Suicide Tree In A Separate Peace

Religion has played a large part in society. Civilizations rose and fell under religious reasons. Humans are singular in their ability to believe that there is some kind of a higher being. They are bonded together under these beliefs and traditions were created for the different groups. I am a Methodist, and in the Methodist church when a child becomes an adolescent they undergo a course to fully develop their understanding of the teachings of God. A year ago I went through Confirmation and became a full member of my church, First United Methodist Church in Portage, Indiana. A confirmation in a Methodist church is rather uncomplicated. It is unlike the Catholic first communion in that Methodists invite everyone to communion. However, the …show more content…
Just as the Suicide Tree in A Separate Peace by John Knowles symbolizes Gene coming of age. Although they appear to be completely different things they are abstractly the same meaning to me. The meaning of the Suicide Tree is about coming of age, taking the first step into adulthood. Becoming a member of my church was the first official adult thing I did.
My symbol and the Suicide Tree have more parallels than just meaning. As a child being a member of the church was something that seemed out of reach and not something that I wanted. Just as the Suicide Tree is thought as a giant of Gene’s childhood (Knowles 3). However, that fear was soon dissipated once I understood what it meant. Gene’s fear of jumping out of the Suicide Tree was completely gone when he jumped after Finny fell (Knowles 28). Originally, Gene did not want to jump out of the Suicide Tree, but he was convinced to do so by Finny. I did not want to take a confirmation class originally. I did not even want to attend church, but my parents had wanted me to complete the task. Eventually, the class grew on me and what really encouraged me to continue was my mentor, Wendy. Gene had Finny to cajole him into jumping out of the Suicide Tree. I had Wendy to push me of my metaphorical …show more content…
My confirmation experience allowed me to take flight in my faith. An angel is a bringer of light, hope, and faith to God’s people. Through my confirmation class, I received light, hope, and a revitalizing dose of faith. I did not think that I would have anything to do with religion in my adult life. Now that my faith has been restored on the backs of angel wings. I know that I will be keeping religion in my life for a long time. I actually wear a symbol of this nearly every day. A few Christmases ago my parents gifted my sisters and me with angel wing necklaces. At the time it was a symbolic connection between my sisters and I. Now it is incredibly important to me and I feel incomplete when I am not wearing