At this point in the novel, the main action has wrapped up now that Finny is dead and the boys are graduating, but now the war has quite literally invaded the insular peace on the campus. Summarize and explore the significance of the transformation of the campus (description occur throughout the chapter, so provide at least two examples in your answer). -Liam

            Throughout the novel Finny and Gene have seen many ups and downs, but with the book coming to an end It seems like most things have been tied up. One of the things that doesn't quite seem to be resolved is the war. Gene see's the war "invading" the campus's peace throughout the chapter. From his point of view it seems that the campus is being transformed into something completely new. Gene has always been used to seeing the Devon campus as something familiar, but now that the war is becoming a bigger part of it he doesn't recognize it. The Devon school has always symbolized adolescence, and the war symbolizes growing up, these two ideas collide when the war gets all the way to Devon. In the past Gene and Finny have talked about how far away the war was, so to now have the Far Common donated to the military seems crazy.
              The importance in the change of the campus is shown through Gene observations, and what it symbolizes by coming at the end of the book. Gene's amazement in the change is shown when he says, " As I crossed the Far Common I saw that it was rapidly becoming unrecognizable, ...."(201) The significance of the transformation of the campus relates to Gene is moving into adulthood, and into another chapter of his life without Finny. The war is breaking the natural peace of the Devon school, and it is not a coincidence that it happened right after Finny died. As we started to learn later in the book Finny was really the one stuck in immaturity, so now that he has died it was like that has been lifted from the school and war takes its place. After Gene sees what the military has done to the campus he says, " Happiness had disappeared along with rubber, silk, and many other staples, to be replaced by the wartime synthetic, high moral for the Duration"(202). Usually the summer is a time of happiness and fun at Devon, but as Gene notices this has been replaced by wartime fake happiness. This is really important because it shows that just like Devon is going through many changes so has Gene over the past years. It also symbolizes how as Devon becomes more of a serious place, and the war gets closer Gene transitions into an adult.
            Overall, the importance of the transition in the Campus shows the boys moving on to becoming adults. The campus has shown a lot of hidden meaning throughout the book, so seeing it switch from childhood to war is very drastic. A sort of far fetched idea is that while the campus in the beginning of the book relates to safety and childhood, that this has only been a mask for what was really changing them into an adult. Gene ends that book with a message that relates to how to truly become an adult one must make it through a war of their own, sometimes a mental one, sometimes one with another person.

Questions

1. Explore the reason that John Knowles ended the book this way, and if you liked the ending.

2. explain the symbolism of Devon going from a place of peace to having the military on its grounds.

3. When Gene goes to war what memory do you think he will have of Devon?



Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 13, 2020 at 2:17 PM

    At the end of the novel A Separate Piece, by John Knowles, the military comes to the Devon campus. I think that John Knowles ended the book this way because throughout the novel, the war has symbolized adulthood, and by bringing the war back to the Devon campus Knowles is showing the graduating year at Devon moving into adulthood. I also think that John Knowles brings the war to the Devon school to show that the innocence at Devon is being interrupted by the war in more ways than ever before in the novel.

    Why did we meet Brinkers dad in the last chapter?

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    1. leilabpMay 14, 2020 at 7:59 AM

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    2. leilabpMay 14, 2020 at 8:01 AM

      I think we met Brinkers dad as a sign that things are changing for Gene. He is no longer in the safe, easy, protected walls of Devon, but in the real world. He is figuring out that not everybody shares the same views as him and his classmates. I believe that Brinkers dad and what he said was a rude awakening for Gene. This conversation with Mr. Hadley was also about showing the freedom that Gene has now that he's out of Finny's shadow. He is no longer brought down by Finny and his expectations. He can now live out what he's wanted to do, go to war, and maybe this will help him start on the road to self-respect.

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  2. AnonymousMay 13, 2020 at 6:01 PM

    Throughout the whole novel Gene has had an inner war with himself. When he eventually goes to war, I think it will be less scary than expected. Gene already has developed a shell against the world in terms of hatred, and I think this shell will convert well to the navy. John Knowles had portrayed Finny as the nice guy in the novel and since he is gone, Gene will understand why he was so nice and bring that memory to battle with him. Gene will remember Devon as the place where dreams were both destroyed and created; mainly describing Finny in both scenarios.

    How will Gene cope with the reality of war?

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  3. AnonymousMay 13, 2020 at 7:55 PM

    I think Gene’s main memory of Devon will be Finny. At the beginning of the novel, we learn that Gene goes back to the tree where Finny broke his leg. He goes back to get rid of his guilt and find the part of him he lost when Finny died. Towards the end of this chapter, Gene says, “During the time I was with him, Phineas created an atmosphere in which I continued to now live”(202). When Gene went to the war, he was still stuck in Finny’s little world and didn't get out of it until after the war. He goes back to the tree because after fifteen years he still feels guilty and cannot get it out of his head. Gene’s main memory of Devon will be Finny because if he forgot about him he wouldn't have gone back to Devon.

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