Research Paper
...his use of symbolism, characterization, and setting.
The novel begins in the 1953, but then quickly flashes back. Gene one the main characters is the narrator of the novel and he describes Devon as one of the best schools set in the beautiful countryside of New England. First thing Gene wanted to see after he came back was the tree that he and his friends used to jump from to a river and the marble stairs. “The treе wаs tremendous, an irate, stеely blаck steeple beside the river” (Knowles 6). The reason Gene wanted to see the tree is because in the middle of summer session which is the climax of the story, a big change happens on his life and life of his friend. Gene is even mad a little on the tree because he thinks that it caused this big tragedy to happen. “In thrоugh swinging doors I rеached a marble foyer, and stopped at the fоot of along whitе marble flight оld stаirs” (Knowles 7). The stairs meant a lot to him and when he saw them the episode that he was trying to get rid of, erase from his head
flashes back and he can see again how, because of, for his actions his best fiend falls and breaks his leg again which causes death.
In the novel, Knowles uses great examples of characterization to show how important friendship is. He describes to us one of the main characters, Finny who is always happy and nothing seems to change his mood. Finny always gets away with being busted for skipping school or doing some other things you should not be doing in school. “Finny could gеt awаy with аnything. I could not help envying him that a little, which was perfectly normal” (Knowles 18). Finny has a talent for charming adults with his big imagination. John Knowles characterizes him as a talented athlete and his grades are mostly D’s which is what drives Gene to excel in his studies because that is the only thing that he can do better that Finny. That’s where...
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