World War II was a frightening and chaotic time in history. In great distress, many people found a way to ignore and distance themselves from the war. The novel, A Separate Peace by John Knowles, set during the war, shows the very close relationship between Gene and Phineas. The title gives insight to the friendship, world, and "separate peace", created by the two through the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session and the individual training for the 1944 Olympics.

During the liberating Summer Session, Gene and Finny created the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session, forming a separate peace from reality with an exclusive world. Summer was a light hearted time where matters were taken less seriously. Students attending saw it as an opportunity to have fun. The Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session was a group that jumped off a tree by the Devon River...