Bridge to Terabithia

The imaginary country of Terabithia is so central to the narrative that it appears in the book’s title. Terabithia symbolizes both an imaginary shelter and the strength to confront the real world. Leslie suggests that they create a secret place that is theirs alone; being outsiders at school might be a bad thing, but the exclusivity of Terabithia is special. While they have little control over their lives in the real world, they pick a secluded area in the woods where no one can disturb their kingdom, and they have sovereignty. In Terabithia, they reign as king and queen. This is appealing to Jess, who wants control over something, however imaginary. While being loners is negative in the real world, it’s part of what makes them special in Terabithia. In their castle stronghold, Jess and Leslie find protection against the world.

Terabithia does not just offer shelter from the world. It also gives the children the strength to confront it. By rehearsing their struggles through imaginative play, Leslie and Jess can engage in their world with agency. In Terabithia, they fight giants, “but they both knew that the real giant in their lives was Janice Avery” (61). From their stronghold, they devise a successful plan to get back at Janice. However, Terabithia also transforms them into better people. It’s as if the role of kingship in Terabithia makes Jess more of a leader in real life. While he is self-conscious at home and school, he feels empowered in Terabithia, where “in the shadowy light of the stronghold everything seemed possible” (52). Jess and Leslie’s personal growth leads them to encourage Janice, who is being bullied herself. Terabithia also helps Jess be kind to Joyce Ann and May Belle. Finally, in Terabithia, Jess can confront losing Leslie and the responsibility he feels for her death. When he makes the funeral wreath for her, he takes the attention of a bird as “‘a sign from the Spirits,’ Jess said quietly. ‘We made a worthy offering’” (152). Once he processes his grief in Terabithia, Jess can tackle the real world.

Gender roles are a recurrent motif in the novel, most often working to expose the limits of traditional expectations. It is in this context that the motif plays into the novel’s theme of being an outsider; some characters are seen as outsiders because they diverge from the “traditional” characteristics of their gender.

Jess is anxious to prove his masculinity. He believes that his anxiety and creative sensibility make him less of a man. This is because his classmates think he is “crazy” for drawing all the time, and his own father rejected his hobby, grumbling about “old ladies turning my only son into some kind of a—” (14). Jess tries to prove himself by acting tough at school and becoming a fast runner, but he can’t learn to accept his identity until he realizes that he can be courageous even when he feels anxious. When Jess’s father admits how painful it is to lose someone, Jess thinks, “It was the kind of thing [he] could hear his father saying to another man” (147). This helps Jess recognize that masculinity does not preclude vulnerability.

Leslie, too, challenges traditional gender roles as she is not the average fifth-grade girl. From the moment that Jess meets Leslie, he cannot decide if she is a boy or girl due to her short hair and tomboyish clothing. Leslie enjoys reading, running, and scuba diving. She is so different from the other girls at school that Jess can’t believe she owns dresses. In addition to her appearance, Leslie’s characteristics and role in their friendship are traditionally considered masculine: She is self-assured and takes charge of their activities. Leslie’s femininity is a foil to that of characters like Brenda and Ellie, who enjoy fancy outfits. Leslie has a “beautiful, graceful run of hers that neither mud nor water could defeat” (119).

While the Aarons parents follow gendered work roles, it does not leave them satisfied. Mr. Aarons is exhausted, and Mrs. Aarons seems lethargic at home. This contrasts with the Burke parents, who both have the same job. In fact, Mrs. Burke is the more successful of the two. When Mrs. Burke rushes off from a conversation to go write, Jess wonders “what it would be like to have a mother whose stories were inside her head instead of marching across the television screen all day long” (112). Similarly, despite diverging from her community’s expectations for women, Miss Edmunds appears happy and content. While others disdain her for foregoing lipstick and wearing jeans, Miss Edmunds enjoys her life more than the other teachers.