Bridge to Terabithia

Jess wrestles with Leslie’s death, and his deep unease at the Burkes’ home reflects his fractured relationship with vulnerability; he cannot identify with the way that the adults are grieving. He thinks of Leslie’s grandfather as a “strange man” and finds Leslie’s grandmother unnerving. When she cries, Jess thinks that “there was something weird about a woman like that crying” (143). When Bill comes up to him, Jess looks away, not wanting to see his tears, either. When Bill hugs Jess, he feels smothered and wants to get out of the house. Jess’s discomfort with the adults’ visible grief shows how he has not yet allowed himself to grieve Leslie. It also suggests that Jess does not think adults should cry. Because he wants to prove his maturity and masculinity, Jess refuses to shed a tear.

Nevertheless, Jess’s stoic front is at odds with the inner anguish he has yet to fully acknowledge. While Jess is stiff and silent on the outside, his thoughts and emotions are swirling on the inside. In one moment, he realizes that everyone at school will treat him better now that they feel sorry for him. He is almost excited at the realization that even his family may be less cruel to him. Jess’s thoughts shift yet again, and he feels even less stable: He wonders what Leslie looks like, where she will be buried, and what she will wear. He feels protective of Leslie and does not want others to make fun of her appearance. He also feels furious at her for leaving him alone. These conflicting emotions demonstrate how grief is complex and different for each person.

What finally comforts Jess is the simple embrace of his father and the assurance that it hurts to lose someone. This moment is incredibly important to Jess; not only does it comfort him, it gives him permission to accept pain. Throughout the book, Jess hates himself for his anxiety and perceived lack of masculinity. When his father, Jess’s male role model, admits how painful loss is, Jess realizes he is not a failure for feeling sorrow.

The physical world mirrors Jess’s maturation. As the rains stop, “early wildflowers were dotting the deep green of the fields” (150). Just as the world has moved on after the floods, Jess needs to as well. While Leslie created the first pathway into Terabithia, Jess must create his own. By reentering Terabithia and creating a memorial to Leslie, Jess finally finds closure. After laying the wreath in the stronghold, he feels peace: “like a single bird across a storm-cloud sky, a tiny peace winged its way through the chaos in his body” (153).

Jess’s final actions in the novel demonstrate his maturity. When May Belle is stuck on the branch, Jess is terrified—but, while his fear does not evaporate, he works through it and helps May Belle do the same and reassures her. Jess, who has always been the anxious one, takes the role of the leader. He learns that courage is about how he responds to fear, not vanquishing or ignoring anxiety altogether. His attitude toward Mrs. Myers also shows his maturity. He wants to write her a letter telling her that Leslie thought she was a great teacher. Jess realizes that “[s]ometimes like the Barbie doll you need to give people something that’s for them, not just something that makes you feel good giving it” (160).

Jess’s coming of age is complete when he builds a bridge into Terabithia, extending the same opportunity to May Belle that Leslie did to him. By admitting that even Joyce Ann could become a princess, Jess proves that he understands how anyone can grow, especially when someone special extends kindness. While Jess was closed off and anxious at the beginning of the narrative, he now opens himself to the world and new experiences. Terabithia is no longer an exclusive place for Jess and Leslie but a place where others can experience friendship and learn courage.