Comparing A Separate Peace to Lord of the Flies
Similarly to the previous novel, Lord of the Flies, this book also dealt with the evils of human nature. It was about a group of schoolboys in the midst of all the turmoil of adolescence, in addition to taking place during World War II. However the characters and the scenario seemed to be a bit more realistic. The boys were also closer to my age, so it was easier to relate to them. The plot of begins with an atmosphere of purity and innocence as a group of boys are having fun jumping from a tree in the summertime (in Lord of the Flies the boys are swimming in and playing along the beach.) As the plot unfolds, a darker atmosphere begins to arise. Conflict and incidents occur, but against all of this, there is a slight ray of hope. In A Separate Peace, Finny represents this ray of hope with his optimistic outlook on life and people. (In Lord of the Flies, Simon represents this hope.) In both novels, the physical being which embodies this hope ends up dying. However, the mental and spiritual aspect of hope continues on till the end of the novel.
