In literary works, simple, common everyday things often have deeper, hidden meanings. For example, John Knowles employs water as a chest for holding buried literary treasures in the book A Separate Peace. Perhaps the most common form of precipitation, rain, is used most often symbolically. Due to the normality of rain, the reader will likely find him or herself searching for something more. John Knowles knew he could reach his audience if they only gave into their curious nature. Many characteristics of rain can be used in a symbolic manner: “For one, it’s clean.” (Foster 77) This means that rain has the ability to cleanse, both physically, emotionally, and figuratively. During the war, the Devon School took on a dreary atmosphere. Something …show more content…
However, finally coming back after an extended period of time, with the war well behind Devon, Gene noticed a new sense of hope and restoration. Gene also noticed the wet ground, as it had recently rained; as if the rain itself had cleansed Devon of its old wartime feel, ushering in a new era of peace. Baptism, an act symbolic of rebirth, uses water as the vehicle that strips away the old life, and paves the way for the new. During a baptism, one goes under as their old self, but rises out a brand new person. In his book How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster tells a story in which “A young man sails away from his known world, dies out of one existence, and comes back a new person.” (Foster 155) Water illustrates the washing of one’s old self away, and the cleansing of him or her in preparation for their new life. John Knowles used water both physically and symbolically to show a transformation that occurred in Gene. Before Finny came along, Gene, timid and shy, lived out his days constantly worrying. Then Finny showed up. Finny brought out the wild and carefree spirit in