Kaitlyn Smith

ENGL 414A
LSW- Realistic Fiction
4/3/14

1. What effect does Leslie dying in the creek going to Terabithia have on Jesse?

This question is important to the story for a few reasons. Not only does
Jesse lose his best friend, but she dies on her way to their secret land.
This probably makes Jesse feel especially guilty and upset over his best
friends death. We also know that Jesse has a fear of water and
swimming that is seen in multiple occasions throughout the novel.
After it rains for a few days, the creek grows higher and Jesse is afraid
to swing across to Terabithia. Leslie drowning confirms Jesses fear of
the water. Her death keeps Jesse in a numb state for quite some time,
and he doesnt believe for a while that she is actually dead. Leslies
death changes every aspect of Jesses life.


2. What is significant about Jesse building a bridge to Terabithia?

Jesse is worried that after Leslie dies, he will not be able to carry on
Terabithia. He fears that the magic within Leslie will not live on within
himself. When Jesse travels to Terabithia for the first time after
Leslies death, he is scared that the rope being broken means that the
magic land is gone too. He climbs a branch to Terabithia, and is scared
of the water beneath. When his younger sister, May Belle, comes to
surprise him in Terabithia soon after Leslies death, she is also scared
while crossing the branch across the creek. The next day, Jesse
decides to build a bridge. The bridge means that Jesse will be able to
safely travel to Terabithia, and he invites May Belle to go with him and
be the queen. This shows Jesse healing and realizing that the magic
also resides in him.