About

My students, a crew of hardworking 9th and 10th graders at Wellesley High School in Wellesley, MA, deserve the opportunity to showcase their short stories, vignettes, poems, narratives, and essays in a public forum, as there are few thrills like seeing one’s voice validated in print. Through this blog, my students will be able to share their imaginations and insights with their family members, friends, and schoolmates, and — I hope — feel a sense of real-world accomplishment beyond the classroom!

The inspiration for the blog’s name derives from John Knowles’ heartbreaking novel A Separate Peace, the story of two young men who attend Devon Academy, an all-boys preparatory school, during the World War II era. In this tale, Gene, the academically bright but introverted and rule-following protagonist, finds himself overcome with envy toward his “best” friend Phineas, a gregarious, charming, and spontaneous athlete. One day, as the boys are preparing to jump from a tree into the river that courses through the campus, Gene “jounces” the limb on which they are both standing and causes Phineas to fall to the bank below. This incident leaves Phineas with a broken leg and destroyed hopes of pursuing a career in sports. In the aftermath of the event, Gene must come to terms with the decision he made to sabotage Phineas and as a result, figure out who he is. He must cope with Phineas’ frustratingly compassionate tendency to see only the good in people, and work toward fulfilling the athletic dreams and goals that Phineas cannot because of his injury. (I won’t give away the ending.)

Gene’s gesture of violence rips away his friend’s mobility. However, it also sets personal struggles, necessary to the boys’ growth, in motion.

When Gene jounces the limb, he jolts his whole sense of self off-balance. He thrusts himself into an uncomfortable and disorienting process of facing the consequences of his actions and defining his relationship to the world. He strives to adopt Phineas’ empathetic and generous nature in his journey toward healing. He learns that he is worthy of forgiveness. He benefits from the grace of a friend who wants him to succeed. He gains a second chance to enjoy true companionship and loyalty.

When Gene jounces the limb, Phineas must face the unthinkable: the probability that his closest pal has purposely betrayed him. He must decide whether he really is the carefree, understanding, and accepting young man he has always presented himself to be. He must consider the long-term effects of his reaction to Gene’s action, the outcome if he abandons Gene when clearly, Gene is hurting. He must defend his relationship with Gene from the judgment of others.

Each boy undergoes a messy, painful, surprising, and enlightening human experience.

Writing, in all of its forms, allows people to grapple with messy, painful, surprising, and enlightening human experiences. Of course I would never encourage anyone to “jounce the limb” with malicious intent. But I do celebrate risk-taking. I do endorse owning the power of what we say and do. I do prize discomfort and disorientation on the road to shaping identity and leaving an indelible mark. So, via the craft of written expression, I invite my students to jounce their own limbs…to bravely jostle their own stability, to adjust their footing, to challenge the safety of their own positions, in order to grow.

 - Mrs. Elizabeth Mastrangelo