Bridge to Terabithia

Adam Scott Green
April 14, 2009
Introduction to Women's Studies
J. Perex


The Bridge to Terabithia plays on stereotypes of boys and girls. At Jesse and Leslies school and family gender norms separate the boys and the girls, create the mood for bullying, and defines the core limitations of the characters. For example, in our society and this movie, girls are not expected to win in a race of men; but in the beginning of this film, Leslie beats all the boys in a foot race. Leslie is introduced as a symbol of power, and a threat to the boys. Jesse was particularly uncomfortable with her presence. However, their relationship shifts, as they become friends, and rulers of a fantasy Kingdom called Terabithia.

Leslie does not allow gender stereotypes to oppress her as they have limited the self-esteem and happiness of Jesse. Jesse is uncomfortable wearing his sister’s feminine hand-me-down shoes. He is teased, alienated, and bullied at the expense of anything feminine about him. For this reason, he is suppressed and oppressed at the sake of gender. However, The Bridge to Terabithia leads to a place of freedom, where oppression is obsolete and anything is possible among the trees. The scenes in Terabithia take place in a wilderness but the vast landscape of trees, plants, and waterfalls is beautiful. I think we could call this wilderness paradise. The movie romanticizes nature. Accoriding to Jeanine Perez, romanticizing nature is the idea that “If I am connected to nature, everything will be awesome (Perez April 14, 2010).” Leslie leads Jess across the Bride to Terabitha. The bridge connects Jesse and Leslie to romanticized nature.

Away from nature, on the other side of Terabithia Leslie and Jesse are consumed with fear, doubt, and life challenges like gender oppression. This, in addition to material culture has a way of suppressing the imagination and blocking us from the beauty or fun of nature. Terabithia is a metaphor for escape into nature.

I think that Jess and Leslie are both inexplicably connected with nature. The setting of this movie is rural. Jess is even called a farm boy. Yet, it is Leslie who taps into the possibilities and pure fun with the environment.

Leslie is a hero in this film because she manages the connection with nature and facilitates their experience in Terabithia. In our culture women are connected with nature. Leslie seems to have this gift. Her audacity, sense of adventure, imagination and leadership skills unlocks their fantasies and frees their minds into a space in nature, a wilderness that Leslie cultivates into something supernatural.

As they connect with each other and nature in Terabithia, they find power, love, and courage. Nature has an active role in their lives. It cultivates their friendship. Nature provides the learning place and actively facilitates adventure, running, and confrontation with their life challenges. In fact, their school bullies are villains in Terabithia, but in that space they are equipped with power to defeat them.

Eco feminism is based on the connections between masculinist social institutions and the destruction of the physical environment. The Bridge to Terabithia does not explore a negative relationship between women and the environment or oppresses nature. Instead, The Bridge to Terabithia represents the innocence, beauty, and adventure one could find while enjoying and appreciating nature. From an eco feminist perspective, Leslie is powerful because she initiates and energizes the fantasy of Terabithia. Her agency and initiative is a notable quality, feminists would admire. Jess is willing and receptive to the excitement he finds with Leslie in the environment, they work together to create their fantasy.

Perez, Nina. "Ecofeminism." Introduction to Women's Studies. University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL. 14 Apr. 2010. Lecture.
"Women and the Environment." Women's Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. 5th Ed.New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 535-548.