A Separate Peace by John Knowles, literally stands for something separate or elsewhere, but figuratively, it stands for how secluded they are from what is going on in the real world and how they cope with that separation. It also stands for the peace that Gene, the main character, finds after Finny’s death. With 42 million casualties in the US from World War II, and only one at Devon, it is easy to see which is better known in the world. Where the boarding school is placed makes it secluded from the outside world. It is isolated from the tumultuous war. The title a Separate Peace is a military term meaning that if they have an alliance with a nation they can refuse to fight the other nation’s enemy. The internal “war,” some might say, that Gene takes throughout the book to get rid of his guilt, is terminated after the death of Finny, and Gene is then reinstated with peace inside of himself. Although there is still a physical war going on, Gene has resolved and made peace with his situation. Gene’s “war “ended”(204) before he put on his uniform when he enlisted in the actual war. It is concluded that his war, which was separate from the real world, has allowed Gene to finally make peace with that he did and the consequences. …show more content…
The title is used as an ironic impression throughout the book. It helps with the understanding of the different themes of the book, and how the boys continue to cope with being away from the real world. During the carnival, Gene and Phineas and the other boys were having fun and enjoying themselves, they have cider and Gene calls it a “special and separate peace.”(137) This quote goes with the setting at this moment in the book because they are having fun and the title can be taken literally. It is easily seen that Gene knows he is separate from the world and that he hasn’t totally accepted his