Life of an Influential Author “Everyone has a moment in history which belongs particularly to him, and he carries the stamp of that passing moment forever.” John Knowles lived during the Contemporary Era, which spanned from 1945 until the present time. Growing up in war times shaped John Knowles into the writer he was with the outlook on life he portrayed.
As a youth during World War I, John Knowles attended a private boy’s school called Phillips Exeter Academy between the years 1942-1945. Attending Exeter benefitted Knowles’ life in more ways than one; forcing him to gain an education and focus on his studies, later landing him at Yale, and providing him with the education and life experience opportunities that later helped him when writing his novels. After graduating from Yale, John Knowles received eight months of U.S. Army Air Force training. Spending that time in training and formal service for his country helped him to understand the inner workings of war; how soldiers are prepared, and the lasting effects war has on its soldiers. Knowles spent time traveling the world as a
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His words trickled down through preceding generations to realize the real effects war has on people, no matter how old or young they happened to be when a war takes place, or what role a person takes place in himself. After making it through such a hard and scary ordeal, one might say,”Looking back now across [all this time], I [can] see with great clarity the fear I had lived in, which must mean that in the interval I [have] succeeded in a very important undertaking: I must have made my escape from it.” One important thing to remember in life, is that scary things happen and they are hard to get through, but they do not last forever; they always have an end. World War II played a crucial role in John Knowles’ life; it shaped his future, who he eventually became, and the influence he passed on to those who proceeded