The Terabithian

It is very important to learn new vocabulary every time we read. Bridge to Terabithia is beautifully written because it uses wonderful words in constructing sentences. It uses words such as “proverbial”, which means very well-known; “cagey”, which means not willing to give information, owing to caution or suspicion; In addition the author uses the word “huffily” instead of annoyed or angry. However, I think that the essential criteria of reading is not only to broaden our diction but also to understand the theme of the book.
The value of friendship is one of the major themes in Bridge to Terabithia. Growing up together, Jess and Leslie trust each other and felt a sense of belonging. This can be seen from the following quote:
“ For the first time in his life he got up every morning with something to look forward to. Leslie was more than his friend. She was his other, more exciting self – his way to Terabithia and all the worlds beyond.”
Bridge to Terabithia
Before Jess met Leslie he felt all alone. In his family, Jess has a father, mother, and four sisters. His father worked every day and was always too tired to pay attention to him when he got home. Sometimes Jess felt lonely being the only male among all those females. At school, Jess had no friends, except for Miss Edmunds, his music teacher. She was the only one to whom he dared to show his real thoughts.
So when Leslie actually appears in Jess’ world, they form an incredible friendship. Terabithia becomes a place where they can exchange their feelings and worries.
Bridge to Terabithia is very important to be read by young people not only because it gives a sense of what it is to be a friend, but it also gives a great example of what kind of person we should be in our lives. First we must show loyalty and devotion before we are able to gain true friendship.
Bridge to Terabithia is also about being different and accepting the differences of others. Jess and Leslie are both very different. Jess loves to draw, but he does not dare to show anyone his talent because he is worried that if he shows his drawings to others they will laugh at him. On the other hand, Leslie is very confident with herself. She doesn’t care about how people think of her. For instance, she shows her comfort by competing with the boys in running. She does what she wants, without paying attention to what views people may have of her.
Furthermore, they have different backgrounds. Leslie comes from a rich family while Jess comes from a normal middle class agricultural family. From the above, we can clearly see that Leslie and Jess are very different in personality, the family they come from and their general background. Yet, despite their differences, they accepted each other and became great friends. This is something worth learning from them.
Thus, either than learning new words from Bridge to Terabithia, I also learned from the theme of the story. This is a book that I would highly recommend to others to read.