Bridge to Terabithia

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1977

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-9

Chapters 10-11

Chapters 12-13

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Chapters 7-9Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 7 Summary: “The Golden Room”

Leslie does not have much time to play with Jess since she started helping her father renovate their home. Jess finds it strange that a parent would be friends with their child. When Leslie realizes that Jess is jealous, she asks Jess why he hasn’t offered to come help. Jess feels embarrassed for his jealousy and finds that he enjoys working with Leslie and Mr. Burke, who insists they call him Bill. Bill is unfamiliar with handiwork, so Jess’s advice is helpful. Jess feels proud of his work. They paint the living room gold, which Leslie thinks looks worthy of a palace. For a moment, Jess is worried she will say it feels like Terabithia, revealing their secret. She does not mention Terabithia, though, and their secret is safe. After a month of being away, Jess and Leslie return to play in Terabithia, pretending that they have been off defending the borders.

At school, Leslie hears Janice crying in the bathroom. Jess says that they should help her. Since Jess can’t go into the girls’ bathroom, he dares Leslie to go in. By the time Leslie comes back, everyone is back in class. To Jess’s confusion, Leslie even smiles at Janice on the bus. Once they have privacy, Leslie confides that Janice’s father beats her horribly. To make matters worse, her two friends have told the entire grade. When Leslie commiserated that she knew what it was like to be picked on, Janice began asking her for advice. Leslie thanks Jess for helping Janice.

At home, May Belle tells Jess that she followed him and Leslie to Terabithia. Horrified that she will tell his mother, Jess threatens May Belle that he will tell the school gossip about her wetting the bed if she lets their secret slip. This keeps May Belle quiet, but Jess is anxious, realizing that “his life was delicate as a dandelion” (99).

Chapter 8 Summary: “Easter”

Spring brings heavy rain that fills the creek. Jess is worried that Prince Terrien will fall into the current and drown. At home, Jess’s older sisters bicker about buying new clothes to wear to church on Easter. Jess’s father announces that he lost his job. Dejected, Jess goes out to the shed to milk the cow, where Leslie joins him. Jess tells Leslie about his family’s predicament. His sisters and mother will be horrified not to have money for new clothes. When Leslie says she wishes she could go to church with them, Jess tells her she will have to wear a dress. While everyone else gets new outfits for Easter, Jess’s only request is to bring Leslie. Mrs. Aarons concedes but is afraid that Leslie thinks she is better than them. On Sunday, Jess is relieved when the church service is finally over. Leslie, on the other hand, says that it was “better than a movie” (107). While Jess and May Belle find the story of the crucifixion to be scary, Leslie thinks it was beautiful, like the story of Socrates, Abraham Lincoln, or JFK. May Belle warns Leslie that if she does not believe the Bible, she will burn in hell when she dies. Despite May Belle and Jess’s warnings, Leslie comments that she does not believe God would do something like that.

Chapter 9 Summary: “The Evil Spell”

The rain continues to pour, making Jess more anxious. Jess and Leslie decide to go to Terabithia despite the water and mud. Jess doesn’t have a coat that fits, so Leslie rummages through Bill’s clothes. When there are not any shoes that fit Jess, Leslie says she will go barefoot too. When they cross the creek, Jess feels like they are crossing the Red Sea. Leslie insists on carrying Prince Terrien, and Jess tries to hide his fear of the water. While Jess is concerned about the rain, Leslie makes it a game, pretending that evil has put a curse on the kingdom of Terabithia. She asks the “Spirits of the Grove” (116) to overcome the evil curse. Jess is ashamed to want to leave. That night, as Jess hears the rain pounding outside, he wants to tell Leslie that he will not go to Terabithia. He feels like a coward compared to Leslie, like he was made with a “great piece missing” (119).

Chapters 7-9 Analysis

This section highlights Jess and Leslie’s differences. Instead of being a barrier to their friendship, these differences help them grow. Jess learns how to become more self-assured. When Leslie spends time with her father, Jess feels threatened. Agreeing to work with Leslie and Bill teaches Jess that, while Leslie and Bill are more educated, Jess has practical skills and can contribute in his own way. Bill’s praise builds Jess’s confidence. While Jess’s parents usually just ask him to do chores, Bill says things like, “You’re amazing […] where did you learn that, Jess?” (87-88). Jess relaxes as he sees that his friendship is not compromised by spending time with others. Leslie also models how children can get along with adults, something that does not come naturally to Jess.

Leslie’s love for beauty and magic rubs off on Jess. She shows Jess how to enjoy the things he once feared. For example, she finds the Easter story “better than a movie” (107), while it terrifies Jess. Although Jess is afraid of the rain, Leslie makes it into a game. She demonstrates how all experiences can be embraced.

Bridge to Terabithia is not just Jess’s coming-of-age story. Leslie also grows up, learning from his kindness and empathy. She learns maturity when she helps Janice Avery, and the experience transforms Leslie. Just as Jess is able to see things from others’ perspectives, Leslie eventually pities Janice and understands why she struggles to get along with others. By realizing that Janice is also an outsider, Leslie bonds with her. Just as Leslie and Jess are imperfect people whose lives improve by friendship, Leslie sees the potential in Janice too. Janice’s tragic story shows how the cycle of abuse begins. While Jess is not physically abused, his parents emotionally neglect and harass him, and he takes out his frustration on his younger sister. On a more drastic level, Janice takes out her pain on others. Often, bullies were bullied themselves and act out of hurt rather than hatred.

This section also foreshadows Jess’s upcoming loss. Jess wants to protect what he and Leslie have but feels he lacks control. When May Belle threatens to reveal his secret, he realizes that “his life was delicate as a dandelion. One little puff from any direction, and it was blown to bits” (99). This metaphor hints at how suddenly life can change. Jess’s growing anxiety also hints at an impending crisis. Not even Jess imagines that Leslie would drown, but he does worry about Prince Terrien falling into the water. On Easter, May Belle’s words foreshadow the end of the novel and Jess’s fear: “What if you die?” (109). Leslie is just as unphased by this question as she is by crossing the creek. These moments not only foreshadow Leslie’s death but show how Jess believes that his anxiety makes him inferior. He thinks that “it would be better to be born without an arm than to go through life with no guts” (119).