Analyzing the Color Green in

            Jealousy: Not Necessarily the Green-eyed Monster.
             Jealousy is a recurring theme that appears in John Knowles" A Separate Peace. Envy is usually accompanied by negative connotation. People think that is they are jealous of someone, it means that the other person is superior to them in some way. However, Knowles takes a different approach to jealousy. He subtly conveys that jealousy is a healthy part of human nature and is an emotion that should not be thought of in a negative manner. He shows that jealousy is everywhere, and simply ignoring it will do no better than acting upon those envious feelings.
             In A Separate Peace, the character Gene is an intellectual introvert, who is best friends with Finny. Finny was the kind of kid who was good at everything. Inevitably, Gene was envious of Finny. Knowles shows this in the stereotypical way by describing how Gene slyly knocked Finny out of a tree, breaking his leg. .
             Yet Knowles goes deeper into the jealousy subject. He uses the color green to symbolize the jealousy that exists between characters. He describes the "healthy green turf" (18) of the "endless green playing fields" (30). This jealousy corresponds with Gene's envy of Finny's athletic capability. On a broader level, Knowles uses the world "healthy" when describing the fields to suggest that jealousy and sports rivalry is a normal part of life. Knowles" constant mentioning of these green fields and use of the word "endless" implies that jealousy is everywhere, and more importantly, it's normal. The fields were a part of nature, and jealousy is a part of human nature. Knowles makes sure only to describe the green grass on the fields. Yes, there is grass elsewhere, but he chose not to talk about it. That compliments the idea that rivalry in sports, although normal, should be left on the field. Taking it off the field and acting upon it is not rational. An example of this is when Gene knocked Finny off the tree.