Name : Eva Gustiana I
Subject : The Foundation of Literature
1. Theme
This novel tells about a friendship of Jesse Aarons and a girl named Leslie Burke. They undergo many life changing circumstances from becoming the best of friends until having to let go of that friendship. It is not easy for Jess to accept the truth that his best friend, Leslie, dies. He knows she has gone forever but somehow he would never forget her. So the theme of this novel is about a true friendship.
2. Messages
Bridge to Terabithia presents life's beauty and shows how beautiful the true friendship is; the power offriendship. It shows you the power to think and create; which we all possess in our minds when we are children but somehow loses it along the way as we grow up. It delivers a message that the best way to escape from harsh reality and to face your problems is through imagination and friendship. The message doesn't stop there. We must go on, just as Jesse went on after Leslie's death. It's not easy. We're somehow emptied by the loss of our friend. But eventually, after we grieve, we must rejoin life so that we can carry the memories of those we lost into our new adventures. These experiences mold children into a more mature and capable person. They help them deal with situations that they will face later in life and make them realize what is important in life.
3. Plot
The plot of this story goes forward. We can see that by the first time Jess met Leslie at school, and then they became close friends – spending most of time together at their magical Kingdom, Terabithia, until one of them must drown into the creek and died.
- Introduction : Jesse Aarons was the fifth grader who was so ambitious to be the fastest runner at school. One day, he met a new girl named Leslie. She beat him in a race. They both soon became close friends.
- Rising action : Jess accompanied Miss Edmunds to the National Gallery in Washington
- Climax : Leslie arrived at the bank of the creek. As usual, the only way to cross the creek was to swing; holding onto the crap apple tree rope. Unfortunately, the rope broke as she swung across the creek. She drowned.
-Denouement : Jess and P.T. – the dog – went to Terabithia to make a funeral wreath for the queen a.k.a. Leslie.
- Resolution : Jess went to the creek bank, carrying a couple of lumber he needed. He started building a bridge across the creek; the way to reach to Terabithia.
4. Summary
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA
Jess Aarons is an eleven-year-old boy living in a rural southwest Virginia who loves to run. He dreams of being the fastest boy in the fifth grade when school starts up in the fall, feeling that this will for once give him a chance to stand in the spotlight among his five sisters, and might win him the attention of his preoccupied father. Jess is quite insecure in his identity. He loves to paint and draw, but he knows very well that this labels him a "sissy" in the eyes of most of the world, particularly his father. He practices each morning, always dreaming of his upcoming victory. However, when the races come around at recess, a new girl, Leslie Burke, who just moved next door to Jess, boldly crosses to the boys' side of the playground and beats everyone.
Jess and Leslie soon become close friends. Jess shares his secret love of drawing with Leslie, and Leslie shares with Jess her love of fantasy stories. They build a secret fantasyland across the creek in the woods, called Terabithia, and they rule over it. There they forget the rest of the world, such as the kids at school or Jess's less-than-satisfactory family. Jess's artistic talent and ability are strengthened by all this, as Leslie supports his ambition and, through the stories she tells, provides him with great subject matter. But much of the time they play wonderful games of their own invention—defeating intruders on Terabithian territory, praying to the Spirits of the Grove to end a long spell of rain, and numerous other fantasies. However, Jess and Leslie's friendship, though centered in Terabithia, is not limited to Terabithia. They see each other at school. At home, they celebrate holidays together, such as Christmas, when Jess gives Leslie a puppy and she gives him an expensive art set to develop his artistic talent, and Easter, when Leslie goes to church with Jess' family. Jess and Leslie remain the best of friends, and Jess finds a purpose in his life through Leslie's company that he's never had before.
One day the music teacher at school, Miss Edmunds, whom Jess has long had a crush on, invites him to spend a day with her touring the art galleries in Washington. This trip does much to expand his mind and make him feel as if he is special. He has a perfect day. When he gets home he is attacked by a bad news that that Leslie drowned in the creek that morning trying to swing into Terabithia on the rope that they used for that purpose. Jess is completely devastated and goes through the stages of grief—denial, anger, fear, and sorrow—all incredibly painful to suffer and, indeed, to read about. Initially, he does not see how he is to go on initially. However, eventually he realizes that he can only keep Leslie's memory, and his own newfound sense of self, alive by continuing the fantasy of Terabithia. He makes a memorial wreath for Leslie, and builds a bridge over the creek. He brings his little sister May Belle there and makes her its new queen.
References :
P.S.: I took so many references from the internet. There's like a thousand of websites I opened I think lol. I forgot which websites I got the references from so I can only post two of them.
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