Even the simplest parts of nature can be used as metaphors, to create consequential ideas that paint messages and allegories within the subtext of stories. To illustrate this, the Naguamsett and Devon rivers convey different analogies and give depth to Gene and the world around them. The boys at Devon, particularly Gene, do not truly understand the outside world as they are trapped within an intentionally crafted bubble of ignorance and naivete. The isolation of the Devon River reflects this, compared to the Naguamsett’s connection to the outer world. Unlike the Devon's safety and calmness, the Naguamsett is seen as terrifying and unpredictable. The comparisons between the Naguamsett and the Devon force Gene to unknowingly reflect on the world and himself. In A Separate Peace by John Knowles, The Devon and The…show more content… Like adulthood, Gene does not understand the Naguamsett River either. The Naguamsett River represents Gene’s fear of his ability to adapt and mature to survive the adult world. Later on, Gene washes himself off after launching himself into the river with Quackenbush, “I had taken a shower to wash off the sticky salt of the Naguamsett River—going into the Devon was like taking a refreshing shower itself, you never had to clean up after it, but the Naguamsett was something else entirely. I had never been in it before; it seemed appropriate that my baptism there had taken place on the first day of this winter session, and that I had been thrown into it, in the middle of a fight.” (Knowles, 86) Gene reflects on his contrasting experiences with two bodies of water: the Naguamsett River and the Devon River. The Naguamsett, with its sticky salt, represents the messiness and challenges of the external world. Gene’s baptism during the winter session symbolized his initiation into the complexities of
