Naguamsett And Devon Rivers In A Separate Peace

396 Words1 Page

Throughout the novel A Separate Peace, John Knowles uses the Naguamsett and Devon rivers to symbolise the differences between reality and the artificial environment of Devon. At this point in the novel, with the war raging in Europe, the Senior class is busy preparing for the brutal fighting which would take place in most of their lives in the upcoming years. Gene characterized the Naguamsett as "ugly, saline, fringed with marsh, mud and seaweed" (76). With the war being in the back of Gene and his classmates’ minds, the Naguamsett symbolises the burning reality that someday soon, many of the boys will be thrown into the ugly battleground of war. This war especially, being infamous for the many inhumane acts and brutal fighting conditions. Also, with the Naguamsett being so putrid and polluted, the likeliness for illness is there, and this ties the Naguamsett more to the war because of how WWII had a lot of deaths due to illness from chemicals and other reasons. Also on page 76, Gene goes on to say, “(The Naguamsett) was nothing like the fresh-water Devon… where we’d had so much fun…” (76). This symbolizes the differences between the disgusting Naguamsett war scene and the pure Devon campus. While the Naguamsett is characterized to be murky and unsanitary, the Devon is pure, and as Gene says, “fun”. With this …show more content…

This symbolises how the innocence of Gene is dying inside, and the war is looming over him, and indirectly coming to the devon campus through Quackenbush’s anger. One main symbol is also how he was thrown into the Naguamsett, not the Devon. With the salty water covering him, he is extra uncomfortable, and also he uses the Devon to remove the salt and other remains from himself after the incident. This shows how Devon is used to heal the thoughts of war, and used as a safe space from the brutal reality they

Show More
Related

  • Corruption In T. Coraghessan Boyle's Greasy Lake

    1121 Words  | 3 Pages

    The lake is the main symbol in “Greasy Lake” that symbolizes youth corruption. When the narrator enters the lake, he describes it as already being “ankle-deep in muck and tepid water and still going strong” (Boyle 5). The filthy description of the water is used to show the gloomy and corrupt waters in this lake. The lake also was “fetid and murky, the mud banks glittering with broken glass and strewn with beer cans and the charred remains of bonfires” (1). These descriptions revolving around the lake show that this lake was where people went to be “bad” people. Primitive acts were done here,

    Read More

  • Phineas 'Coming Of Age In John Knowles' A Separate Peace

    651 Words  | 2 Pages

    At the Devon School, the climate of war creates an even greater impedance in the way of Gene and Phineas’ development, as now both characters must attempt to understand death. For Gene at such a young age, death has never been a part of his life until Phineas dies. Phineas has always been fated to die, but Gene is not able to comprehend this until Finny falls down the marble stairs at the First Academy Building. On revisiting the marble stairs, Gene recognizes their “exceptional hardness” (Knowles 11). The hardness that Gene speaks of is representative of the hardness of coping with war and death during such a crucial developmental time. This imagery is utilized by Knowles in A Separate Peace to define that until Gene recognizes the incomprehensible nature of war and death, he will never escape the liminal state. By watching Phineas fall down the marble stairs, Gene is enlightened to the fact that war is real, death cannot be avoided, and both can never be

    Read More

  • Identity in the Film Thuderheart

    850 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this scene, Ray and Crow Horse go to a place on the reservation during the night and discover pools of liquid after Ray nearly fell into one. Ray questions what it is and then Crow Horse throws a rock that he picked up into one of the pools and concludes that it test drilling for uranium. Crow Horse then sticks a knife into a hole and discovers sealant and then comments about how the Natives have been voting against the mining on the reservation. Crow Horse mentions that Jack Milton has tried to own the lands and keeps getting kickbacks from the leases. The mining is the reason for why the water has been contaminated. They both conclude that the murder was set up and pinned on Jimmy just so the mining could be done. Crow Horse tells Ray that “his people”, referring to the Americans, did this. Ray replies saying “they’re not my people”, and this means that he considers the Native Americans. In th...

    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

  • Setting in Greasy Lake by T. Coraghessan Boyle

    821 Words  | 2 Pages

    The lake itself plays a major role throughout the story, as it mirrors the characters almost exactly. For example, the lake is described as being “fetid and murky, the mud banks glittering with broken glass and strewn with beer cans” (125). The characters are also described as being “greasy” or “dangerous” several times, which ties the lake and the characters together through their similarities. The narrator explains, “We were bad. At night we went up to Greasy Lake” (124). This demonstrates the importance that the surroundings in which the main characters’ choose to be in is extremely important to the image that they reflect. At the beginning of the story, these characters’ images and specifically being “bad” is essentially all that mattered to them. “We wore torn up leather jackets…drank gin and grape juice…sniffed glue and ether and what somebody claimed was cocaine” (124). They went out of their ...

    Read More

  • Annotation Assignment: A Separate Peace

    1519 Words  | 4 Pages

    2. Chapter 1, page 4, #2: “Devon is sometimes considered the most beautiful school in New England, and even on this dismal afternoon its power was asserted.”

    Read More

  • What Are The Similarities Between A Separate Peace And A Separate Peace

    750 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the novels A Separate Peace and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time there are a number of themes. The books have so many similarities in them. All of the characters love and help each other get through things that are tough in their life. One of the problems that all of the characters face is being lost. This isn’t one of the themes that I chose, but I think it puts them together nicely. Most of the characters want to be put back on the right path in the story. By the end of the novels, they all achieved this goal. The three things that helped them do that were the friendships and sheltering that they had and the forgiveness they gave and received.

    Read More

  • Knowles' Separate Peace Essays: Loss of Innocence

    765 Words  | 2 Pages

    In John Knowles' novel A Separate Peace, the theme of loss of innocence is skillfully developed through setting, character, and symbols.  This story simply details a young man's entering the adult world as all children do.  Everyone suffers loss of innocence.

    Read More

  • Symbols in A Separate Peace, by John Knowles

    592 Words  | 2 Pages

    Equally important to Gene’s metamorphosis were the Devon and Naguamsett Rivers. Devon School sat in between these two r...

    Read More

  • John Grady's Journey in All the Pretty Horses

    1123 Words  | 3 Pages

    The crossing of the Rio Grande into Mexico is an important structural device and symbol in the novel. This is when they enter the ?frame? of the novel in which all the conflicts take place. The crossing of the river naked is symbolic for the cleansing of their souls as well as a new beginning. In only a short time after arriving in Mexico, conflicts start.

    Read More

  • Diction In A Separate Peace

    842 Words  | 2 Pages

    The development of the war occurs with the maturing of Gene and most of his fellow students. The negative diction associated with the war revealed how Gene feared and even hated just the idea of war. In the end, however, he realized his own involvement in the war included no real warfare. As the war continues, Gene gives up on childlike activities like games and instead joins the war efforts. Through the setting of the Devon School, Knowles shows how war can reach even the most sheltered places. War molds our youth and thus molds our

    Read More

  • Personal Identity In John Knowles A Separate Peace

    1248 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gene's story is set in a boarding school called Devon during World War II and

    Read More

  • A Separate Peace - Symbolism

    1599 Words  | 4 Pages

    Knowles, John. The. A Separate Peace.

    Read More

  • Culture in the Poem Blessing

    1065 Words  | 3 Pages

    The poet uses examples of imagery in this poem. The poet uses a simile in the first line of the first stanza to start off the poem. The simile she uses is ''the skin cracks like a pod''. The opening of the poem gives a clear message that something is severely wrong. A pod cracks with barely any resistance so the comparison to the skin is a unreserved statement outlining how easily the skin is. There is obviously a drought or a vast undersupply of water. The opening surprises the reader and gives an indication of what is to come. The poet uses a short and abrupt line which is effective

    Read More

  • Romanticism and Realism in "Editha"

    329 Words  | 1 Pages

    Now Howell uses George's view on war, his family history and even his death to symbolize realism. From the beginning George sees war as a negative thing that can bring so much pain and suffering contrary to Editha's views. His family had a personal experience with war, having his father lose his arm at war shaped his family's view on war influencing George. His mother's straight forward words about girls that give up their loved ones thinking they will come back alive and unaltered, only expecting to "kill someone else- kill the sons of those miserable mothers and husbands of those girls.

    Read More

More about Naguamsett And Devon Rivers In A Separate Peace

Open Document