Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson - Realistic Fiction

“The Queen is dead! Long live the Queen!” the voices resounded through the trees, announcing the passing of one queen’s life and magic and the entrance of another. Terabithia would forever be changed, but never be lost!
That is how I felt at the end of the book, Bridge to Terabitha. My soul was profoundly moved throughout the story. I fell in love with some of the characters and wanted to shake some sense into other characters. Trying to write this response reminds me of Jess, trying to draw the pictures in his head, but never feeling like he was doing them justice. They never seemed to be right. That is exactly how I feel about this story. I have words and feelings in my head and heart, but what I put down just doesn’t seem adequate and fitting for so tremendous a book.
I’ll start with Jess; Jesse Oliver Aarons, Jr. to be exact. I could probably tell you that I have seen this boy in my classes at various times throughout my life. A true “diamond in the rough” as our beautiful Miss Edmunds called him. This boy is so different than everybody else and so wants to fit in. However, he is special. He has talents that are far beyond anyone’s understanding, at least anyone at Lark Creek Elementary. With the exception of Miss Edmunds and Lesleigh Burke, Jess is seen as a nobody. He is a child who is wanting to act out his imagination, but is struggling to act like a man in his family. It’s as though Jess has lived a life that has only been serious and sad, until Lesleigh comes. She opens up his mind to the dreams that he has long kept a secret. She allows him to be himself and teaches him that he is great and powerful. He, and only he, can be a true king of Terabithia.
Lesleigh is beautiful. Oh, not on the outside, but does that really matter? She has the ability to create a world in her mind and change the simple life of Jess Aarons. The reason the others at school disliked her so much was because she reminded them of what they never could be. She possessed a spirit that very few at Lark Creek Elementary ever dreamed of and they found this fearful and different, so they shunned her and made her feel like an outsider. Little did they know that what they feared was greatness and freedom. They were living in their closed off little world, feeling safe and comfortable with their game shows and baseball, and in walks Lesleigh with her scuba diving and active imagination. Lesleigh showed them that this little world that they lived in was not everything and that there was so much more. That is why I think Jess’s father was so down hardened. He understood that there was life outside of Lark Creek, but would never be able to provide this for his family. He didn’t really despise Jesse’s ability of art and dreams of being an artist, it just scared him, because he didn’t understand it. He recognized that Jesse was different. That he was not meant to stay a farmer or construction worker. This scared his father because he knew that he could never provide opportunities for Jesse outside of the manual labor jobs. I saw him as a man who tried his best for his family, but never seemed to be able to make ends meet.
The way the author’s words were used in the story really matched to the town and community way of life. Things were very simple and people barely spoke good English. This goes for Jesse, too, until the entrance of Lesleigh. She taught Jesse that he could be powerful and great, and with that, the reader can see Jesse’s words change from “small town” to “regal ruler” of Terabithia. When Jesse enters Terabithia and is expected to act like a king and talk like a king, he struggles at first. But, like a flower opening up with growth, Jesse opens up with the warmth of Lesleigh’s friendship and imagination.
After hearing the author talk about how this story was written in memory of her son’s best friend who was killed tragically, I realize now how much heart went into this story. I found myself reliving my father’s funeral and understanding how Jesse felt the morning he woke up and was not really clear what had happened the night before. He thought it all was a nightmare, but it was over now and he and Lesleigh would soon go to Terabithia and talk about all the fun he had had in Washington. I remember waking up and feeling the exact same way, not really wanting to believe the reality of what was happening after someone close to you dies. I also remember feeling that everyone was ready to move on and forget about our lost loved one, just like Jesse was feeling that Monday morning when he found Lesleigh’s desk moved from the classroom.
This story has so many themes. There are themes of friendship, not hiding who you really are, accepting differences, living life to the fullest, loving one another, seeing the world through “magical” eyes, etc. I could go on and on and never write how I truly feel about this book. I read this story for the first time in the sixth grade and was not really moved by it. I just thought it was sad how Lesleigh died. I read it again in my undergraduate work and only slightly grasped the richness of this novel. Now, finishing it with eyes full of tears and a heart full of love for the characters, I have found a place for this book in my heart. I will always see Lesleigh fighting the giants of Terabithia and going to the sacred grove to honor the gods. I will forever see Prince Terrien lopping along behind the Queen and King of Terabithia, and I will always see Jesse, regal and yet a little unsure as to how to command and react in such a magical place. However, I can also see Jesse going to college and studying art. I can see Jesse going even further and making a name for himself in the world. I can see him never forgetting where he came from, but never really being part of Lark Creek again. He was meant for greatness and great he shall be! I can see him never forgetting Lesleigh and living a life worthy of her friendship. “Long live the King of Terabithia!” Who is your Lesleigh?