A Separate Peace Ideal DistractionA Separate Peace “It wasn't the cider that got me over myself, it was this liberation we had wrested from the gray invasions of 1943, the escape we had invented, this afternoon of momentary peace, illusory, special and separate,” (128) Gene Forrester reflects after his carefree outing at the winter carnival. John Knowles in a Separate Peace uses an unusual plot to give the reader an illusory sense of peace and security, found only in Devon, during a time of great war, by isolating specific idealistic moments from the sin and evil that surround them. The author highlights certain events or moments in the story to deepen the illusion of peace and tranquility further distancing the reader from the real truth. Knowles takes advantage of Finny's superior leadership skills to invent a summer game called Blitzball and lead the winter carnival. Both were tools that depicted ideal moments used to distract the reader from the reality that there is a battle going on. Another idyllic event that Knowles uses to his advantage was when Gene found his groove: “I got myself together, I forgot my usual feeling of routine self-pity when I exercised, I got lost, I burden the mind along with the aching body ; all the tangles dissolved, I came out into the open. (112) By using this the author was able to divert the reader's attention to the 1944 Olympic games and deceive the audience into giving them a false sense about the war. Not only do the actions deceive the public but also the feelings of the students. Mainly because of the inseparable bond between Gene and Finny, "I hope you guys have a lot of fun here. I know, I kind of dragged you away at gun point, but after all you can't go it alone, and in this day and age adolescence the right person is your best friend. (40) From this Finny formed an idealistic bond between him and Gene Using this maximum to present a minimum, Knowles hides the evil truth that crosses Gene's mind about his friend, allowing him so to throw Phineas from the tree without thinking. The author illustrated his theme by strategically placing some words in the novel to convince the reader that there was still peace false and picturesque that resembled the banks of the water.