Narrator of the story; best friends with Finny; attends Devon School;uncomfortable with himself; adores yet envies Finny; causes Finny's fall out of the tree, causing Finny to break his leg

Best friends with Gene; athletic; talented; well-liked and popular; starts Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session; breaks leg after falling out of tree; thinks Gene is innocent, but has his doubts

Roommate of Gene and Finny's; first jokingly claims that Gene is guilty, but after Gene's suspicious actions, believes that Gene is actually guilty; holds mock trial to clear up the situation of Finny's fall

"Loner", enjoys spending time in nature and by himself; joins skiing sector of army for WWII; "escapes"; personality changes and he becomes bitter; later suspects that Gene is guilty

Manager of the crew team; gets in altercation after he calls Gene a "maimed son-of-a-bitch"

Man in charge of Gene's dormitory

Doctor who resides on the Devon School campus

The substitute headmaster at Devon during the summer session

The threat of codependency to identity (Codependency: excessive emotional or psychological reliance on a partner)

Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes. Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.

Transformations (from peace to war; from innocence to brutality; from boy to man)

Symbolism in the summer session:

The summer session at Devon is a time of anarchy and freedom. This session symbolizes innocence and youth and comes to an end with Finny’s actual and symbolic fall

Symbolism in the winter session:

The winter session is dark, disciplined, and filled with difficult work; it symbolizes the encroaching burdens of adulthood and wartime, the latter of which intrudes increasingly on the Devon campus.

Symbolism behind Finny's fall:

Finny’s fall is highly symbolic and brings to an end the summer session -the period of carefree innocence- and ushers in the winter session, filled with the forebodings of war.

Consequences of Finny's fall:

Finny’s fall demonstrates to Gene that his resentment and envy are not without consequences, as they lead to intense feelings of shame and guilt.

All people eventually find a private war and private enemy, the novel suggests, even in peacetime, and they spend their lives defending themselves against this enemy.

Literary device used throughout the book:

Allusion, symbolism, flashback, foreshadowing, simile/metaphor, and irony.

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A Separate Peace

A review of the characters, basic plot, themes, and literary devices.

Question	Answer
Gene	Narrator of the story; best friends with Finny; attends Devon School;uncomfortable with himself; adores yet envies Finny; causes Finny's fall out of the tree, causing Finny to break his leg
Finny	Best friends with Gene; athletic; talented; well-liked and popular; starts Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session; breaks leg after falling out of tree; thinks Gene is innocent, but has his doubts
Brinker	Roommate of Gene and Finny's; first jokingly claims that Gene is guilty, but after Gene's suspicious actions, believes that Gene is actually guilty; holds mock trial to clear up the situation of Finny's fall
Leper	"Loner", enjoys spending time in nature and by himself; joins skiing sector of army for WWII; "escapes"; personality changes and he becomes bitter; later suspects that Gene is guilty
Quackenbush	Manager of the crew team; gets in altercation after he calls Gene a "maimed son-of-a-bitch"
Mr. Ludsbury	Man in charge of Gene's dormitory
Dr. Stanpole	Doctor who resides on the Devon School campus
Mr. Patch-Withers	The substitute headmaster at Devon during the summer session
Theme #1:	The threat of codependency to identity (Codependency: excessive emotional or psychological reliance on a partner)
Theme #2:	The creation of inner enemies
Motifs	Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes. Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.
Motif #1:	Transformations (from peace to war; from innocence to brutality; from boy to man)
Example of symbolism:	Winter and summer sessions
Symbolism in the summer session:	The summer session at Devon is a time of anarchy and freedom. This session symbolizes innocence and youth and comes to an end with Finny’s actual and symbolic fall
Symbolism in the winter session:	The winter session is dark, disciplined, and filled with difficult work; it symbolizes the encroaching burdens of adulthood and wartime, the latter of which intrudes increasingly on the Devon campus.
Symbolism behind Finny's fall:	Finny’s fall is highly symbolic and brings to an end the summer session -the period of carefree innocence- and ushers in the winter session, filled with the forebodings of war.
Consequences of Finny's fall:	Finny’s fall demonstrates to Gene that his resentment and envy are not without consequences, as they lead to intense feelings of shame and guilt.
Symbolism of WWII:	All people eventually find a private war and private enemy, the novel suggests, even in peacetime, and they spend their lives defending themselves against this enemy.
Literary device used throughout the book:	Allusion, symbolism, flashback, foreshadowing, simile/metaphor, and irony.