By John Knowles

  Definition - Any extended fictional narrative almost always in prose. Character is usually presented as static or in the process of development as the result of events or actions. Some organizing principle should be present: plot, theme, or idea.  The novel may: concentrate only on character concentrate only on plot (incidents) (Picaresque) present details as a scientist - detached and objective (Naturalism) unconscious flow of emotions (Stream-of-conciousness) episodic, loose instructure, epic in proportion (panoramic) tightly knit as a well made play - dramatic orderliness (scenic) What is a novel?

  English Novel = Italian Novella - a short compact broadly realistic tale popular in the medieval period.  In most European countries the word roman is used (Romance) - the novel is an extension of that.  Roman=Novel imaginative re-creation the realistic representation or experienceof the soiled world of common people a tale of long ago andbound by the facts of the far awayactual world and laws of probability What is a novel?

  English novel - 18th century product - matured from earlier versions  developed from: stories of Arthur romantic cycles description and nature of pastorals historical interest of diaries and journals character (sketches and biographies) suspense from medieval romances What is a novel?

  Employs setting, character, theme, point of view, tone, symbol, and irony to convey the plot in a meaningful way (and more fully than a short story)  Characterization: How does an author present a character? (you’ll find both in this novel!)  Direct characterization : telling the reader directly what the character is like; “he is sneaky/generous/mean…”  Indirect characterization : describes character’s dress, speech, thoughts/feelings, relations with others What is a novel?

  Written by John Knowles in 1959  Knowles was educated at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, which served as his model for Devon School. He later attended Yale.  Historical context: set during World War II and mirrors anti-war sentiments of Knowles’ time (Cold War era)  Like Gene, Knowles was a student from the South studying in New Hampshire during WWII; he graduated a year too late to serve overseas  Title comes from Ernest Hemingway’s In Our Time A Separate Peace: Background

  First-person narration allows the reader to follow Gene Forrester’s line of thought and explore the relationship between memory and truth, a major concern in this novel.  Since it is a flashback (15 years later), the narrator has a tendency toward irony as he remembers his younger, perhaps more foolish self.  The tone is best described as confessional; this is a mental/emotional study more than a plot-driven tale Point of View

  Devon School: isolated, private boys’ school  Excellence, tradition, and conformity are prized  Nationalistic spirit of WWII; expectation that boys will have to fight  Relevance in the modern classroom: all teens can relate to this pressure to “do your duty” Setting

  War: the central issue of the novel (told during Cold War, set during World War II)  Brotherhood: positive and negative aspects  The Search for a Belief System  The Process of Becoming Civilized: the joy and savagery of youth. Narrator describes casting off the childlike parts of himself to survive the transition to adulthood. Other characters, we shall see, cannot make that transition.  Destructive vs. Restorative emotions (fear, envy, guilt vs. friendship, love, forgiveness) Issues in the Novel

  This novel is a “rite of passage” or coming-of-age story, also known as a bildungsroman.  Features a familiar initiation pattern:  a character, when first introduced, is a rather naïve (inexperienced) but sensitive person. Through a series of crisis experiences, he/she becomes knowledgeable (sadder but wiser) about life. Rite of Passage

  Themes are the fundamental, often universal ideas explored in a literary work.  Inside/Outside (self)  Opposites  Memory  Confession  Friendship  Dark side of human nature (jealousy, denial, insecurity)  Motifs are recurring structures and literary devices that help to convey the themes.  Transformations  Athletics/ competitive vs. innocent play Themes and Motifs

  Straightforward narration with some teen- speak  Words of war/destruction and alienation in unexpected places  Lyrical passages of intense beauty  Classical allusions Language/Style

  Gene Forrester  Phineas (Finny)  Brinker Hadley  Edward Lepellier Other characters: Chet Douglass Bobby Zane Mr. Prud’homme Mr. and Mrs. Patch-Withers Dr. Stanpole Quackenbush Mr. Ludsbury Brownie Perkins Phil Latham Captain Marvel Characters

  After the narrator (older Gene) sets up the flashback…  The main characters, Gene and Finny, are at Devon for summer session.  The school hopes that this session will allow the students to receive a diploma before they are drafted on their eighteenth birthday.  Gene and Finny are roommates and best friends at the school.  Finny is a natural athlete who also acts as a leader for the other boys in school.  Gene is more academically oriented in his interests and is jealous of Finny’s natural ability in sports, a quality he lacks in academics. The story begins…