As class members continue their study of approaches to literary criticism, readers examine the symbolism and archetypal patterns in John Knowles' A Separate Peace, and how these parallels are used to develop a theme in the story.

Concepts

identity, self identity, world war ii, literary analysis, close reading

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• If class members are unfamiliar with the Biblical references, have groups research the various stories

Classroom Considerations

• The third in a nine-lesson unit, designed for a Gifted and Talented English Language Arts program, that uses A Separate Peace as the anchor text
• The resource presumes class members are familiar with the Christian Bible, including the Creation story, the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve's fall from innocence, the sibling rivalry between Cain and Abel, and Christ's sacrificial death on the cross

Pros

• The six-page resource includes the lesson, a link to common archetypes, discussion questions, and a writing prompt

Cons

• None

Common Core

RL.11-12.10a W.9-10.9.a W.11-12.3.a W.11-12.3.b W.11-12.3.c W.11-12.3.d W.11-12.3.e W.11-12.5 SL.11-12.1.a SL.11-12.1.c L.11-12.1.a