A seperate Peace
... Finny took advantage of all their freedom and often found themselves along the banks of the Devon. Climbing up the tree that overlooked the river was a particular daring stunt that they did. The two boys always felt carefree and uninhibited whenever they made the bold leap into the Devon River below. That careless abandoned feeling, with no thoughts or misgivings about their future was their age of innocence. The Devon River was a place to escape from the pressure of school and the outside world that possessed the terrors of war. The experiences and memories created by the boys in their summer of youth all contribute to the underlying transition into maturity. The summer session ended with the abandonment of the Devon River, which symbolized the end of their freedom and their adolescent years of innocence. Both Gene and Finny become aware of their new sense of maturity and realize that they have only just begun the long journey through the ups and downs of adulthood. The Nauguamsett River symbolizes the trials and tribulations that come along with the transition between adolescence and adulthood. The river was murky, saline and polluted with marsh, mud and seaweed. Unlike the Devon River the boys rarely ever visited the Nauguamsett. A significant event that happened along the desolate shores of the Nauguamsett was an argument that erupted between Gene and one of his archenemies, Quackenbush. On the dock beside the river both boys verbally harassed each other until their anger and hatred got the best of them leading them to a phy...