . . .” and end at the point at which Gene says,
“Shut up!”
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• Brinker Hadley’s first confrontation with Gene over Finny’s injury The person who reads
Brinker’s part should decide how serious the confrontation should be. The person who
reads Gene’s part should use body language or tone of voice to reveal Gene’s guilt and
discomfort.
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A Separate Peace Study Guide
19
Before You Read
A Separate Peace Chapters 11–13
FOCUS ACTIVITY
What does it mean to be at peace with yourself? What kinds of things interfere with peace of mind?
Quickwrite
Jot down your definition of what it means to be at peace. Then list obstacles that often stand in the way
of peace of mind.
Setting a Purpose
Read to discover whether Gene and Finny find “a separate peace.”
BACKGROUND
Did You Know?
Finny complains about world leaders, saying that they are trying to deceive the public. Two of the “fat old
men” Finny complains about are President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Great Britain’s Prime Minister
Winston Churchill. Although Finny pokes fun at the president, Roosevelt was, in reality, one of the
nation’s most popular presidents. In fact, he was elected four times. First taking office during the Great
Depression of the 1930s, Roosevelt proposed the creation of many government agencies and programs that
we take for granted today. These include social security and unemployment benefits. His regular radio
messages to the American people, called “fireside chats,” lifted spirits throughout World War II. Similarly,
Winston Churchill’s speeches inspired Britain during the darkest days of the war. Churchill’s constant
appeals to the United States to join the war influenced U.S. policy.
Climax and Resolution
In a novel or short story, the climax is the turning point, the point at which the central conflict comes to
a head. Most of the events in a story lead to the climax. A resolution is the point at which the central
conflict is resolved. As you read Chapters 11 through 13, look for the climax, which will suddenly change
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
the course of events for the main characters. Then look for a resolution. Remember that characters do not
necessarily find the answers to all of their problems in the resolution. As you read, look for the climax and
try to predict what the resolution might be.
VOCABULARY PREVIEW
forlornly [for lorn le¯] adv. miserably; desolately
impervious [im pur ve¯ s] adj. resistant; inaccessible
incarnate [in kar nit] adj. in the flesh
incomprehensible [in´kom pri hen s b l] adj. not understandable; mysterious
incongruity [in´k n roo
¯¯¯
te¯] n. inconsistency; disharmony
latent [la¯t
nt] adj. potential; inactive
timbre [tim b r] n. the quality of a sound; tone
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A Separate Peace Study Guide
Name
Date
Class
Active Reading
A Separate Peace Chapters 11–13
As the novel moves toward its climax, several aspects of the story come together: Gene’s feelings of
responsibility, Brinker’s role as a leader, Leper’s fragile mental state, disregard for rules in pursuit of fun,
and Finny’s trusting nature. As you read, make note of how each of these elements plays a role in the out-
come of the final section. In the spaces below, take notes on what happens to Finny and why it happens.
The Novel’s Climax
Gene “freezes” into
silence at the
Gene’s feelings of
mock trial.
responsibility
What happens to Finny and
how . . .
Brinker’s leadership of
the class
Lepellier’s mental state
Flouting of school rules
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Finny’s open, trusting
personality
A Separate Peace Study Guide
21
Name
Date
Class
Responding
A Separate Peace Chapters 11–13
Personal Response
How did you feel about what happened to Finny? Describe the emotions you experienced as
you read.
Analyzing Literature
Recall and Interpret
1. How does Brinker get Gene and Finny to attend the mock trial? In your opinion, why is
Brinker so determined to investigate the incident?
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
2. What is Leper’s description of the accident? Why is his testimony so upsetting to Finny?
3. What does Gene mean when he says, “Phineas, you wouldn’t be any good in the war,
even if nothing had happened to your leg.” What qualities make Finny a poor candidate
for military service?
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A Separate Peace Study Guide
Name
Date
Class
Responding
A Separate Peace Chapters 11–13
Analyzing Literature (continued)
Evaluate and Connect
4. Do you think Brinker’s mock trial was a good idea? Why or why not?
5. What understanding do Finny and Gene reach about the incident in the tree? Does their
explanation of what happened satisfy you? Why or why not?
6. Do you blame Gene for Finny’s death? Why or why not?
Literature and Writing
Character Analysis
On a separate sheet of paper, write a character analysis that explores how Gene grows and
changes during the course of the novel. Review your response to the Focus Activity on
page 20. Do you believe that Gene has found peace with himself at the end of the novel?
Why or why not? Support your opinions with quotations and other evidence from the novel.
Extending Your Response
Literature Groups
With a small group of classmates, review the opening scene of the novel, in which Gene,
now an adult, visits Devon. What places does he most want to see again? Why? After read-
ing the novel, what do you think the real purpose of the visit is? Does Gene’s visit support
the idea that he has found inner peace or contradict it? Write your response on a separate
sheet of paper.
History Connection
Many scholars believe the treaty that ended World War I sowed the seeds for World War II.
Consult books or on-line resources to learn more about the Treaty of Versailles. Find out
what the terms of the peace agreement were and why they might have sparked more conflict.
To perform your search, use key words and phrases such as Versailles Treaty, World War I,
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and League of Nations. Present a brief report to the class in which you answer the following
question: Is Brinker’s claim that his father’s generation caused the war justified?
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A Separate Peace Study Guide
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Name
Date
Class
Responding
A Separate Peace
Personal Response
In your opinion, what lessons are to be learned from reading A Separate Peace? What will you
remember most about the novel?
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Writing About the Novel
At the end of the novel Gene says, “ . . . my war ended before I even put on a uniform; I was
on active duty all my time at school; I killed my enemy there.” An essay in Time magazine
about A Separate Peace states, “. . . one of the things the novelist seems to be saying is that
the enemy Gene killed, and loved, is the one every man must kill: his own youth, the inno-
cence that burns too hotly to be endured.” Think about these quotations. Then answer two
of the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.
• Do you believe that the writer of the essay and Gene are referring to the same enemy—
innocence? Why or why not?
• Do you believe every person must leave his or her innocence behind in order to mature?
Why or why not?
• What is an example of Gene’s innocence early in the novel?
• Does Gene “kill” his innocence? Explain.
• Does Finny lose his innocence? Explain.
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A Separate Peace Study Guide
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Class
Envy: Is It Hurting
or . . . Helping You? Julie Taylor
Before You Read
Focus Question
Recall a time when you were envious of someone. What did you do about it?
Background
This magazine article by Julie Taylor explores possible consequences of envy and suggests ways for an
envious person to help herself or himself. Like Gene in A Separate Peace, the people in this reading are
envious of friends.
Responding to the Reading
1. According to the article, what are some positive ways to deal with envy?
2. Do you agree with the author’s hypothesis that envy can be good if it motivates you? Why or why not?
3. Did you find this article to be helpful? Explain. Is there any information you would add to make the
article more informative?
4. Making Connections Before Finny’s fall, how did Gene deal with his envy in A Separate Peace? In
your opinion, did Gene’s envious feelings change? Explain.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Writing a Dialogue
Pick one person from the article who experiences envy. Write an internal dialogue for that person in
which you portray his or her inner struggle. Treat envy as one voice in the conversation, and the desire to
do something positive with envy as the opposing voice.
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Name
Date
Class
The Sprinters Lillian Morrison
Pole Vault Shiro Murano
The Passer George Abbe
A Snapshot for Miss Bricka . . . Robert Wallace
Black Water and Bright Air Constance Carrier
Before You Read
Focus Question
Have you ever felt especially moved by something you read? What was the subject of the reading? Why
did it affect you the way that it did?
Background
These poems about sports are by different authors and portray athletes and athletics with vivid imagery.
Like the novel, these poems urge us to look beyond the obvious to see the deeper meaning.
Responding to the Readings
1. What similar themes do you see in all the poems? Which poem is your favorite? Why?
2. In “The Sprinters,” Morrison writes, “whose . . . stride / Most mocks the clock / And almost breaks
the bands / Which lock us in.” What do you think this means?
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
3. What sport is George Abbe writing about? What other sport does he allude to within the poem?
What words does he use that lead you to your conclusions?
4. Making Connections Suppose these poems were written by characters in the novel. In your opinion,
which poem do you think Finny would have written? What about Gene? Explain.
Literature Groups
In “A Snapshot for Miss Bricka . . .” Wallace writes, “seeing how everything is less / that seemed so much,
how life moves on / past either defeat or victory . . . .” In your groups, discuss the meaning of these lines.
What other lines are central to understanding the theme of this poem? Which lines set the scene or con-
tribute to the mood of the poem?
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A Separate Peace Study Guide
Name
Date
Class
from In Search of Light: The Broadcasts
of Edward R. Murrow, 1938–1961
edited by Edward Bliss Jr.
The Home Front in
Upstate New York
Josephine E. Case
Before You Read
Focus Question
Have you ever volunteered to help with a cause you feel strongly about? What did you do?
Background
These readings give more information about World War II, the setting for A Separate Peace. Edward R.
Murrow was a well-known American journalist whose radio broadcasts from Europe brought news of the
war to families all over America. The second excerpt is Josephine E. Case’s first-person account of what
life was like on the home front during the war.
Responding to the Readings
1. At the end of the excerpt, Murrow says that Americans “have not fought and suffered as the Russians,
nor . . . sacrificed as the British.” According to Murrow, what have Americans done? What did
Americans at home do for the war, according to Case?
2. In your opinion, how does Murrow’s statement about what Americans did during the war relate to
what Case says Americans did?
3. If the United States entered a war tomorrow, how do you think our country would be affected? How
do you think you would be affected?
4. For what similar or different purposes do Murrow and Case seem to be writing about the war? What
methods does each writer use to communicate his or her message?
5. Making Connections These two readings give you information about the war, as seen through the
eyes of two different individuals. A Separate Peace is told from the perspective of the narrator, Gene.
What do you learn about the war through Gene’s eyes?
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Learning for Life
Write a brochure that encourages people in the community to support a cause or an issue that you feel
strongly about. Use facts to motivate people, and suggest specific areas in which help or support may be
needed. Include one or two illlustrations.
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Name
Date
Class
D-Day: June 6, 1944
Robert Mason
Before You Read
Focus Question
Have you ever kept a journal? What are some reasons for writing in a journal?
Background
Robert Mason served in World War II as a communications officer. Mason’s job was not to fight but to
handle communications important to the success of an attack. His D-Day diary records his observations of
the soldiers who had to fight in the attack—soldiers who could have been Gene, Finny, or any one of
their friends.
Responding to the Reading
1. How does Mason feel as he leaves land aboard the attack transport? Why do you think he feels this
way? Are you surprised by his feelings? Why or why not?
2. What does Mason see in the faces of the men as they leave the ship to enter the battle? In your opin-
ion, how is Mason affected by his role as observing officer, rather than a soldier who must go into the
battle? Do his observations seem accurate to you? Explain.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
3. Making Connections Mason watches the faces of the men as they go off to battle, wondering what
they are thinking and feeling. In A Separate Peace, Leper enlists in the war. What do you think Leper
was thinking when he decided to enlist? In your opinion, did he know what to expect from the war?
Use examples from the text to support your answer.
Writing a Journal Entry
Write a journal entry from the perspective of one of the soldiers on the ship with Mason. What is your
character thinking as he leaves the ship, carrying equipment for battle?
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A Separate Peace Study Guide
Name
Date
Class
There Really Was a Super
Suicide Society Bernard Carragher
Before You Read
Focus Question
How would you explain your school’s organization and atmosphere to someone who was not familiar with
the school?
Background
This article examines the movie, A Separate Peace, made in 1972. Bernard Carragher, of the New York
Times, interviews the actor who plays Finny and the author of the novel, John Knowles. The reading
explores the real places, people, and events that inspired the novel.
Responding to the Reading
1. What are Heyl’s feelings about Exeter? How do they compare to Knowles’s feelings about Exeter?
2. How do you think your experiences with school and friends would be different if you went to a school
like Exeter? Would you feel differently about the characters in the novel if you had gone to Exeter?
3. Making Connections What did you learn about the novel from reading this article?
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Creating a Venn Diagram
Use three overlapping circles to create a Venn diagram that shows the relationship between Knowles’s,
Heyl’s, and Gene’s experiences in boarding school. Where the circles overlap, describe similarities. Where
the circles do not overlap, describe differences.
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