“A Separate Peace” by John Knowles is a heart-rending and life affirming novel set in New Hampshire during the early years of World War Two. At Devon School, Gene a quiet and intellectual student becomes close friends with his daredevil roommate Phineas. At the beginning of the novel, the boys seem distant and unaware about World War Two, but they encounter harsh and unpleasant experiences related to the war towards the end of the novel. The novel is set in the World War Two period from 1939-1945 which has been described as the most destructive war in history fought between Germany, Japan and Italy against United States, Great Britain and the Soviet Union. Propaganda during a war can have a lasting effect on an individual and may result …show more content…
One of the primary goals of any effective propaganda is to get an emotional response. These emotions could then be harnessed and directed towards action for the desired goals, in this case supporting the war effort. During World War Two, Soldiers and cilvilians suffered from intensive bombing, the frequent night raids and continual threat sometimes several air raids a day left people in a constant state of exhaustion and fear.
Moreover, Lepelier after the war, constantly refers to him as being a “psycho”showing that he has lost his mental balance and childhood innocence after joining the war. This can suggest how real and deadly the war was for him and the soldiers fighting World War Two making him become a symbol of war for the boys at Devon.
Additionally, Knowles presents the reality of the war by creating an internal war between Gene and his conscience to highlight the challenges of the war. This is clear through the brittle and confusing relationship that Gene and Finny have in the novel. In a “Separate Peace”, Genes constantly compares himself to Finny due to his insecurities. At the beginning of the novel, Gene describes Finny weighing a “galling” ten pounds more than him, which can imply that Gene is jealous of him due to his immense strength. The word “galling” shows Gene’s envy towards Finny and can suggest that Gene treats him as a