Character Analysis: At The Begin-Ning Of Terabithia

Jess starts to admire Leslie when her essay about her favorite hobby, scuba diving, is read out loud: „That she wasn’t scared of going deep, deep down in a world of no air and little light. [...] How could he be all in tremble just listening to Mrs. read about it?“ (43). Throughout the story, Leslie introduces Jess to several stories and the main characters of them, like Hamlet, Aslan and Ahab. These charac-ters are all heros of their story, who sacrifices themselves in a „grand gesture“ and die. At the begin-ning of Terabithia Jess states: „’I just can’t get the poetry of the trees [...]’“ (52). Leslie encourages him with the words: „’You will someday.’“ (52). When Leslie tells the story of Hamlet, Jess is able to see the pictures and swears that he could draw it, in fact, she represents his inspiration and a role model. Jess wishes to be like Leslie: „Maybe, he thought, I was a foundling, like in the stories. [...] My real parents and brothers and sisters live far away [...]. Somewhere I have a family who have rooms filled with nothing but books and who still grieve for their baby who was stolen.“ (73). Leslie is Jess’ hero, he wants to be like her.

He worships her, as she worships him. They both are complementary to each others. Leslie encoura-ges Jess to be creative, she represents the bridge to his imagination, to Terabithia, while Jess helps Leslie to build a social connection to others for instance with Janice, when Jess persuades Leslie to accompany the crying girl in

Rituals belonged to Terabithia, as the giants, who threatened it: „’This is not a ordi-nary place, [...]. Even the rulers of Terabithia come into it only at times of greatest sorrow or of grea-test joy.’“ (60). An additional ritual takes place in the story, when Leslie and Jess substitute christmas presents. Jess gives Leslie Prince Terrien, while Leslie’s present is a paint set which is according to Leslie: „’ [...] not a great present like yours.’“ (78). The meaning of this ritual is summed up by Jess: „He wanted to tell her how proud and good she made him feel, that the rest of Christmas didn’t mat-ter because today had been so good.“