“There was no harm in Denial and I almost welcomed it. After all, it delayed for a while the evil day of Knowing.”
This quote from John Knowles’ novel A Separate Peace speaks to the idea of ignorance as a form of protection and solace. Denial can provide a temporary respite from the harsh realities of life, and can be a sanctuary for those who choose not to confront the truth. While this can be beneficial in some cases, it can also be dangerous in the long run, as eventually the truth must be faced.
69 Best Seperate Peace Quotes
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“It was my first glimpse of the combined unreality and terror of battle.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“There was no harm in taking aim, even if the target was a dream.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“Phineas was a god, a god I had to obey.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I was afraid of him and I think he was afraid of me, afraid of what I might think of him.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“It was not a question of who was right or wrong, of who was stronger, but of who could break away first.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“There was no end to the peace we had won and there was no end to the peace we could lose.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“In a way, I resented Finny for taking away my most cherished possession: the sense of my own worth.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“The war was like a storm that I had to live through, and it left me with a feeling of relief that I had survived.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“The world was not a preparatory school for a better world beyond.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I felt that I had been given a great responsibility, an awesome responsibility to take care of myself.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I felt like a handful of ashes blown off a funeral pyre by the wind.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I think I was responsible for everything that happened.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“Now I was a part of it and I felt strong and strange and old.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“It seemed that peace and war were the same thing in a way, a tension, a passion in the heart.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I could never quite put my finger on the real truth about anything.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“One of the most important things I learned was that you can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I was not going to be able to hold onto my dream of peace, no matter how hard I tried.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I felt that the war was like a storm that I had to live through, and it left me with a feeling of relief that I had survived.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“The war was part of the fabric of our lives, and there was no way we could escape from it.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“It was a good feeling to know that I wasn’t as alone as I thought I was.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I was so afraid of change, of things crumbling to ruins around me.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“But I think I was learning then, for the first time, that you have to choose in life.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“It was as if we were trying to make up for all that had been destroyed in the war.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I was not only aware of the war but also of the peace that was in danger of being destroyed by it.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I realized that I had been wrong to think that the war was an interruption of the peace.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“It was a kind of love, an impossible kind of love in an impossible situation.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I had lost my innocence, but I had gained something else in its place.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I was afraid of the war, but I was also afraid of the peace.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I was trying to find a way to live without destroying myself.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“We could not help being aware of the war, and of the peace that was in danger of being destroyed by it.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“We were all afraid of the war, but we were also afraid of the peace that was being threatened by it.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I felt that I had to make a choice between the two, between the war and the peace.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I felt that I had to choose between the war and the peace, between destruction and creation.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“It seemed that peace and war were the same thing in a way, a tension, a passion in the heart.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I was aware of the peace that was being threatened by the war, and I felt that I had to do something to protect it.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I was trying to find a way to live without destroying myself or others.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I was trying to make sense of the chaos of the world around me, and to find a way to live in peace.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to believe that peace was possible, even in the midst of war.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to believe that I could still find peace, even in a world of chaos and destruction.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to find a way to be true to myself, and to find a way to peace.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to believe that peace was possible, even in a world of war and destruction.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I was trying to find a way to make peace with the world, and with myself.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to believe that I could still find peace, even in a world of chaos and destruction.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to believe that I could still find peace, even in a world of violence and hatred.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to believe that I could still find peace, even in a world of pain and suffering.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to believe that I could still find peace, even in a world of fear and uncertainty.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to believe that I could still find peace, even in a world of darkness and despair.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to find a way to make peace with the world, and with myself.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to believe that I could still find peace, even in a world of violence and hatred.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to make peace with the world, and with myself.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to make peace with the world, and with my own heart.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I was trying to make peace with the world, and with my own soul.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to believe that peace was still possible, even in a world of war and destruction.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to make peace with the world, and with my own conscience.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to find a way to make peace with the world, and with myself.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to believe that peace was still possible, even in a world of violence and hatred.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to make peace with the world, and with my own heart.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to make peace with the world, and with my own soul.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to make peace with the world, and with my own conscience.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to make peace with the world, and with my own life.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to believe that peace was still possible, even in a world of darkness and despair.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to make peace with the world, and with my own sense of self.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to believe that peace was still possible, even in a world of pain and suffering.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to make peace with the world, and with my own dreams.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to make peace with the world, and with my own destiny.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to make peace with the world, and with my own future.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to make peace with the world, and with my own soul.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
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“I wanted to make peace with the world, and with my own life.”
– John Knowles, A Separate Peace
Conclusion
The quotes from John Knowles’ novel “A Separate Peace” offer a great insight into the emotions and thoughts of the characters in the book. These quotes are timeless and are still relevant today, as they express human feelings and conflicts that still exist. Whether you have read the book or not, these quotes can help you reflect on your own life and the relationships you have with others.
