Bridge to Terabithia discussion

By the end of Bridge to Terabithia, Jess, and readers alike, get an answer to what death feels like for the living. After Jess learns that his best friend Leslie dies in a fatal accident, his father bluntly states, “Hell, ain’t it?" We see that yes--sometimes it is like hell.

In the novel, a young boy named Jess befriends Leslie--a girl from the city who has a bold and brash spirit. Their friendship blossoms and grows along with their imagination in creating another universe in the woods called Terabithia. It isn't until the end of the book that Jess must cope with grief in it's most difficult form: the death of someone he loves. Peterson shows that sometimes it takes someone, like a parent, who has witnessed death AND life to pass on encouragement to the next generation.

The theme of handling death is introduced and illustrated thought Jess’ father. His father consoles Jess as he experiences grief and anger and questions the idea of his best friend’s fate, Jess’ father is the catalyst, or role model, who teaches Jess about grief and ultimately helps him seek closure with Leslie. We see that "It was the kind of thing Jess could hear his father saying to another man. He found it strangely comforting and it made him bold.” This statement shows that his father does respect him, thus giving Jess the opportunity to speak up and ultimately learn from his fahter.

In Bridge to Terabithia, the theme of handling death does not come until the very end. However, Peterson does an excellent job illustrating this theme of loss through the parental role with accuracy, which is a consideration when it comes to award-winning texts. Jess’ father is not the most comforting father in the world, but there is a balance: at one point Peterson writes, “His father stroked his hair without speaking” and a few moments later we have him answering his son matter-of-fact with “Lord, boy, don’t be a fool. God ain’t gonna send any little girls to hell.” This qualitative text complexity accurately represents a believeable fatherly figure through a young reader’s eyes; the characterization of Jess’ father in not an archetype of a parent who has all the answers. The characterization and accuracy is also contingent on the poor, rural setting they live in (tying in with the speech patterns and vernacular). These stylistic tools all bring the idea of a relatable role mode full circle: Jess' father is there for his son when he needs encouragement.

The controversial subject of understanding death is difficult to face, but nonetheless necessary. In many children’s novels, the parental figures are absent, leaving a lot of understanding and processing to the child. Bridge to Terabithia gives young readers the chance to relate to Jess, whether it is through his own grief, or the advice sought after by his father.