Everyone, at some point, has an experience that changes their lives so profoundly that it seems to define time itself. For many Americans, the tragic terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, divided life into two pieces: before and after. World War II also affected people of the time, especially adolescents, for whom the world of childhood was distinct from the world of adulthood – the world of war. The characters in John Knowles' novel A Separate Peace struggle to find their own identity as they transition into adulthood, amid the looming threat of World War II and their own personal wars. Each boy at Devon School reacts differently as they grow up. The complex relationships between Leper, Finny, and Gene, as well as the novel's plot and setting, explore this identity crisis during a period in history when adolescents defined themselves in terms of war, as the transition from he child to adult was clearly defined by the military project. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Although he is unwilling to jump from the tree after Finny and Gene or volunteer to shovel snow, Leper is the first boy to respond to the project. and take the plunge. His reaction to the war surprises everyone. Before leaving, he is calm and gentle, with a “wide and fuzzy” smile (Knowles 99). Leper makes an important observation about responses to the war, just before deciding to enlist, when he says: "...'I'm almost glad this war happened. It's like a test, n 'isn't it, and only the things and people who have evolved in the right direction survive' (Knowles 125). of the corporal's face "transforming into faces [he] knew" and into a woman, and of a broom transforming into a severed leg (Knowles 150). dining room because of the reliability of it, where “[he] never wonders what will happen” (Knowles 142 He faces the war as well as his future, but is not prepared for it). Either way's harsh reality. Finny is the symbol of childhood and innocence. He is optimistic, but refuses to see the darkness in life, insisting instead that it's "winter." [loves him]… as much as a season can be said to love” (Knowles 111). This idea that everything he loves will love him back unfortunately turns out to be more false than true in his rejection by the military and Gene's jealousy of him. His fall, which coincidentally marks the fall of the school year and, metaphorically, the transition to adulthood, is the event that forces the boys at Devon School to respond to the reality of war. Finny goes from athlete to cripple and must deal with the idea that something he wants may not be wanted by him. He does this by finding a separate peace, a childlike carefreeness, and pretending that the war cannot affect him; in fact, he denies its existence entirely. Gene describes it as “the essence of that carefree peace” (Knowles 24). As both boys approach conscription age, they remain hidden in this dangerous ignorance of war - Phineas in particular, as he is also unaware of the second, more personal war with his "best friend" (Knowles 48). . Finny, a representation of the purity and perfection of childhood, escapes the sad fate of war, even as he unknowingly fights his own with Gene. If Finny symbolizes childhood, Gene symbolizes adulthood and the impending war. For Finny, “the.