Anlalyzing Symbolism Between The Two Rivers in "A Separate Peace"

The novel A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, was symbolic for the war that was going during Gene's time at Devon. John Knowles used the description of many natural elements to describe World War II and its effects on the youth at Devon. Prominently, the two rivers described in the book, the Naguamsett, and the Devon, illustrate the war and how it affected the students living in the Devon institution. The novel showed a dichotomy …

…to symbolize the war that was going on and how the students took place in it. He used the Devon River to show the innocence of the Devon students as the war took place, and how they were led into the war. Many Devon students wanted to be a part of the war, and as the Devon River ended up flowing into the Naguamsett River, so did the students, flowing into the war. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**