“When they began to feel that there was this overwhelmingly hostile thing in the world with them, then the simplicity and unity of their characters broke and they were not the same again”

I feel like this embodies the theme of A Separate Peace because it’s inferring the transition one has to make from adolescence into adulthood. I am at the moment in my life where everyday I am realizing that quote is true. This world isn’t as marvelous, big, and magical as I thought it was a few years ago. Slowly, but surely I’m beginning to understand what it takes to mature into an adult, and to be honest I don’t like it. Things become so complicated and then you realize you have to deal with it on your own. The boys at Devon are going to experience this when they go off to the war. Obviously, Leper couldn’t handle it so he came back changed and scarred; mentally and emotionally scarred that is. The whole book beats around the fact that change is upon them at all times, but it’s only during winter when the boys come face to face with it. During the summer, the boys lived in a secure bubble where being a teenager was acceptable, but just as the season changes, so does their life. The expectations are higher, the mood is much more serious, and their actions are more noticeable. These are the same things that come with being an adult. We all have to go through that transition from fairytales to reality and although it’s not always a delightful journey, it’s a necessary one that shapes us for adulthood.