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Genre
Explanation and Analysis:
A Separate Peace is both a Bildungsroman and historical fiction. The Bildungsroman—a German word that means “novel of development”—is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of a protagonist from childhood innocence to adulthood. Books in this genre focus on a central character's journey toward self-discovery and maturity, following their changes as they encounter challenges and go through rites of passage. Gene’s psychological and moral development is at the center of A Separate Peace. The book's through-line is the arc of his growth from a boyhood full of jealousy and insecurity to an adulthood where he accepts the consequences of his actions. Readers witness Gene's transformation into someone capable of learning from his mistakes and giving himself grace for his failures.
The novel is also a work of historical fiction. Novels in this genre take place in a time period before the author’s present and often incorporate real historical events and figures combined with the author’s imaginary ones. This genre explores human experiences within the constraints and opportunities of a specific historical era. A Separate Peace is set during World War II; even though the Devon School is far from the actual fighting, the global conflict still influences the characters’ decisions and subtly shapes their experiences. No bombs fall on the school, but army recruiters show up to invite boys into battle. Food rationing affects the boys' meals, and school sports games become tainted with the language of fighting to kill. The shadowy, looming presence of the war in the background of all the conflict between Gene and Finny is also a constant reminder of the unavoidable changes they will face as they grow.
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