gic on his own, when it was plain that the magic was reluctant to come for him.(65)We see this a second time in chapter eleven. The only way to enter Terabithia was to swing from the hanging rope, which was their bridge. Leslie died because the rope broke, causing her to fall and hit her head before landing in the stream, causing her to drown. The broken rope symbolizes the end of Leslie, hence the end of Jess Terabithia. The hanging rope was the only way to enter Terabithia but for Jess, the only reason Terabithia was magical was Leslie. His entrance to Terabithia is gone. For Jess, Terabithia symbolizes everything good in his life. It is an escape from his dismal homelife and an escape from his chores, and escape from the kids at school. Terabithia is also the only place where Jess is unafraid and brave. For Jess, Terabithia became a place where all of his fears in reality are defeated in fantasy. Janice Avery, one of the major antagonists in the story, is converted from a schoolyard bully to an imaginary giant in Terabithia. Chapter 5 opens by saying Leslie liked to make up stories about the giants that threatened the peace of Terabithia, but they both knew that the real giant in their lives was Janice Avery. (48)The plot of the story is episodic. Each chapter contains its own dilemma. The plots range from chapter to chapter. In chapter two, Leslie is the antagonist who defeats Jess in the race, but in chapter five, Leslie is the protagonist, along with Jess, defeating the giants who are threatening Terabithia. Although Jess view of Leslie change, she remains a round, but static character. Her personality throughout the story remains essentially the same, but it is Jess who changes and is the dynamic character.Patterson also makes great use of foreshadowing, most notably in chapter eight. Jess, Leslie, May Belle, and Joyce Ann are sitting in the back of the pickup truck waiting for the rest of the Owens to leave the ...
