When Leper says "Everything has to evolve or else it perishes" (Knowles 125), do you think this is foreshadowing?
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Assignment #8 (123-137): Leper is the first of the boys to enlist. Based on the conversations and narration in the previous few chapters, what about this is ironic? (Sharon Pongnon)
It is ironic that Leper is enlisting in the war because he always seems to be in his own world. In earlier readings Leper is least interested in what everyone else is doing, and focuses on different topics which others think isn't important. "...his smile was wide and unfocused, as though not for me alone but for anyone and anything which wished to share this pleasure with him." (Knowles 99). Leper was the innocence of the book, he was like the breath of fresh air everyone needed in this confusing book. In the first few chapters of the book, the readers could get a sense that Leper wasn't popular, and he seemed to be a bit of a "scaredy cat". "Everything has to evolve or else it perishes" (Knowles 125). Leper isn't only talking about himself but for everyone at Devon. He's saying that everything in life has to grow up and face the real world; to keep on living. Enlisting in the war is the way for Leper to grow up and leave his own "separate peace".
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I have to agree with Sharon, Leper seems to be more of an explorer. It is is ironic because when the boys are off doing other things, Leper is exploring. Leper enlisted because he is more of an explorer than the other boys and wants to see new things.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sharon that is Ironic that Leper is the first one to enlist even though he always seems to be in his own world. In chapter seven, the majority of boys go off to shovel the snow off the railroad track while Leper go exploring on skis. "So I guess maybe racing skiers weren't ruining the sport after all. They were preparing it, if you see what I mean, for the future. Everything has to evolve or else it perishes" (Knowles 117). While everyone seems to be so invested in the war, Leper doesn't have a care in the world. When Leper enlists, this is contradicted.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sharon and Julia that it is ironic that Leper is the first of the boys to go off to war, even though thus far in the novel John Knowles depicts him as kind of a wuss. Earlier in the novel when Leper claims he'lll jump out of the tree, everyone know he won't simply because he's Leper. SO for him to go from that to being the first one to enlist in WWII, that ironic.
ReplyDeleteLeper is the last person anyone would expect to enlist in the war, but at the same time, he is the most likely. He was always in his own world, skiing for the beaver dam while the boys were shoveling and such, so it would seem likely that Leper would be the one to be separated from the boys at Devon in the war. When he says, "Everything has to evolve or else it perishes" (Knowles 125), I certainly agree that it is foreshadowing. Him going off to war is his evolution from the old snail-collecting Leper. However, he is evolving to escape perishing but he is also going to war where the possibilities of perishing are high.
ReplyDeleteLeper is a symbol of peace in the story. As everyone else is shoveling snow off of the railroad, Leper is off with his skis looking for a beaver dam. Because of this, it was surprising when he said "I'm going to enlist in the ski troops" (Knowles 125) Because Leper is a symbol of peace, him going off to war could foreshadow Gene's separate peace not working.
ReplyDeleteLeper enlisting in the war is a surprise to some, but he actually is the most likely character to enlist in the war. Leper always does his own thing, whether it's not playing blitzball to not shoveling off the railroad. So, since all the other boys do not want to enlist because the war is very dangerous Leper says, "I'm going to enlist in the ski troops." (Knowles 125). This surprises all the character, but in reality they should not be surprised. I think when Leper says, "Everything has top evolve or else it perishes." (Knowles 125) is foreshadowing because I think Leper is not going to evolve to the war and he is going to die.
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