Bridge to Teribithia
Bridge to Terabithia
In most novels involving children, the endings are clear-cut happy endings with the children learning a valuable life lesson in the process of their adventures. An exception to this is Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia. Though the valuable life lesson is still present in the story, its acquisition comes at a terrible price, effectively breaking the myth that life will always work out happily. Katherine Paterson is said to have written this novel based on something that happened in her life. She wrote the book because her and her son knew someone who died at a young age. Her name was Lisa Hill. She was walking home from school and then lightning hit her and she died. She later wrote a book not only because of Lisa, but also to make sense of a tragedy that doesn't make sense. She dealt with the fact of having a close friend die at such a young age. She changed Lisa into Leslie and her son into Jess. Jess and Leslie lived in a rural area outside of Washington. They lived in the early 70's, which was when Lisa died. Bridge to Terabithia is about two kids who battle their make-believe world and the real world. Jess and Leslie meet when Leslie moves into the house next to his. Then they meet again when they both race in the 5th grade race. When they got off the bus one day, Leslie thought that maybe they could make up their own world and keep it only for themselves. They find a rope and Leslie said that the only way they could enter their world is if they swing on the rope. This make believe land that Jess and Leslie have come to adventure in, is a reincarnation of their real lives. I feel this is similar to the reason why Ms. Paterson wrote her novel. In the make believe land of ‘Terabithia’, Jess and Leslie fight the eveils and horrors of the unknown. These horrors are very similar to the daily issues that these two children face. These issues range from bullies in school to ogres in the woods, but happen to
In most novels involving children, the endings are clear-cut happy endings with the children learning a valuable life lesson in the process of their adventures. An exception to this is Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia. Though the valuable life lesson is still present in the story, its acquisition comes at a terrible price, effectively breaking the myth that life will always work out happily. Katherine Paterson is said to have written this novel based on something that happened in her life. She wrote the book because her and her son knew someone who died at a young age. Her name was Lisa Hill. She was walking home from school and then lightning hit her and she died. She later wrote a book not only because of Lisa, but also to make sense of a tragedy that doesn't make sense. She dealt with the fact of having a close friend die at such a young age. She changed Lisa into Leslie and her son into Jess. Jess and Leslie lived in a rural area outside of Washington. They lived in the early 70's, which was when Lisa died. Bridge to Terabithia is about two kids who battle their make-believe world and the real world. Jess and Leslie meet when Leslie moves into the house next to his. Then they meet again when they both race in the 5th grade race. When they got off the bus one day, Leslie thought that maybe they could make up their own world and keep it only for themselves. They find a rope and Leslie said that the only way they could enter their world is if they swing on the rope. This make believe land that Jess and Leslie have come to adventure in, is a reincarnation of their real lives. I feel this is similar to the reason why Ms. Paterson wrote her novel. In the make believe land of ‘Terabithia’, Jess and Leslie fight the eveils and horrors of the unknown. These horrors are very similar to the daily issues that these two children face. These issues range from bullies in school to ogres in the woods, but happen to