Assignment 1Question 1

Question 1. The novel opens up with present-day Gene narrating his return to Devon 15 years after he graduates. Why does John Knowles begin the novel this way? What is the purpose? What is the effect?

John Knowles starts his novel with Gene at present-day Devons School. The reader sees Gene's current perspective of the school and his old memories from the summer of 1942. This creates a contrast between facts of the novel and bias information coming through Gene's account of the story. Gene's memories are distorted by time lapse and emotion, making the information presented questionable. This difference in presenting facts makes the first fourteen pages of the novel seem more real. Gene's present-day accounts of the bleak Devons School may also contain hints as to what happened during Gene's high school experience. The author mentions some of Gene's “fearful” places at the school and the novel may start to show us more of Gene's fear. John Knowles is trying to clue the reader in as to where the story will go next as well as create a strong base for his novel.