Historical events can play an important role in a person's life. In A Separate Peace, the atmosphere at Devon school changes as World War II progresses. The author, John Knowles uses World War II images to convey to the readers the harsh, sad, cruel, destructive forces of war through complex characters and a very complicated plot. The major war images are illustrated through the scarcity of materials; the use of the seasonal sessions and the relationship between Finny and Gene. The novel is told in first person narration.
             Scarcity of popular materials makes it difficult for the boys at Devon to continue with some normal activities. The author, John Knowles, uses Finny's superior leadership skills to invent a summer game called Blitzball, a game named after the famous Blitzkrieg (a German war tactic). This gives the boys something to do because they are unable to participate in the regular activities at Devon and is used to distract the reader from the reality that there is a battle being fought in the outside world. Finny insists that, "You always win at sports" (___). He also knows that you cannot always win wars. Finny uses sports to escape the reality of World War II. In addition, Finny organizes a winter event at Devon so that everyone will be able to forget about the war. He forms Devon's First Annual Winter Carnival so that he can get his own separate peace from the war; "Frankly, I just don't see anything to celebrate, winter or spring or anything else" (___). These are the feelings of everyone at Devon about the carnival. It is unclear what the Winter Carnival will celebrate, but Finny has a separate peace and is not thinking about the war at all. Finny's separate peace is being detached from the war. Also, Finny uses sports to distract himself from the war as he trains Gene for the 1944 Olympics. Since Finny is unable to play sports, he prepares Gene for performing his dream as...