Bridge to Terabithia Critical Analysis
Critical review (draft 2)
Bridge to Terabithia is a touching novel woven together by Katherine Paterson. She has utilised a wide range of skills, which when applied to the story make an audience feel an abundance of feelings such as joy, sadness, and enchantment. Paterson has used language and literary techniques such as similes, hyperbole and foreshadowing to achieve this. Paterson has also displayed a wide range of themes including belonging and death along with the three stages of grief. Paterson has also employed characterisation and realism to create this pleasing novel.
Katherine Paterson expresses the theme of belonging through the friendship of Jesse Oliver Aarons and Leslie Burke who both come from different familial backgrounds. Jesse comes from a family living in poverty. Jesse has been raised by his mother and father in the midst of four sisters. His dad is a brut male and he works in an intensive labour job. Through these tough times he is forced to put on a brave face. Jesse’s two older sisters are stereotypical, persuasive teenage girls. This is shown by Paterson’s use of the simile ‘Ellie’s voice was sweeter than a melted mars bar’, whereas his two younger sisters consider him a role model. Leslie Burke however, is an only child who was raised by her mother and father who are both authors; this reflects on Leslie’s personality as an open minded creative girl.
Despite these familial backgrounds Jess and Leslie display a tremendously close relationship. Every moment in their ordinary lives, bringing them closer in their imaginary land of Terabithia. Nothing gets in the way of this relationship, not even the rain. This was demonstrated in the chapter ‘The Evil Spell’ when Jesse and Leslie run through the rain just to get to Terabithia. In this instance hyperbole is displayed when Paterson states ‘from one brown sea to another’ exaggerating the size of the puddles they are running through.
Another theme displayed through out the book
Bridge to Terabithia is a touching novel woven together by Katherine Paterson. She has utilised a wide range of skills, which when applied to the story make an audience feel an abundance of feelings such as joy, sadness, and enchantment. Paterson has used language and literary techniques such as similes, hyperbole and foreshadowing to achieve this. Paterson has also displayed a wide range of themes including belonging and death along with the three stages of grief. Paterson has also employed characterisation and realism to create this pleasing novel.
Katherine Paterson expresses the theme of belonging through the friendship of Jesse Oliver Aarons and Leslie Burke who both come from different familial backgrounds. Jesse comes from a family living in poverty. Jesse has been raised by his mother and father in the midst of four sisters. His dad is a brut male and he works in an intensive labour job. Through these tough times he is forced to put on a brave face. Jesse’s two older sisters are stereotypical, persuasive teenage girls. This is shown by Paterson’s use of the simile ‘Ellie’s voice was sweeter than a melted mars bar’, whereas his two younger sisters consider him a role model. Leslie Burke however, is an only child who was raised by her mother and father who are both authors; this reflects on Leslie’s personality as an open minded creative girl.
Despite these familial backgrounds Jess and Leslie display a tremendously close relationship. Every moment in their ordinary lives, bringing them closer in their imaginary land of Terabithia. Nothing gets in the way of this relationship, not even the rain. This was demonstrated in the chapter ‘The Evil Spell’ when Jesse and Leslie run through the rain just to get to Terabithia. In this instance hyperbole is displayed when Paterson states ‘from one brown sea to another’ exaggerating the size of the puddles they are running through.
Another theme displayed through out the book