H/W 9/11 A Separate Peace

“We were careless and wild, and I suppose we could be thought of as a sign of the life the war was being fought to preserve….They noticed our games tolerantly. We reminded them of what peace was like, of lives which were not bound up with destruction.” (Knowles, 24). When Gene states this, it expresses the theme of freedom that will be carried on throughout the novel "A Separate Peace." Phineas, Gene, and all the other boys at the Devon School are considered lucky at this time in history, considering most others their age were off to fight in World War II. They are still young enough to have the freedom of choice, choosing to either join the troops or stay in their comfort zone and continue school. Although this sense of freedom wont last long because once they turn 18 they are bound to be drafted, they completely take advantage of the time they have left with each other in a place that, even though they may not always admit, they love. Finally, this quote expresses the war as a reality, saying that it is being fought to simply preserve a "sign of life." The boys at Devon are constantly being seen as reminders of life before the chaos of the war.