A friendship without mutual love and respect leads to selfishness and jealousy. In A Separate Peace, Gene remains envious of his best friend: Finny's good looks, his ability to charm everyone he meets, his ability to take charge, and his natural athleticism. As their friendship blossoms, Gene becomes covetous of Finny's physical appearance and build. Finny uses his ability to take charge and organizes the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session. Before each match, Finny and Gene jump from the tree overlooking the river. Before a meeting, both climb the tree to start the meeting; when they reach the top of the tree, Gene takes the opportunity to move the branch. As a result, Finny falls, which ends Finny's athleticism and changes his life. Gene's guilt leads him to lie repeatedly to cover up his spiteful attempt. His guilt leads him to confess to Phineas. Finny never accepts the reasons for Gene's apology; Phineas accepts the fact only after Leper explains in detail what happens on that terrible day. In a rage, Finny falls down the marble stairs, causing another break and ending his life. In the novel A Separate Peace, John Knowles illustrates the contrast between a friendship of jealousy and a friendship of love through foreshadowing, metaphors, and symbolism. Knowles illustrates the difference between a friendship of jealousy and a friendship of love by foreshadowing the two falls and death. by Finny. From the beginning of their friendship, Gene becomes jealous of Finny's ability to convince people to get what he wants. Mr. Prud'homme surprises Finny and Gene when they arrive late for dinner. Phineas' charismatic personality keeps them out of trouble, which makes Gene envious. “There was nothing wrong in envying… half paper… leper to compare him to a wild beast. Although Finny admits to Gene that he considers him his best friend, Gene still shows envy. Knowles uses the tree as a symbol to express the jealousy and loss of innocence in Phineas and Gene's friendship. At first Knowles uses the tree to symbolize the darkness of jealousy; Gene and Finny climb the tree and Gene jerks the branch, causing Phineas to fall. As Gene's jealousy increases, the tree becomes a symbol of the loss of his innocence and lies repeatedly; Finny loses his innocence when he realizes Gene's sin. Although this novel is set in the 1940s, jealousy and envy still exist today. Friends envy other friends for what they have: happiness, possessions and other friendships. Even though jealousy seems like a bad thing, a friendship without envy becomes a friendship without love and compassion.