Henry James' Winter at Devon

In John Knowles A Separate Peace the summer is more relaxed and the winter is more war oriented and strict. During the summer session everybody at The Devon School was more relaxed and easy going. It was more relaxed because it was the first summer session at Devon as opposed to the 163 winter sessions that had come before it. The summer instilled a relaxing and stress free term. However, in the winter session at Devon it was more traditional and war orientated. The students were focused more on the war because the falling snow reminded them of invading armies. “They gathered thicker by the minute, like noiseless invaders conquering because they took possession so lightly.” According to Gene to him the snow is like an army coming in and engulfing and taking over everything in sight. The war is like the snow because it came quickly and unexpectedly. The war and the snow changed the students lives in different ways, but they both “invaded the school” in the same way. An example of how the snow transforms the boys daily lives is by making them go outside and clear the snow off the R.R. tracks. At Devon during the winter term the maids at the school vanish because of the war. This affects the boys because now there is more work for them and no one to come and clean up their clothes. Brinker Hadley even writes a short ode that says how the war is a bore and it’s our chore. Without the maids the boys have become more independent. Now they have to go out and wash their clothes as opposed to having someone else do it for them. During the change from summer to winter there is a character change from Finny to Brinker. The summer describes Finny in a way by being care free and more relaxed. While Finny was at Devon everything was happier and mellower. In the winter the character of Brinker comes into play. Winter also describes Brinker because it is more orientated and strict, as he is. All of the boys change in the transition from summer to winter because during the summer months their attitude is more relaxed and childish. They jump of trees and play blitzball. However, in the winter there are no fun games that the boys play, the only thing that they do outside is shovel the R.R. tracks.