It was like ALL OF THE TIME haha.
Was May Belle annoying to her?, or , was she a bad friend? Haha
Like, Chill Alexsandra, Life CANNOT be that serious haha.
You know what, I thought recently about how much, with all those articles and my contributions in this subreddit…
I don’t take enough time to tell you how much I love you guys, how much I appreciate being here with you all, how much I love this film, and how much being here with you is very nice.
It’s always been nice to have a fictional world like that film…
To engage with it and have a great experience, especially as reality hits sometimes.
I don’t take enough time to talk about how much I love Leslie “ as Anna Sophia “ as well, she is a phenomenal fictional character, she helped me so much in getting over the pain of loss.
——
I’m allowing myself to get emotional here, away from my analytical & philosophical contributions.
Iam very glad that Iam here with you, this subreddit will not be here without you engaging with it guys, I couldn’t ask for a better community 🥹❤️.
You are my family, I said it before, and Iam proudly saying it again, your presence with me here means the world to me ❤️.
As I notice the community growing nowadays, it makes me more emotional 🥹.
——
Maybe even if I was not here months or years after, even if I died anytime…
Someone in a random day will know that I was here, someone will read some random post of mine, someone will have a good time or get a benefit because of what I wrote due to my love & my experience with this film 🥹❤️.
It’s great because it’s a good lasting content for people…
This film was 20 years ago, the book is much older, and it still inspires us ❤️.
And as it’s the message of art throughout history, to change our lives for the better, with great stories that inspire us to be better human beings ❤️.
I love you all 🥹❤️.
As the film is so saturated, I think making it that much longer would allow us to know more about Jess & Leslie, their life & their deep details, it would allow more adventures in Terabithia as well.
I think the film’s events accelerated and ended too fast, without us living long enough in its world…
I needed more time in the film’s world to be honest.
I think one of the main downsides to this is for the box office audience, nobody wants to enter the cinema and watch a family movie for 2 and half hours, they want something quick as 1 and half hours.
Also splitting the film on 2 or 3 parts was not a suitable option at all.
Also adding an hour more means a lot of extra work for Josh & Anna Sophia, and they basically cannot work for lots of hours as the adult actors due to the strict rules about the work load for child actors in the US, so it is another problem.
And the film would have cost Walden Media and Disney much more than the current 17-25 million.
What do you think?
Leslie’s Wisdom #3
Intro : This series will explore the valuable lessons we can learn from Leslie by analyzing her unique characteristics , her actions , and her worldview , translating them into practical insights for our own lives.
This is the third article!, make sure to read the second one and check out the upcoming ones!
———
Females are the sweet taste of life…
If life was sugar and salt, females will be the sugar.
Feminine energy always meant a lot & did a lot to the world…
Especially when it comes from females who are feminine and had an effect on men with talents & powers, so they got up and changed everything for the better!
And Leslie is a great representation of that energy & its effect on others & on the world!
Just as Leslie had her soft effect on Jess…
So he got up from being a farmer boy, and became the king of Terabithia!
A little boy who was…weak, bullied, insecure…
Who had Leslie’s effect, feminine effect, so he became the king at the end !!
Being feminine was a main powerful key for Leslie in the story…
And yeah also a male can have feminine energy too, but the best and the top representation for it will always be a female!
And that’s why Leslie had that much power in the story!
Without almost ANY masculine energy at all!
Without yelling, forcing Jess into anything, getting angry, making enemies, etc
Not al all!
She was always convincing him softly towards her imaginary kingdom, without forcing at all!
——
You may ask…how can we notice Leslie’s feminine appearance even further?
I will tell you, notice her interactions with Jess a bit more…
And how she dealt with his mood swings, his denial, his internal & external issues.
She was always soft, caring, convincing but without pushing him into anything!
And this is actually very smart!
Because, you cannot force a boy, or even a man of course, to do something by force as if you was his mother or something…
You cannot compete with a man on his masculinity and masculine energy, especially as a female, instead, you should be soft & caring , and convince him into what you want him to do, but with a playful and teasing way.
As Jess & Leslie were 5th graders, we saw the purest way possible of doing that, without any manipulation related to certain desires (I hope you got what I mean).
——
So, I will give you some examples of what Leslie did with Jess…
First and most importantly…
When Jess said that : “ there is no giant troll “, and he denied Terabithia, imagination, and everything, as he almost gave up and called all of that :
“ getting your heads in the clouds “.
Notice how Leslie responded to him when he said :
“ You got your heads in the clouds Leslie, There is no giant troll alright?! “
She didn’t yell at him, she didn’t tell him something like :
(What?? , you are giving up now?? , you will never be the king anyways loser!!)
No…No.
She got what he said with a shocked, a bit playful face…
Then she stayed silent for a second or two, then she said :
“ You better not let the Terabithians hear you, They thought you were their king “.
This is a very…very powerful sentence to convince them to get back to Terabithia!
Without even saying it directly!
And even then, after Janice took May Belle’s Twinkie’s…
Leslie didn’t let that event slip away…
She said another powerful convincing sentence to Jess saying :
“ Don’t worry May Belle, we will get it back, won’t we Jess? “
Notice how she made Jess believe in the giant troll again…
As Janice “ the giant troll “ stole May Belle’s Twinkies…
So Leslie offered Jess by meaning, to get back to Terabithia, and fight the giant troll again, to get revenge for May Belle!
So it was like if she said:
“ Jess, as you see, the giant troll exists, she made your sister cry, so as we always did before with scrogre and stuff, we have work to do in Terabithia!, so let’s do it! “
And all of that was the next day after she said her powerful convincing sentence which was “ Don’t let the Terabithians hear you… “
——
So, what happened after that?
Jess thought about her sentence:
“ Don’t let the Terabithians hear you, they thought you were their king “
Then he made the comeback! , “ The giant troll hunting starting today! “
And that’s the proof how, being as smart as Leslie, will make a huge difference even with someone with demons, hard and awful like Jess, she successfully convinced them to:
Enter Terabithia in the first place “ A place just for us “…
Staying in it…
And becoming the king at the end even by getting over her tragedy!
All of that and more, using her feminine powers, and her emotional & social intelligence!
——
Almost all Leslie’s actions represented her femininity all of the time in the story!
And I may say, ALL HER ACTIONS and not almost all of them!
But that one where Jess almost gave us was the most important…
And the hardest challenge for Leslie dealing with Jess’s issues.
As after that, Jess believed in himself very much, and became the leader for the first time!, in the last adventure of them together, and got his place as the king, even after Leslie’s tragedy.
And yeah, Leslie’s story was a successful case, it may not work all of the time, not everyone can change like Jess did, but there are certain people, who can change for the better because of a female who is like Leslie!, it happens, many many times!
This is the “ Feminine power “ we are talking about!
And Leslie absolutely represented it throughout the story!
Leslie represented so many positive features & characteristics…
And one of the most important ones which no one talks about is “ Femininity “ !
Did you know that author Katherine Paterson originally thought she completely invented the name "Terabithia"?
However, she later realized that her subconscious had actually borrowed it from Terebinthia, an island featured in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader from C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia (which makes total sense given how much of a bookworm Leslie is!).
But the literary chain doesn't stop there: C.S. Lewis himself didn't invent the word out of nowhere either; he drew inspiration from the historical Terebinth tree mentioned in ancient texts. It turns out the kingdom's iconic name is a quiet, hidden bridge connecting classic literature, C.S. Lewis, and Leslie's boundless imagination!
Will the story be almost the same?
Who will be the princess in your opinion?
( and don’t say Miss Edmund’s ) lol
Please don’t hate on her guys , she is very sweet , idk why some of you don’t like that little princess anyways.
I know that most people are disappointed by the actual trailer…
(I watched it after the film lol)
But I know that it has a kind of misleading…
So I made that trailer as a remake.
Of course It’s not the best possible , I needed a video editor and a lot of extra work , but I think it’s good as a first try…
What do you think?
Will you suggest it to someone who don’t know the movie instead of the actual trailer?
I wanna talk about that personal experience here , This is a very important event to me and I think it will be interesting to you as a bridge to terabithia fan.
And to be honest with you , I hesitated before posting this article , because I know that I don’t know everything about the film , and I still have a long long way to go…
But that hesitation is the proof that Iam ready to post this article! , and I really reached the peak utilizing it! , because if I feel like I know everything about the film , then I didn’t know enough , but if I feel like I still have a long way and I don’t know much , then I know enough , and I reached the peak and Iam ready to post this !
Especially as reaching the peak doesn’t mean that you knew everything…
I still wanna sharpen my thoughts and put it together on the digital screen , and think about way more topics on the film , but I know enough that iam not discovering anything that is very obvious in the film.
So , I built a unique overview on the film especially as I haven’t read the book yet! , so I’m not strict to the author’s brain , i treat the film as an open world , which i can understand and enjoy in the way I find the most logical , fitting with the film structure , and I see as the best fit!
After 3 months when I first watched the film…
18 times of watching the film…
Tens of hours analysing every single scene and the main characters…
+20 deep-dive articles here on this subreddit…
Making some videos on YouTube…
Reaching Top 1% posters in Bridge to Terabithia subreddit in just 3 days of active posting…
Etc…
All of that , and I didn’t realise I reached the absolute peak in utilizing this movie except for when I watched the film for the 16th time , after 3-weeks break because I was so busy with other stuff (mostly emotional as well haha) , and I think as it all fit together , that’s why the 16th time was very different.
This movie literally changed my life forever , and I will tell you how in this article…
I will tell you how and when I realised I reached the peak , & some facts about me , my personal life and my past , all related to how that film literally saved my life.
————
First , I firstly discovered the film at a very low point in my life , I had family problems , pressure , academic failures , unknown future , & I was few months out of a toxic emotional attachment for 3 years , started when I was a 17 year old teenager.
There was so much going on at the time…
& if you are curious , yeah I’m almost 22 years old now , I discovered the film when I was 21 (Iam still 21) & I’m a male.
So , I firstly discovered the film in shorts on YouTube when I was scrolling , watching an edit about it for the first time , it was a scene for Jess and Leslie on the bus , and people asking in comments about the film’s name , I didn’t know the film at the time , it was my first exposure to it , I read that its name was ‘’ bridge to T…’’ what? , Terabithia was a complicated name to me , like is that even an English word , what does that mean lol , but I knew the name , and I was thinking that it will be a light , cute family film , so I will watch it later , maybe it will make me feel better with all of that going on in my miserable life.
So , the time went past , and I finally had the time to watch the film…
So I put it on my iPad and started watching it…
I don’t remember how the first time felt exactly , but I can tell you , I felt that emotional saturation of the film so much , everyone did but for me it was so heavy , especially as I didn’t cry at all except in late rewatches , because I wasn’t crying for months before due to my bad emotional state , so I got all of that heavy emotional weight on my chest , until I forced myself to cry later , but , after the first time of me watching the film , something happened…
I kept going…rewatching the film over & over & over & over , I remember watching it once a day or once every two or three days at most at the time , I became OBSESSED with it for some reason , even as it damages me deep down emotionally , & it makes me feel like I had a truck on my chest , but , I kept going…
Maybe I did that because , I couldn’t just move on after the first watch and forget about it like everyone did , the pain was so much bigger than me being able to ignore it…
So I had to go deeper and deeper…
Maybe I will find answers…
As I was wondering , what just happened? , what does all of that mean? , who is Leslie and why I felt so bad after she died? , why am I feeling so bad about this? , how can I get over this?
So , as I had the film in my hands , it was so much better than a real life memory…
Because , you had that imaginary world with you all of the time , you can rewatch it , you can pause , you can replay , you can see Leslie over and over again even after she died , you can notice her presence as much as you want , you can see her expressions , you can analyse her , you can go back and forth in the film’s world as much as you could , as all of that is reserved in an hour and half video.
You can notice the weather every day of the film , you can link everything together , etc.
You don’t have to miss Leslie forever or just feel sorry for her without full clarity as if she is a real person , you can rewatch the film & figure out your feelings towards her and how you can get over her as Jess did.
You don’t have to feel sorry for Jess without full clarity as if he is a real person , you can rewatch the film and figure out what actually happened to him and how can you learn from it.
And so on.
I hope you got my point.
All of that is simply what art represents and how it helps us healing and enjoying through a whole imaginary world & environment that they made , represented in an hour and a half…with houses , school , adults ,teens & kids characters , roads , weather , etc.
That is what’s called (Art Therapy).
But I didn’t realise all of that at the time.
And I didn’t realise that I was not actually sad for Leslie , I was sad for that person who I got emotionally attached to for 3 years who was gone , and my brain couldn’t handle the pain so i ignored it as if it did not happen , until the film showed up and forced me to face the pain into a safe environment…
( a film , imaginary world , imaginary characters , non of that is happening right now , non of that is threatening you really , it’s all fiction , etc )
And I didn’t realise that I saw Leslie through Jess’s eyes , & I felt that much bad with him and about her and one of the reasons for that was because I literally was him , I saw myself in him so much…
I had a difficult household like he had…
I had a hard father like he had…
Nobody really understood me as well…
I was very alone and couldn’t fit in my house & my university as well…
I had someone special in my life who was pretty similar to Leslie which I lost as well…
Etc…
So , all of that meant the world to me , that piece of art was a great tool in my own hands…
To figure out all those feelings…
To reach a conclusion of what actually happened…
To understand What does all of that mean…
And to know how can I get over all of it…
So I started analysing everything , trying to figure out : What..Just..Happened.
And that’s why you see me here , writing articles as I discovered this subreddit and it meant so much to me , as I was writing comments on YouTube to content creators about the film in the beginning , they were very rare , and I sticked with one…
And when I realised that my comments were so long to be on YouTube comments , and my words in the beginning were weak & so emotionally driven , especially as English is not my first language , I knew I had to find a better way…
And anyways , my overview on the film and my ability to explain it kept developing gradually…
So , I started making YouTube videos about the film…
Writing scripts for the AI voice to be in the video with some scenes of the film in the background.
So , I made some videos as my first content about the film , I especially liked May Belle’s video named ‘’ May Belle is more important than you think ‘’ and that’s why I posted it here as well…
But , soon I realised that the videos were not the best fit for me , I had to find something deeper and more meaningful I can explain my point of view on the movie through…
And luckily for me , I found out about Reddit , and how people can discuss movies deeply and post articles on it , as it’s normal there , it was interesting , & I searched if bridge to Terabithia has a subreddit , and thank god , I found it!!
So I started writing articles , explaining my thoughts on the film , because my brain was so saturated , and I needed to put all of it in content.
I wrote my first article named ‘’ 5 lessons I’ve learned from Bridge to Terabithia ‘’
People liked it so much! , and I had many positive feedbacks in the comments & the upvotes , it made me so excited to keep going , and I did!
And by the way , that article is one of my (Top 3 posts of all time) to this day!
And Iam telling you guys , writing about the film literally saved my brain , before that I was thinking about the film 24/7 , it was very heavy on my brain , but when I put all of that in writing articles , it made a HUGE difference , finally I could put all of that heavy weight in a beautiful content that lasts.
I stopped overthinking about the film completely as all of that discharged!.
I had all of my thoughts on a digital screen , which really helped me , mentally , and with discussing this piece of art with you guys.
I get the discharge and clarity , & you get the knowledge I have.
Win Win!
And for the upcoming projects , I will help you benefit from the film way more…
By taking life advice from Leslie as I started with series like ‘’ Leslie’s Wisdom ‘’ & by getting some life lessons which the film discussed very well , we will also get to the deeper meanings and benefits of the story , understanding it even more , etc.
And most importantly , I will teach you how to do like I did , how to heal using that piece of art , how to learn from it , and how to reach emotional stability and regulation by using it.
That film became my emotional anchor , after the 16th time , it became my safe emotional space where I can rest mentally , be myself , and manage all of my emotions perfectly! , also filling my emotional battery through the film.
In the 16th watch , I was 50% doing that , and 50% focusing with the film itself!
& It does not mean that every single time after that will be the same…
But Iam very glad I reached that & the film became a comfortable place after fighting with its pain for months.
And that’s why I told you that I’ve reached the peak after that 16th time…
& also Because before that I didn’t…I was watching the film to analyse the story mainly , to understand what happened and link everything together as much as I can , my conscious brain was so busy with that , but as I analysed literally everything I could , the film became my emotional anchor consciously , and I can be myself emotionally & being conscious to that through it.
And of course , I don’t know EVERYTHING about the film…
Of course there are still specific scenes and links that I don’t understand yet , which maybe some of you guys understood , and that’s completely normal!
Nobody could reach the absolute 100% especially as it’s an open world to me as I said! , but anyways , we have a long way to figure it out even more!
So , If you wanna heal through the film , I can teach you how , and if you didn’t wanna go through all of that and you just need the lessons , or some expert to hear your specific pain and help you through it , or even if you just need someone who understands your pain and listens to talk with , I can do that too!
————
Iam working on many projects behind the scenes that will help you , Terabithians , and make you happy and fulfilled!
The upcoming projects and deep-dive articles are way more developed , passionate , deeper , more useful and exciting!
Iam so excited myself so you better be!!
Wait for the upcoming projects , I have so much to offer…
This is the beginning of a new era for me here on this subreddit…
Started with the article: ‘’ Leslie as a mentor ‘’
Or even before it with the article: ‘’ Leslie , a different version of reality ‘’.
Iam so happy to be with you guys , this internet community means the world to me.
I found a home here ❤️
Maybe I don’t know all of you , but silent readers , I know you exist , and your support means the world to me !
All of you guys on this subreddit , You are my family ❤️
See you in the future articles! , always together we can do better ❤️.
While I was taking some screencaps from the film for my next article’s archive…
I took that photo , and it’s very very sweet.
It took my attention…and I think it’s very meaningful.
Leslie’s impression as she was getting up while Jess is looking at her like that , is very very sweet.
It was when Jess & Leslie were talking with the creek infront of them , and Leslie told Jess that what if the only way to enter that magical kingdom is by ‘’ swinging on that enchanted rope ‘’.
Jess slightly laughed with that expression on his face and said ‘’ Enchanted rope?! ‘’
And Leslie said ‘’ Yeah! , come on ‘’.
I think that photo was right before Leslie said ‘’ Yeah ‘’ or right after it…
It really pictures how Jess was amazed by that new young girl and her big imagination…
And it was seconds before everything got a turn and Leslie entered the ‘’ magical kingdom ‘’ then Jess followed her.
Then Jess’s life was not the same forever!
He accidentally got onto this young girl’s mission , to make him a better person and his reality so much better!
‘’ I can’t live after Leslie’s death , I lost myself forever. ‘’
Imagine if Jess said that and followed that belief after Leslie’s tragedy , will he become the king of Terabithia?
I know how the emotional pain can be deep and damaging…immediately and shortly after the tragedy , I know exactly how Jess felt.
I felt how it’s horrible , heartbreaking , deeply damaging until it’s a physical pain…
It’s sad and painful to the point that all of the English vocabulary cannot describe it.
I totally get all of that.
But let’s think about some frame to all of that together…and talk about it a bit.
Just to let you know , life is not always black and white , it can be grey , and so much more than you think.
It’s not
(Jess with Leslie and everything is great forever)
Or
(Jess without Leslie and everything is bad forever)
And people who are taking life that way are the ones who are always exhausted & depressed.
Let’s think about it for a moment , why don’t you say it’s grey…
(Jess met Leslie , then everything is great , then she died , then he learnt the lessons of that experience , then everything is great)
It’s not black OR white , it’s black AND white , it’s grey…and it’s life.
Whatever happens to you , you can get over it , even with Jess…
Jess had so many years of his life , living without Leslie just fine , yeah he had a bad life but at least you had (A life) without even knowing she exists , so by a logical extension , he can continue his life without her , especially as she made his reality so much better…
His parents noticed him more…
Janice Avery became on his side so he will never get bullied in school again…
He became the king of Terabithia , the whole kingdom is in his own hands…
He got everything from that experience.
Except for Leslie? , yeah , it’s heartbreaking…but that’s life.
I will talk to you like you are Jess , you are the one who lost Leslie , so please listen…
Unfortunately , nothing lasts forever , that’s a sad fact , but you must take it and continue your journey without her.
And If you are still wondering : but Iam dying inside , she was the world to me.
I will tell you , you were not told to be perfect , or to completely forget about her immediately , cry as much as you want but don’t get in that loop…
And anyways you will never (completely) forget about her , it took a huge part of your conscious and subconscious brain , it took a huge part of your soul…
But at least when you get over it , you will not have those stabs deeply into your heart when you remember her , you will just feel a sense of appreciation and nostalgia , then you will move on.
Don’t run from the pain of the loss , embrace it , feel it , deal with it , until it can’t hurt you anymore.
Because sooner or later , you will get over it.
And if it’s been a long time , whatever it is but it’s long for you , and you still cannot let yourself forget…
I will tell you…
well , I’m not forcing you into anything , take your time but , I want you to remember something….
It’s two choices and it’s obvious , whether you let the pain kill you , or you get up , take control , and move on gradually.
Just as Jess took the second choice.
Even at the most painful situations ever , like losing Leslie for you , you have those two paths.
And trust me , you will get over it , you know you will.
Not because you didn’t love her , or because you are not loyal , but because that’s life.
And think about it , if she knows your situation now , will she be happy for you to be miserable and sad all of the time after she died?
Or will she be happy when she knows that you got up and made something for yourself?
You already know the answer…it’s pretty obvious.
——
And that’s the mental model you should have , when you lose a loved one , by a tragedy or by her/him choice , or by anyways , anytime , and for anyone.
The mental model is the same…
And that’s how you should approach your life after a heartbreak by any kind.
What do I want?
Do I wanna stand up , learn , move on and be strong?
Or do I wanna let that pain crush me forever?
It’s your choice…
And remember what Jess did after Leslie died…
He took the time to be shocked , to cry and to be sad , and it’s completely normal because he is a human being and he needs that…
But he didn’t stay in that loop forever…
He knew that he has to get up and take control…
So , the first thing he did was letting her go , by putting a small boat in the creek saying : ‘’ she is in your hands now ‘’ , he was talking to god.
That’s the first and the most important thing…
Then he looked up and realised that he needed a bridge to enter Terabithia again…
So he built it , and made May Belle the princess of Terabithia.
——
Even Terabithia itself accepted Leslie’s death , even when she was the queen who built it in the first place.
Because the kingdom needed a princess , and it had to continue.
Death is not the end…it can be the beginning of a great path
Even if the one who died was Leslie.
It’s painful and heartbreaking?
Of course.
Did we forget about her?
No we didn’t , I’m writing about her and learning from her constantly.
Death and endings will happen to all of us , but the absolute wisdom is to not take it as the end of the world , and knowing that it can hide a greater chapter after it , the loss can be our greatest lesson or catalyst , for a better life after it.
‘’ what goes away was never meant to stay ‘’ , it’s a fact.
You will get over it , You will find love again , & you will be fine , trust the process.
Believe in it , life still has so much for you , so be in a suitable position to receive its blessings by being positive , open , optimistic , etc.
I choose to believe that (Pure Souls that Matches yours) always exists…
The one which I lost wasn’t the last one on the planet , and another one will fine its way to me , soon.
Leslie’s Wisdom #2
Intro : This series will explore the valuable lessons we can learn from Leslie by analyzing her unique characteristics , her actions , and her worldview , translating them into practical insights for our own lives.
We will start with some real talk about Kindness in general , then we will see how Leslie represented it and how we can apply it.
This is the second article! , make sure to read the first one and check out the upcoming ones!
—————
Unfortunately , a lot of people are confusing kindness with weakness , or with being an easy target for bad , abusive people who will drain your energy.
But this is completely wrong , because being kind does not equal being a fool or a weak person.
Giving from a place of power is completely different from being a fool who is giving in the wrong places or with lacking self-awareness or giving only in expectation of receiving.
Giving from a place of power is a very positive characteristic , and part of that is being kind.
Being kind can mean many things , even a simple smile is an act of kindness , but we wanna talk more about how kindness with social and emotional intelligence , can change so many things.
Being kind will pay off in the end , even if it was not in the same situation or with the same person , just being able to be kind and open , will lead you to people who needed that kindness , and needed your care and your good heart , somehow it will happen.
Just as somehow Leslie came all of the way from the big city , to the small rural town of Lark Creek , just to live her last days with the poor farmer boy , Jess Aarons!
To change him for the better forever , by freeing his tied spirit which had so much potential , yet didn’t get the interest , appreciation and the freedom it deserved.
It’s unbelievable what happened , but you don’t know what life is hiding for you , if you are a good person inside , you will be rewarded by people who needed your abilities to rise , it’s just a matter of time , who knows what can happen.
——
Leslie represented kindness very well , and she mixed it with emotional and social intelligence as well , which made it very useful and powerful.
Leslie was very kind and patient with Jess , even when he rejected her hand after the race , she felt bad , of course , but she didn’t take that personally , she didn’t decide that Jess is a bad person just because he felt bad after losing as 2nd place and that resulted in ignoring her hand.
Leslie felt bad and that’s normal , but Iam sure that she thought about what happened in the bus , and said to herself that it’s normal because he was just awful because of his loss.
She didn’t mean to make him feel that bad , she was just having fun racing the boys , and that’s why she tried to connect with him kindly , immediately after the race.
Iam sure that she understood his situation , and chose kindness in the end , instead of just ignoring him forever because the first interaction was bad.
Leslie continued being kind with him , even when he was closed off , silent and living in his own head most of the time , she teased him kindly : ‘’ Take a picture , lasts longer ‘’.
Then on the bus , she chose to notice the beauty around her by noticing his drawings , she looked at it with curiosity , while he was drawing , and even when he closed the notebook immediately after he noticed her , with a confused , a bit awful face , she still gave him the piece of gum , and smiled.
She was doing that because she was just being herself , and maybe she noticed in him what most people couldn’t notice.
She noticed his drawings and how it can match her big imagination , so she invited him to her world later ‘’ Terabithia ‘’ , maybe she was doing that because she noticed the free and creative spirit inside of him , the free spirit which needed a path to be itself , and she used kindness as a tool to get to that spirit softly , freeing it and making it rise.
Being kind is an internal software , and often it needs a suitable environment like mixing it with love , patience , acceptance , understanding , etc , & it’s totally worth it.
Leslie was kind with Jess by mixing her ability to be kind with :
Understanding (as she understood his situation and the fact that he didn’t mean everything , and she understood his tied spirit)
Patience (as she was patient with him even when he treated her wrong many times)
Optimism (that all of that will pay off and Jess will be fine) , etc
Leslie was kind with Janice Avery as well , giving her second chances , some advice and a piece of gum , even though she bullied her multiple times , but she didn’t give up on her , and she used kindness reaching her , but after the prank which exposed her emotionally and broke down all her thick walls of fake power as a bully , so she melted , and Leslie could reach out to her tired spirit with her kindness.
Maybe Leslie saw her tired spirit as well , and the fact that she is not actually loving it being a bully , she was forced into it to some degree , to protect herself and her inner weakness with faking being strong , maybe Leslie noticed that with her black high heels which she wears all of the time to appear tall and giant.
That’s why she said ‘’ nice feet ‘’ and named her ‘’ the giant troll ‘’ .
Leslie was incredibly smart , she exposed Janice Avery’s tired spirit by her black high heels , and Jess’s tired spirit by his drawings.
And all of that paid off in the end as she became Jess’s ally after Leslie passed , & as Jess became the king of Terabithia , crowning another pure soul (his sister) as the princess , and having a much better reality.
Kindness is a very powerful tool…and when it’s mixed with emotional and social intelligence…it can change the world , just as Leslie Burke changed Lark Creek forever , using her feminine energy , representing in many things…including kindness.
Leslie’s Wisdom #1
Intro : This series will explore the valuable lessons we can learn from Leslie by analyzing her unique characteristics , her actions , and her worldview , translating them into practical insights for our own lives.
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Being brave is one of the main tools for you to reach the best version of yourself…
And being scared is nothing but hundreds or thousands of locks preventing you from living your life , without you even realising it , thinking that it’s normal and it’s just how life goes , when it’s not like that at all.
Being brave is one of the hardest decisions we can take , it requires an internal software which doesn’t look at fear as a damaging threat , you should embrace fear , understand it , accept it and say : I will do it anyway , I will be fine.
Being brave is very important for so many reasons , everybody looks at bravery like a very positive characteristic to have , and it is , but who is actually doing it? , it costs a lot and requires a lot of acceptance and the ability to embrace whatever comes to your way as a brave person , that will not cross your path if you were just scared all of the time.
But if you are brave , the upside is everything , at least you will be yourself , no one could ever threaten you to stop acting the way you want to act for example , in anything , because you are brave enough to be yourself even if there are hard consequences , like if you have a toxic household , and your parents are threatening you to cut all the pocket money and throw you out , if you are scared you will beg them and be a good slave to the version of you they want you to be , but if you are brave , you will look at your situation , understand it , think logically and say :
whatever happened to me , I can be independent , even if I will start in poverty , I will be fine , iam a brave person , and my freedom is worth so much more than being a slave.
And this happen in anything in life , bravery is a very important mental model to have , and luckily , somehow if you are brave , somehow you see things get easier and easier and doors will open without you knowing how it happened , it’s like god is rewarding you for having that mental model and your preparation to do the right thing as a brave person.
So , we talked a bit about bravery in general
Now , how can we see this in Leslie?
Leslie is a brave person , and she is careful as well and that’s the perfect balance , being brave doesn’t mean being illogical and reckless , it’s actually the opposite.
When we look at Leslie’s journey throughout the film , she entered the small rural town , yeah she was a bit worried , but that’s completely normal , & even though , she stood up to Janice Avery , and even though she got bullied , she tried to ‘’ have some fun ‘’ talking to her , waving at her when she got out of the bus , I believe that when Leslie sat on Janice’s seat , it wasn’t an accident , Leslie knew what she was doing & she wanted to talk to her , to know her more , but she didn’t get the opportunity , & even then , she was brave when she entered the girls room , while Janice was crying and having her worst emotional moments , and even when Leslie was careful , and it’s healthy , but in the end she entered the girls room and talked to her , she comforted her , gave her an advice , & a piece of gum.
Even though the situation was really scary , imagine being a 5th grader and entering the same room with the biggest bully in the school from the 8th grade having her worst time crying , she could easily beat her up or hit her badly , but as we said , Leslie is brave.
And when they pranked her by the Willard’s message , it was a very risky move , what if she finds out their trick , it will be a nightmare for them , but again , Leslie is brave.
And for her bravery , in the end , Janice Avery became on their side , Leslie gave her a second chance every time , even though Janice bullied her , but Leslie was kind , patient and brave facing her , and she got rewarded!
And one of the situations proving Leslie’s bravery too , was her swinging on the rope , even though it’s an old one and Jess didn’t trust it , but Leslie wanted to try , even though she was careful as well , and as we said it’s a huge necessity with being brave , and especially when she landed on the other side for the first time , she did that , entering a foreign land , without even knowing what will face her there.
Jess followed her , Leslie was exploring actively , but Jess was afraid , hearing the wild noises , looking at that environment with a scared face and a racing heart , and I think it’s a symbol here as well , Leslie entered a new land and explored it freely and fastly , as she have a free imaginative spirit , but Jess was slow , hesitant , and scared , because his spirit was tight up by the restrictions and difficulties around him in his life , that’s why that new experience was very hard for him , and on the other side , it was full of joy and excitement for Leslie , even though it’s the same land at the same time.
Yeah , it’s a part of being free as well , but bravery and freedom are quite linked , if you are brave , you will be more free than you will ever be if you are scared , and it’s pretty obvious! , being scared is like locking yourself in a cage , when you became more and more scared , you will add more and more locks to your body and spirit , but if you was more and more brave , you will be more and more free with a free spirit !
And remember , we are talking about fear as a suppressor and a brick wall preventing you from living your life , we are not talking about positive fears like the fear of god , or the fear of death , all of that is normal as human beings , and it inspires us to be better humans , so it’s a positive and necessary fear , not a damaging one , and also the fear we have in certain situations like an important exam for example , it’s normal and sometimes necessary as long as it has a certain healthy limit that inspires us to be better , and that goes with almost every positive fear we have.
But as we saw , Leslie didn’t have any fear even the fear or god and death because Leslie was above all of that , not because it’s not necessary , because we are humans and all of us have their own positive and negative fears , but Leslie didn’t have any fears at all and it’s not human , that’s one of the reasons why I believe Leslie has a big part which is transcendent , it’s above humanity , but a big part of her was transcendent , not all of her , she has a good percentage of humanity as well.
That part is describing that even further: (looking closely at Leslie, she seems almost entirely stripped of that paralyzing, defensive fear. While she is fully human in her emotions, kindness, and vulnerability, her spirit carries something transcendent—almost otherworldly. She doesn't operate from a place of social survival or petty anxieties; she lives from a place of pure imagination and absolute freedom. That is why she doesn't just cross boundaries; she redefines them.)
So , being brave can save your life as you will live a better life if you are brave , even if you had hard times and hard consequences , it’s normal , you will learn and move on , but if you are scared all of the time , you will live miserable , thinking that you are safe , but your spirit is locked by a thousand locks you approved them yourself , and you will be more and more miserable , thinking that you are safe being in your comfort zone , but actually , you are being taxed on your existence , and your energy has been drained , you are gradually losing yourself without you even realising it.
Don’t be scared to take the risk
Don’t be scared to try new things
Don’t be scared to take that opportunity
Don’t be scared to face what you are constantly running from
Don’t be scared , when you wanna be yourself , whatever the consequences.
Life is too short to live scared , don’t fear anyone but god , you are not told to be perfect , but just try to do the right thing as much as you could , have awareness of what’s really happening , make sure that your thoughts are true , take your small steps ,and you will be amazed what comes into your way , and how the doors will open to you.
Leslie got the best life possible , from all of the characters in the film
And one of the main reasons for that , was because of her bravery.
If she was not brave , she would not enter that forien land and there will be no Terabithia
If she was not brave , she would not get Janice Avery on Jess’s side to be his ally.
If she was not brave , she would not have that imaginative mind against the hard world outside
If she was not brave , she would not be free , and she would not be…Leslie Burke.
I think that idea is what most people don’t know or realise about Leslie , especially as for me I started to really notice it consciously nowadays…
Leslie is very great as a mentor , that’s all she did with Jess , and it can be for us too…
For Jess it was obvious , but for us? , what can we learn from Leslie?
Well , so many things , I wanna talk more about Leslie’s presence throughout the film for us to realise how Leslie was not just a different person , she was a great mentor as well.
Let’s analyse some of her words to get an idea and uncover her as a mentor…
Leslie was calm , smart , imaginative , free , brave , etc
she represented mental resilience very well
as when she said ‘’ Nothing Crushes Us ’’
And it wasn’t just a sentence , she proved it throughout the film , dealing with the new small rural town , bullies , isolation , Jess and how she was patient with him , etc
She had an unshakable identity
as when she said ‘’ You are who you are..not your parents ‘’
Not your parents , and not even your society or any powerful force who is trying to make you a repetitive version of everybody , you are , who you are , and what you really believe in and want to be.
She was discovering Jess , and projecting him towards her imaginary world
As when she said ‘’ What’s your idea of having fun? ‘’
And as she said ‘’ We need a place..just for us ‘’
She was a great friend to May Belle as well , she let her in , she knew how she is innocent and pure , even while Jess was rejecting her , and maybe she was talking to her about Terabithia without Jess knowing , as she knew her pure soul can have a great imagination , and that’s why she didn’t have any demons to fight in Terabithia as well as Leslie , and that’s why her imagination was instant when she first became the princess as she said : ‘’ A castle , a big one with towers and flags ‘’ , after she imagined the purple flowers as a simple real life related test , so the door was opened for her imagination.
All of that tested Jess , he saw May Belle’s drawing when he was apologising to her then he thought about all of that together and reached a conclusion after Leslie’s tragedy , he Let Leslie go , built the bridge , and crowned May Belle as the princess.
He did the right thing , and he proved that he is the king of Terabithia.
Leslie made Jess the king , she made him brave and powerful , she made his reality so much better , using imagination in Terabithia , then he had the open world in Terabithia as he became the king , he had the castle which Leslie mentioned in the beginning as she said that its people were imprisoned by the dark master.
When we focus with Leslie’s presence , we will realise her role as a mentor very very well , and it’s great for us as we saw ourselves in Jess , and having someone like Leslie is very special as she teaches him through the journey how to be brave , strong , helpful , open , etc
And losing her was the biggest and the final test , as well as apologising to May Belle and making her the princess.
And I can talk about how she did that in details , but it will be in other articles , I can do that with a book , analysing it scene by scene
There is so much to talk about in this exact topic , we can analyse all the film and its scenes just looking at it through Leslie’s eyes as a mentor , there is so much there , but it was some hints about Leslie’s role in Jess’s life , as she was a great mentor , not just a friend , and that’s why I believe Terabithia was not a cool and safe imaginary world by kids imagination , it was also a battlefield , a launching pad , a great place for personal development , and if it was not , Jess will just escape to it without facing his reality , and he will be the king instantly as the 1985 film , without fighting for it , and becoming the king at the end , after Leslie’s tragedy , and not before it.
Leslie was exceptionally amazing , and there is so much to talk about to understand her , she deserves that , and Iam working on it to provide you with the full picture as I see it , as much as I could.
I always notice some new stuff I never noticed before every single time I watch the movie , and that’s really interesting to me.
And for this time , firstly I realised how my brain is trying to understand the deep layer in every scene as the story begins & all the way in the first 40 minutes before the story getting a turn and Jess adopt P.T , because the first 40 minutes are the most dense at most.
& by the deeper layer I mean…I tried to notice how Jess is rejected by his surroundings at first , and how as Leslie didn’t have a T.V , it meant that she is not at the same path as everyone else and she is living in her own world , yeah it’s obvious but I mean it in the psychological building of the characters , some thoughts like that.
i noticed something interesting as well , & that is when we first heard May Belle’s name outside her home , it was not from Jess , it was from Leslie when she said : (Hey May Belle , I don’t use my Barbie’s anymore , if you want you can have them ) , and that was right before they go to Terabithia and start their journey! , it was very early at the story.
Then how Leslie knew her name? , of course they talked together behind the scenes and we didn’t see that , they talked together without Jess I guess , & that fact helps me even further on my theory that Leslie was talking to May Belle from the beginning about Terabithia and how she & Jess are playing together , but she didn’t tell Jess not to make him uncomfortable or upset about making May Belle know.
Another evidence was about Leslie knowing his birthday , how did she know if not through May Belle as she told her , maybe when they were talking together or something , and so on.
Also , I cried at the last scene where Jess crowned May Belle as the princess , that’s where I always cry , the last 5 minutes of the film , I get very emotional then I can’t hold my tears anymore as the crown & the bridge changes.
That firstly started to happen with me after the 10th time I guess , I don’t know surely why , I have some explanations , but that scene became the place where i cry.
And that’s it!
I wanted to share my notes with you , as if we just watched the film together!
Maybe i will post this article days later , but I wrote it right after i watched the film!
It’s funny somehow to see this film’s gifs , especially at Anna Sophia’s Instagram comments , lol.
& don’t forget to Imagine it as (better than any ADULT I’ve ever seen) instead of (Kid) , lol.
((( Please don’t say telling Leslie about the rope and telling Jess to invite her etc )))
Note : the only roles possible are two , either be a student at the 8th grade , or a teacher in Jess & Leslie’s class.
If it’s real it will be interesting.
Leslie’s face does not seem very real to me.
& even for Jess.
Edit: it’s real ✅ , look at my comment
(Most people will not understand this article…that’s okay…and I hope someone will)
As I believe Leslie is an interesting and unique character , and of course she is , and she meant to be that way as you know.
But…I had a thought recently , when I look at Leslie’s photos nowadays , and when I see her in the movie as I rewatch it…I realise something even deeper.
I realised that Leslie is not just a different , rich , good looking blonde young girl.
It’s just the surface , and she meant to be introduced to us that way and to have all the camera attention towards her through the movie , to make us feel as bad as possible about the tragedy in the end and to feel it with Jess.
But what I realised is…
In fact , Leslie is an idea , Leslie is a philosophical character which is not real.
Like , That thing cannot be real as we see it.
And don’t get me wrong , Iam not saying that because of good or bad , or to just point at her angelic nature , but it’s just how I noticed her character even further , as I exposed to it over and over and over and over.
We can talk about if Leslie can be a real person or not , I have some thoughts about that either , but just think about that , when we see Jess or May Belle or Miss Edmunds , we can discuss them , we can say their pros and cons , we can say yeah they made that right and that wrong , we can find their personality gaps , etc.
But Leslie? , I have never heard anyone talking or thinking about her that way , even me.
And I’ve never heard anyone saying that he HATES Leslie or he find this or that annoying or doesn’t make sense or too perfect…no.
And I know as Leslie was the main character and she was very innocent and that’s one of the main reasons for that.
But , please notice some of her characteristics:
Leslie didn’t make mistakes (and I mean big & with people , not simple mistakes like dropping her bag)
Leslie didn’t have any horrible past
Leslie didn’t hate anyone
Leslie didn’t get mad at Jess or anyone else even once
Leslie didn’t feel fear (even if she is careful sometimes)
Leslie didn’t have any bad creatures to fight in Terabithia
Leslie is : brave , smart , different , good looking , easy , kind , imaginative , etc
And being that perfect without even a little dark side is very very rare and suspicious in a character…
Yeah the film was convincing us to like her very much so we feel the tragedy too bad with Jess , and they succeeded.
But look at her story , the only thing we knew which is maybe bad is the fact that she is not hanging out with her family very much , and that she was alone at school as well , but the second fact is very normal for people like Leslie , because no matter how perfect you are , you still will have people who don’t like you , and so much people who are not understanding you and even see you as a weirdo , and I’ve seen it in real life , especially at that young age.
So , what Iam saying is , appearing perfect for Leslie have a deeper meaning , it’s not just to make you like her , it’s just the surface , because if she was just a normal character and a little different , they will show us some of her downsides , or her bad human side as anger or crying or being awful with Jess for example , but that never happened at all.
Even in the 1985 movie , Leslie got mad at Jess , and she appeared very normal as a girl at school , but with some imagination only.
But here she is totally different…
She is always calm , smart , unshakable , leading , defending , smiling , teasing Jess kindly , taking things easy , etc.
So my conclusion is…
Leslie is not a young kid with blood and bones…
she is not a different girl in Lark Creek…
All of that is true but as the surface only.
But what Leslie truly is :
Leslie is an idea…
a philosophical character…
a state of existence…
a flash of light who meant to change before it goes away…
And so on.
And that’s why , I still to this day don’t fully understand the whole point of her existence.
She is very very deep , as a philosophical character as i said , so analysing everything takes so much effort , and even as I knew so much about her , there is a long way to go , because she is not a real normal human being who you can know immediately as May Belle for example.
Leslie is an idea , and studying her making me analyse other big concepts like : imagination , bravery , loss , loneliness , art , freedom , catalysts , identity , etc
And that’s why she is very very complicated and interesting.
I love Leslie , and who doesn’t! , everybody loves her and she deserves that , but as iam analysing her , I should view her as she is , not only as the surface layer , and that’s really interesting.