A Separate Peace

Author: John Knowles
Publisher: Scribner 2003 (first published in 1959)
Lexile Measure: 1110L
Classification: Fiction

Summary:
A Separate Peace is an American literary classic.  It is set in an all-male boarding school in New Hampshire during World War II.  The narrator, Gene, describes his relationship with charismatic wonder-boy, Phineas (or Finny). Unfortunately, Gene becomes suspicious that Finny is trying to sabotage his academic success and, in a fit of anger, causes Finny to fall from a tree they are climbing and break his leg, crippling Finny for life.  Gene’s feelings regarding the incident and his classmate’s suspicion of his motives, eventually lead to another accident, which culminates in Finny’s death. 

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Language:
This work contains little in the way of profanity.  It includes:  
*ss (pp. 30, 143)
d*mn (pp. 78, 106, 151, 157, 160, 164, 200)
god d*mn it (p. 89)
cr*p (p. 113)
sh*t (p. 145)
b*stard (pp. 145, 148, 176)
son of a b*tch (p. 79)
h*ll (pp. 78, 114, 167, 200)
Christ (pp. 104, 155, 163)
The f word is present on p. 177, but it is not spelled out.

Drug and Alcohol Use:
A Separate Peace contains no references to illegal drug use.

• There are a couple of references to drinking, although drinking is not glorified.  In one instance, the boys hide contraband liquor and get drunk at a winter festival. See, pp. 131-137.
• The boys also smoke, but it is not glorified. 
  

Violence and Crime:

• Set during World War II, the book frequently discusses the world’s events, boys going to war, and the violence of war.
• The boys taunt each other throughout in numerous examples of adolescent insensitivity.  They also get in a few fights (see, pp. 79, 145).
  

Sexual Content:
There is little in the way of sexual content in A Separate Peace.  It is, after all, an all-boys school!

• Finny mentions that he does not want to think about his parents’ sex life (p. 23).
• Later, Gene lies to his friends and says that he made love to Finny’s sister (p. 90).  
  

Other:

• Although it does not appear that Gene believes in God, he prays before bed to impress Finny.
  
• Although the book does not discuss homosexuality, Gene calls Finny “fairy” when he wears a pink shirt (pp. 24-25).  Additionally, there is a question, never posed by the book itself, about whether Gene is love with Finny.

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