Vocabulary in A Separate Peace

Saying or showing the opposite of what is literally meant, often with a dry or detached tone; used here to describe a manner of speaking that keeps genuine feeling at arm's length.

Understood or agreed upon without being openly stated; an unspoken arrangement that everyone accepts without discussion.

A deep reddish-brown color, originally the color of fine leather from Córdoba, Spain; used here to describe the shade of a shoe.

So accustomed to something difficult or unpleasant that it no longer has much effect on you; hardened by long exposure.

Deep, long-lasting hostility or hatred between people; the state of being enemies rather than merely rivals.

Using sharp, cutting remarks that mock or wound, often saying the opposite of what is meant in a biting way.

A made-up game invented by Finny using a heavy medicine ball, with rules improvised on the spot to suit whoever has the ball.

A club invented by Finny whose initiation requires jumping from a high tree branch into the river; the name is deliberately dramatic and ironic.

Quietly working to undermine or overthrow established rules, authority, or beliefs from within, rather than by open rebellion.

Peculiar to one particular person; a habit or way of doing things that is distinctively and oddly one's own.

A feeling of guilt or moral unease about something you have done or are about to do; a twinge of conscience.

Used here not merely as lack of knowledge but as a willful refusal to acknowledge an uncomfortable truth about oneself.

Surgically removed a limb or part of a limb; used literally here when Finny's shattered leg is discussed after the fall.

In the process of recovering from an illness or injury; not yet well but no longer in immediate danger.

Gradually and secretly harmful in a way that is not immediately obvious; a danger that creeps in without being noticed.

Used here as a nickname, but also carries its literal meaning: a social outcast, someone shunned and kept at a distance by the group.

An older student given authority to supervise and enforce rules in a school dormitory or exam; a student monitor with disciplinary power.

A large barrel used for storing liquids such as cider or wine; used here in a period-specific, literal sense.

A severe mental condition in which a person loses contact with reality; used here when Leper describes his breakdown after enlisting.

A formal court or board convened to judge a specific matter; used here for the impromptu student assembly that puts Gene on trial.

Based on illusion rather than reality; something that seems real or true but is actually false or deceptive.

A symmetrical curved path, like the arc of a thrown object; used here to describe the shape of a jump or fall through the air.