A Separate Peace

I absolutely loved this book! I got about half way done with Huck Finn and was completely bored, so I figured I would give this one a try. I couldn't stop reading this one! I especially liked the story in it because it reminded me so much of me and my best friend; about all the jealousy and things we do so the other does bad at something. This is part of life though and makes for a good friendship, however, you can't let it control you or get the better of you. What I really think the author is trying to get across is that you cant go through life jealous. Gene was jealous and mad at Finny so he pushed him out of the tree. Gene thought Finny was jealous of him so Finny kept having things to do so Gene couldn't do as well in school. This jealousy really took control of their lives, and when Finny was out for the count, Gene felt like he had to stay around and help Finny out as much as he could. He spent most of his free time tending to Finny and actually got weighted down with it. He could no longer feel free or do what he wanted for fun. The thought of Finny hurt because of him would always flash through his head. Knowles is trying to say that you should live a fulfilling life and not be weighted down by your past. Keep your head up and keep moving forward for the better. A great book! Now, tell me what you think Knowles meant....

Huck Finn (Late... so sorry!!)

I would like to apologize for this being so late. Overall I thought this book was alright. It isn't something I would have picked out and it is something I wouldnt want to read it. I found it really hard to follow with the older english and with all of the slang that was going on, especially whenever Jim talked. This did have a good story line though in which how Huck grew up with a hard life. His father was controlling and very demanding of him. He had to rely on himself to survive. Huck was also very sneaking. His escape from the cabin was well thought and and well devised. I thought it was really impressive for a kid his age.

I do like how Twain writes though. He really goes in depth and describes every single detail to you. At times the book seemed to drag on because of this. I usually don't like how authors put the scenes into your head, but this book was an exception. Since it was so hard to follow, you could almost visualize everything happening and still understand it, even if you couldn't understand the writing.

I actually am kind of looking forward to reading some more Twain books this year. I don't know if we are going to or not though. How do the rest of you feel? Do you agree with me or am I just the opposite of you?

Conformity and how its changed

A big theme in this book seemed to be conformity. I got to thinking about how kids conform today. You've still got the kind that was present during the '40s and '50s, the straight-laced, short haired, step in line attitude that is embodied by many of our own parents, aunts and uncles, etc. However, I think a new flavor of conformity has emerged. There's the kind our elders impose on us, and the kind our peers impose on us. To fit in the crowd, you're forced to do drugs, drink, have sex, break laws, and hate pretty much anything that isn't considered bad by our authorities. This breeds a new type of "rebel". The one who will sit in the library and study for hours, the one that won't break out of the house for the hell of it, the one that is perfectly content to pay attention in class, and do volunteer work. A life of solitude, and study seems to be the new non-conformity.

So, which non-conformist are you?

My Feelings On A Seperate Peace

Right off the bat I found this book to be way easier to get into than Huck Finn. I just felt like it was better written because I'm not into Mark Twain's style. At the very beginning of the book, it reminded me of James and myself, because they were best friends, they were really competitive, and they roughhoused all the time. And of course when it got to the point where Gene started hating Finny because he was so jealous i was a little disturbed that i compared myself to him, especially when he knocked Phineas out of the tree. Atleast Gene tried to confess to Finny, and then realising the negative effect, tried to keep it a secret for Finny.

I found that I loved the character Finny and I liked Leper but i just couldn't like or respect Gene. I started to forgive him when he was training for the olympics with Finny, and I hoped that would go somewhere, but much to my dismay, "Nothing endures, not a tree, not love, not even a death by violence."
All in all i thought it was a good book but it wasn't my favorite. What did all of you think of it?

A Separate Peace, Honors

8.  Choose what you consider to be an important quote from the text.  Explain its significance.

A Separate Peace, Honors

7.  What happens to Phineas at the end of the novel?  What effect does this have on Gene?

A Separate Peace, Honors

6.  Why is the "flashback" technique a particularly effective device in the novel?