The first time I read Bridge to Terabithia was when I was in third grade. It seemed like a good book. There were great characters and great settings. But that was the extent of my thinking. When I finished it that was it. Just threw it in the return bin. It was just another book. I didn’t try to find any themes or do any extensive thinking. But when I read it this time around I tried to do the exact opposite. It turned out to be a completely different book. I got so much more out of it. I dug deeper, trying to find the different themes, not just the obvious ones. I learned so much more about Jess and Leslie’s friendship and how they change each other’s life, how life and death is a big part of Bridge to Terabithia. Maybe I got more out of it because when I first read the book I was so young and now I am thirteen so I can comprehend it easier. This time I would stop in the middle and try to think, what is the author trying to say here? What is this symbolizing?
Jess is just a regular kid. He doesn’t grow up with a lot of wealth. His dad works very long hours, trying to put food on the table for his family. Leslie is the new girl. She doesn’t have that many friends. She keeps to herself, minding her business. But these two create such a wonderful friendship because they get to escape from the pressures they are dealt with in their lives. At first it was just Jess being nice to Leslie. But then it grew so quickly and of course Leslie creates Terabithia for the two of them. By doing this Leslie changes Jess’s life. She gives him a way to imagine, lets him feel like a kid. Also, she shows Jess that it’s okay not to be a boy who’s obsessive with sports and fighting. She lets him be himself and is the only one who does. Let’s face it, Jess lives a dull life. Jess changes Leslie’s life as well. He gives her a friend in himself. Also he makes her feel at home. Leslie just moved and had no one to spend time with. She felt homesick. Jess changed that.
When I read Bridge to Terabithia for the second time, it really gave me a lot of things that I could connect to. For example, Jess is described as a very ambitious and determined person. He would get up early everyday in the summer to practice for a big race. I think that I can really relate to Jess. When we want something we do whatever it takes to get it. It we set a goal we strive to reach it. Jess wanted to be the fastest runner in fifth grade so he ran every morning. I wanted to make the school basketball team so I kept practicing and practicing. There’s nothing better then when you work so hard for something and it ends up paying off. Another thing that I noticed is that Jess and Leslie are much like Charlotte and Wilbur from Charlottes Web. All of them are in a relationship with trust. Also, both relationships started by just lending a hand. Charlotte loaned a hand to Wilbur to save his life for no entire reason but to do a good thing. Jess gave a hand to Leslie by talking to her and being a friend to her for no entire reason but to do a good thing. Another thing is that theme of life and death. Charlotte is faced with it and so it Leslie. It takes a big toll out on Wilbur and Jess to face the fact that they won’t have them in their life anymore. Wilbur won’t be able to share the barn with Charlotte anymore and Jess won’t be able to share Terabithia with Leslie anymore.
Another thing that I really appreciated about Bridge to Terabithia is all the different themes and symbols that don’t pop out. IA theme that I don’t think pops out is fitting in. His classmates expect him to be a type of person, someone who watches baseball or plays sports. But he Jess isn’t like that and I don’t think will ever be. He’s someone who likes the arts but he can’t even enjoy that freely. Jess’s father hates the fact that he is into art and he calls it a girl’s pastime. Also, I think that the rope over the creek represents how Terabithia will be no more because Leslie isn’t there. To sum this all up, I think Bridge to Terabithia is a great book. You might think it’s only a child’s book but as soon as you open it to the first page you begin to realize that it’s far from it. Not only does Jess and Leslie get taken on a journey, but you do as well. I know I was.
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