Background: In A Separate Peace, setting plays an important role in the plot and the development of characters. Imagine how different the story would be, for instance, if it took place in Britain during the Middle Ages!

Overview: For this webquest, you will do some research on the historical setting of the novel and determine its role in the story. Using the links to the websites provided, you will answer questions IN YOUR OWN WORDS that relate to where the story takes place (a New England prep school) and when the story takes place (1942, at the onset of WWII). All of your answers to these questions must be typed and handed in before the end of the period today.

Procedure: Use the links below and/or any outside knowledge you possess to answer the following questions about the historical time and place in the novel. When you complete these, proceed to the bottom of this page and answer the "conclusion" questions.

1. Describe the causes and outcomes of World War II. (in your own words)
Infoplease - World War II

2. Describe three ways WWII affected American high school students. (in your own words)
Phillips Exeter Academy - Click on "Exeter Bulletin Articles"
Victory Corps

3. How did attending a private school impact the life of the author of A Separate Peace, John Knowles? (be specific, referring to at least 3 examples) (in your own words)
John Knowles Interview

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Conclusion: Next, use the information obtained above as a guide in answering the questions below that "tie it all together".

1.In what ways does the setting of A Separate Peace affect the characters throughout the novel? Does the setting affect Gene any differently than it does Finny?

2. On page 24 of the novel, the narrator says of the Devon faculty: "We reminded them of what peace was like, of lives which were not bound up with destruction." Explain what he means by this and how the setting of the story plays a role in this idea.

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