In the late ’30’s and early ’40’s, this novel is set at a boys academy in New Hampshire. It sits at The center of a relatively small town, blending into the streets and houses surrounding. Through most of the book it is winter but it starts in the joy of summer life. This fictional story sets itself into a trying time of disbelief, or tragic suffering. Seeing as Americans prefer to be ignorant and blissful, it is not surprising that a good number would not have believed in World War II. Today there are many academies that specializing in training boys for the military, so seeing stories like Genes would be very plausible. Though seeing how the Devon school is not real, it has to be fiction. The School, especially in time of war, having to prepare for war, would never be as lenient as they are portrayed, even in the summer. They can not slack for the chance of losing the boys to tragic death. A Separate Peace is very realistic in the telling of the adventures of rowdy boys attending high school and finding themselves through trial and error.