In our lives, we grow each living day. When we are born, we are helpless and innocent, simply living though the day with no complex thoughts. As adults, we are sure and confident of ourselves as we progress through our lives. But in between the stages of innocent purity and confidant maturity there is the unbalanced and rebellious stage of adolescence, which everyone goes through. In the novel A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, the two main characters, Gene and Phineas better known as Finny, are best friends who attend the Devon School in New Hampshire. Gene and Finny's thoughts and actions symbolize the two character's growth through childhood and adolescence along with the symbolism of the different places and events that happen around them.

Childhood is symbolized in A Separate Peace mostly by Finny's personality and character. Finny represents ultimate good through his fun-loving nature. One example...