In John Knowles' novel A Separate Peace, like most other literature, conflict resides within the main character himself. Throughout the course of the novel, Gene Forrester struggles to find his true identity, while he lives under the shadow of his great friend, Phineas. He admires Phineas (Finny) for being the greatest athlete at Devon, but at some point, realizes that it means more to him than just fun and games. Gene feels the need to compete with his best friend, and that he always has to get even with Finny. A Separate Peace is undoubtedly a war novel; Gene's feeling at first of admiration clearly turns into a complex war within his mind that is filled with jealousy, hate, and paranoia.

One of the conflicts Gene faces is the struggle of hiding his jealous envy for Finny's athletic ability. Ever since their friendship became intertwined...