A Separate Peace Carnival

Numerous people find summertime to be an enjoyable time . Fluffy white clouds float across the bright blue sky. Birds chirp harmonious melodies. Green grass sways in the summer wind. In the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles, Gene and Finny enjoy their summer at Devon Academy, an all male boarding school in New England, during 1942 . They spend their days participating in various sports and leaping off of gigantic trees. However, their relaxing summer takes a drastic turn when Gene’s jealousy of Finny leads to Finny falling out of a tree and breaking his leg. When Finny returns to the school after the accident , the fun of the summer has now ended and has been replaced with the harsh work and stricter rules of the winter session. Finny

Some of the prizes present at the carnival can be used for deceitful behavior. A “Illiad with English translation” (132) and a “handwoven rope ladder” (132) for someone on the “third floor or higher” (132) are two of the prizes at the carnival. The handwoven rope ladder will most likely be used by someone on an upper floor to escape from the school after curfew. The English translation of the Iliad will most likely be used for cheating since the students at Devon are required to read the story in Greek. The wicked behavior associated with the prices at the carnival have implied that the boys are not as honorable as they believe. There is also objects at the carnival that.contain sexual overtones. Brinker brings a “Betty Grable photographs” (132), while another boy brings hair from “ Hazel Brewster, the professional town belle” (132 ). The photographs of Betty Grable show her in an inappropriate manner. Hazel Brewster is the town’s prostitute. The taking of Hazel’s hair implies that one of the boys had a sexual encounter with her and took the hair by force. The prizes being involved with intercourse go against the wholesome concept of the carnival. A couple of the objects are associated with the consumption of alcohol. “Finny’s icebox” (132) and “a forged draft registration card” (132) were also included in the prizes at the carnival. Finny’s icebox contains

Before the carnival begins, Brinker tells his roommate Brownie to watch over the alcohol. Brincker “stationed” (131) Brownie to watch the “several jugs of very hard cider” (131) buried in the snow. The words “stationed” are often related to the military. The act of Brinker stationing Brownie shows the impact the war has had on the boys. When Brinker tries to force Finny to start the carnival, Finny gets the other boys to vicariously attack Brinker. Once Chet played a “barbaric call of a bullfight” (134) from his trumpet, the boys “broke wildly” (134) and pounced on Brinker. At one point, Gene begins “stopping Brinker’s mouth” (134) with the cider. The violence that takes place between the boys convey that the combat that is taking place in the war has had an affect on them. Later on, Finny spontaneously burns one of the carnival prizes. Finny took the Iliad and “touched a match” (135) to the pages of the book. Finny openly burning one of the carnival prizes exhibits the reckless and dangerous behavior that the boys are displaying due to the impact of the ongoing war. The boys end up being extremely intoxicated as well. Brinker becomes so drunk that he throws a football block on “the statue of Headmaster” (136). Alcohol is a depressant that has often been b individuals to cope with depression or anxiety The reckless drinking of the boys can be linked to their looming