A Separate Peace Analysis

1251 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay about a separate peace

A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles is a flashback of the main character, Gene Forrester’s schooling at the Devon School in New England. During this flashback Gene remembers his best friend Finny, who was really athletic and outgoing. Gene and Finny’s friendship was a relationship of jealousy. Gene was jealous of Finny’s talent in athletics, and Finny was envious of Gene’s talent in school. In the end, Gene’s jealousy of Finny takes over and causes him to shake the tree branch that makes Finny fall and break his leg. The break was bad, but it was not until Finny fell down the stairs and broke his leg again, that he had to have surgery. The surgery that Finny would undergo would cause more complications and heartbreaking news for Gene. During the surgery Finny would lose his life due to some bone marrow that escaped into his blood stream and stopped his heart from beating. “As I was moving the bone some of the marrow must have escaped into his blood stream and gone directly to his heart and stopped it” (Knowles 193). Although people do not normally think about bone marrow as being a huge part of the human body, it can cause some major issues if it has to be replaced or escapes into the blood stream.
First of all, bone marrow is most often one of the forgotten parts of the body, but it is necessary in order for the bones in the hips and thighs to function properly. Bone marrow is the soft, fatty tissues that are inside of bones. Inside of the bone marrow there are cells called stem cells. These stem cells transform into red and white blood cells, and also platelets that help with blood clotting. Although stem cells are supposed to transform into blood cells, there can sometimes be problems with the way that the stem cells de...

... middle of paper ...

... it, which destroys all healthy bone marrow in the body. As a result of this, the patient will have to undergo a process to replace all deteriorated or damaged bone marrow. This process involves taking the stem cells from a donor and transplanting them into the patient’s body, so that the patient will transform these stem cells into bone marrow. Bone marrow can also be a complication for the body if it escapes into the blood stream. If the bone marrow enters the blood stream, it can travel throughout the body, and cause serious complications. This is a condition referred to as fat embolism, and mainly occurs after serious trauma or surgery to lower limbs. There is not a specific diagnosis or treatment for this; it is mostly based on the patient’s condition or symptoms. Bone marrow can be a very dangerous thing if it has any type of complications within the body.

Show More
Related

  • Jealousy In John Knowles A Separate Peace

    944 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the novel A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, the narrator, Gene Forrester struggles to earn and preserve a separate peace. The story takes place in a remote boarding school named Devon, in New Hampshire. While Gene and Finny are in school, World War II is taking place. The author clearly explains an important story about the jealousy between Gene and his best friend, Phineas. Gene suspects that Finny is trying to sabotage his grades, and Gene allows his jealousy to control his actions. Therefore, Gene misinterprets their relationship by thinking that they shared enmity towards each other, and this caused Gene to enter a world of jealousy and hatred, which ultimately leads to Finny’s death. By examining this jealousy, John Knowles

    Read More

  • A Separate Peace

    659 Words  | 2 Pages

    A Separate Peace is a coming of age novel in which Gene, the main character, revisits his high school and his traumatic teen years. When Gene was a teen-ager his best friend and roommate Phineas (Finny) was the star athlete of the school.

    Read More

  • Gene's Development in John Knowles' A Separate Peace

    1118 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout A Separate Peace, John Knowles effectively uses his characterization of Finny to teach one of life's greatest lessons. Although at times Gene and Finny appear to be enemies, the tests and challenges Finny presents to Gene actually cause him to blossom, making him a stronger person. Despite Finny's death, his wisdom, courage and actions live on in Gene. Gene learns that throughout life accomplishments that one works for and achieves will provide much more reward than those handed to a person. Many times, the greatest reward is finding one's true self and discovering his or her capabilities.

    Read More

  • A Separate Peace

    562 Words  | 2 Pages

    A Separate Peace is a coming-of-age novel about two boys at boarding school and their friendship during World War II. There are three significant scenes of violence that occur in the novel; however, the core of the plot is based upon one. The first and most poignant is the incident where Gene, the narrator, jiggles the tree branch while he and Phineas, his best friend, are preparing to jump, causing Phineas to fall and break his leg. The next scene of violence is when Quackenbush calls Gene a lame and Gene pushes him into the water. Lastly, Gene pushes Leper out of his chair while visiting him after he is accused of causing Phineas’ injury. All of these occurrences contribute to the overall meaning of the work.

    Read More

  • A Separate Peace Argument

    391 Words  | 1 Pages

    The literary analysis essay for A Separate Peace entitled Chapter 7: After the Fall notes that Gene’s brawl with Cliff Quackenbush occurs for two reasons: the first reason being that Gene was fighting to defend Finny, and the second reason being that Quackenbush is the antithesis of Finny. Cliff Quackenbush calls Gene a “maimed son-of-a-bitch”, since Gene holds a position on the team that is usually reserved for physically disabled students, and Gene reacts by hitting him in the face (Knowles, 79). At first, Gene remarks that he didn’t know why he reacted this way, then he says, “it was almost as though I were maimed. Then the realization that there was someone who was flashed over me”, referring to Finny (Knowles, 79). Quackenbush is “the adult world of punitive authority personified”, his voice mature, his convictions militaristic (Chapter, 76). Quackenbush reminds Gene of the adult world and all of the things that Finny and Devon protected him from, such as war.

    Read More

  • Analysis and Description of Hematologic System

    1658 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Hematologic System is regarded as the body’s system that regulates the movement of nutrients, molecules (macro and micro molecules), and oxygen to tissues and metabolic waste products and carbon dioxide out of the tissues (Colbert, 2009). The overall role of the hematologic system is to deliver substances needed for cellular metabolism, temperature regulation, defend the body from injury and microbial infections, and maintain the homeostatic balance or acid-base chemistry of the blood and fluid-electrolyte balance. The Hematologic System is principally made up of the blood, blood vessels, and primary organs that manufacture blood cells such as the bone marrow, spleen, lymph nodes, liver, and thymus gland (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2009). Blood is made up of three distinct components: red blood cells, white blood cells, and plasma, and its role is to transport necessary substances for metabolism (nutrients, hormones and oxygen) to cells and to remove metabolic waste products and carbon dioxide, regulation of body temperature and fluid balance, and protect the body from infections. Blood vessels simply aid the transportation of blood throughout the body, simply in and out of the heart. Spleen on its part is the largest lymphatic organ and functions as the blood filtration system and reservoir, site for fetal hematopoiesis, and mounts immune responses that act against invading infections. Bone marrow is another important component of the hematologic system, and its role is to synthesize new blood cells (Red blood cells white blood cells, and platelets) that constitute a healthy blood count while the liver functions by detoxifying the blood (Colbert, 2009).

    Read More

  • A Separate Peace

    678 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the novel, A Separate Peace, the author John Knowles conveys many messages of symbolism. The symbolism can be found in an array of ways, ranging from internal war, to the theme of human aggression, and a variety of religious principles. The main characters, Gene and Phineas, and their story could be paralleled to the biblical story of Adam and Eve. The similarities can be seen in the way in which in both of the stories, everyone is living in perfect harmony and peace until something comes along to disrupt it. Also in how the main characters do something out of jealousy, greed, and selfishness; and in addition, how Finny's fall out of a tree relates to the “Fall of Mankind.”

    Read More

  • Gene and Finny in A Separate Piece

    1332 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the novel A Separate Peace, the author John Knowles creates a unique relationship between the two main characters Gene Forrester and Phineas, also known as Finny. The boys have a love hate relationship, which becomes the base of the problems throughout the book. The setting of this novel, a preparatory school in New Hampshire known as Devon, creates a peaceful environment where World War will not corrupt the boys. The boys might be protected from the war, but they are not protected from each other. Throughout the book Finny manipulates Gene. These reoccurring manipulations cause Gene to follow in Finny's footsteps and begin to live through Finny. The lives of the two boys change dramatically when an accident occurs. Instead of Gene living through Finny, Finny begins to live through Gene.

    Read More

  • Liberal Humanistic Critique of A Separate Peace

    1125 Words  | 3 Pages

    John Knowles’ novel, A Separate Peace, reveals the many dangers and hardships of adolescence. The main characters, Gene, and Finny, spend their summer together at a boarding school called Devon. The two boys, do everything together, until Gene, the main character, develops a resentful hatred toward his friend Finny. Gene becomes extremely jealous and envious of Finny, which fuels this resentment, and eventually turns deadly. Knowles presents a look at the darker side of adolescence, showing jealousy’s disastrous effects. Gene’s envious thoughts and jealous nature, create an internal enemy, that he must fight. A liberal humanistic critique reveals that Knowles’ novel, A Separate Peace, has a self contained meaning, expresses the enhancement of life, and reveals that human nature does not change.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast A Separate Peace

    447 Words  | 1 Pages

    John Knowles writes a compelling realistic fiction about the lives of two teenage boys throughout the start of World War II in his novel A Separate Peace. Peter Yates the director of the movie plays the story out in a well organized theatrical manner. There are similarities and differences in these two works of art. However; there are also similarities.

    Read More

  • Becoming A Man A Separate Peace And The Jumping Tree

    1857 Words  | 4 Pages

    In "A Separate Peace" many characteristics of becoming a man can be seen. For example, as the novel progresses, so does Gene's maturity. Gene's first seen in the novel as a boy, not yet brought on by nature, but as one gets deeper into the novel, one sees change; Gene embarks on life change that all men journey through once in their life. Gene begins to see his life and others from a totally new standpoint, as though even from a newer perspective. In Chapter two and chapter three, Gene, develops a sheer envy for Finny, and acknowledges it as the truth. He is extremely envious of the methods in which Finny uses to escape his unusual actions and his popularity. He embeds himself in a pool of self-assurance, by repeatedly telling himself over and over again that having

    Read More

  • An Essay On Leukemia

    838 Words  | 2 Pages

    To understand where and how leukemia occurs it helps to know a little about the blood and lymph systems. Bone marrow is soft inner part of the bone where blood cells are formed There are three different types of major blood cells; white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. In infants active blood cells are found in almost in all bones but by the teenage years they are found in mostly flat bones (skull, shoulder blades, ribs, and pelvis) and the vertebrate. Bone marrow consist of a small number of blood stem cells, more mature blood forming cells, fat cells, and supporting tissues to help the tissue grow. They go through a series of changes to make new blood cells. With this process 1 of 3 things is made- red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. Red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to all the other parts of the body and transport carbon dioxide back to the lungs. Platelets are cell fragments made by a type of bone...

    Read More

  • body systems

    2036 Words  | 5 Pages

    Bone marrow is normally red or yellow, however at birth all bone marrow starts of as red and throughout time half of it turns yellow. The large amounts of fat cells are the cause for the yellow coloring in the bone marrow ; the body then uses those cells during starvation for required energy. The red marrow, usually found in flatter bones, such as the hip bones, signals its importance to blood cell reproduction.

    Read More

  • The Democratic Peace Theory

    938 Words  | 2 Pages

    The democratic peace theory was not always seen as the substantial argument and significant contribution to the field of International Relations that it is today. Prior to the 1970’s, it was the realist and non-realist thought that took preeminence in political theoretical thinking. Though the democratic peace theory was first criticized for being inaccurate in its claim that democracy promotes peace and as such democracies do not conflict with each other, trends, statistical data, reports have suggested and proved that the democratic peace theory is in fact valid in its claim. Over the years having been refined, developed and amended, it is now most significant in explaining modern politics and it is easy to accept that there is indeed a lot of truth in the stance that democracy encourages peace. The democratic peace theory is a concept that largely influenced by the likes of Immanuel Kant, Wilson Woodrow and Thomas Paine.

    Read More

  • Stem Cell Research

    1509 Words  | 4 Pages

    Until recently, bone marrow – which is the soft substance inside the bones; and peripheral blood – which comes from certain blood vessels, was the only source of stem cells available for transplant use. These choices both require extensive operational procedures and carry a lot of risk for the donor. Umbilical cord blood has been called “An effective alternative to bone marrow transplant therapy” by the New England cord blood bank in Boston (Broxmeyer, 2001).

    Read More

More about A Separate Peace Analysis

Open Document