FRIENDSHIP AS A MEANS OF THE MAIN CHARACTER’S SELF-ACTUALIZATION PROCESS IN KATHERINE PATERSON’S
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillments of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
FRANSISKA WIWIN SUSIANI Student Number: 004214107
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
2008
“Your life is your choices…”
-
Oprah –
This thesis is dedicated to:
My beloved father in heaven
My dearest mother
And my two crazy sisters
Finally……
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I thanked Jesus, my Lord, for giving me His guidance and graces so I can finally finish my undergraduate thesis. Without Him, I am nothing.
For my late Poppa, F.X Ngadikir, finally I made it, Pop. I am sorry that I already disappointed you for so long. As well as, for my Mom, Yustine Sukorini, I thanked you for your patience and enormous supports. I also thanked my two naughty sisters, Nana and Chimi, who always interrupted me with their craziness. Behind it, I know they support me a lot.
In particular, I would like to give my sincere gratitude to Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M.Hum, my Advisor, who patiently guided me in writing process. Thank you for the sharing and the contemplation I had. I would also like to gratitude Romo Harry and Ms. Novita Dewi, the entire lecturers and the staffs of English Letter Department of Sanata Dharma University, for their generosity.
For all my best friends, Angel, Titin, Rita, nCil, Siti, Andri, Novi, Retno and Lia, thank you for the laughter and tears we share together; and to Mita, Ajeng, Aga, and Daning plus Bang Na’ip, thank you for the help, support and for lending me the computer. Not forgotten, to Andaru, for everything he done for my goodness. Thank you for always by my side, Hun.
I also thanked those who are not mentioned here, both friends and foes. God Bless You all.
Fr. Wiwin Susiani
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER I INTROCUCTION... 1
A. Background of the Study... 1
B. Problem Formulation ... 3
C. Objectives of the Study ... 3
D. Definition of Terms... 4
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW... 5
A. Review of Related Studies ... 5
B. Review of Related Theories ... 6
1. Theory of Friendship... 7
2. Children’s Friendship... 9
3. Theory of Character and Characterization ... 10
4. Theory of Personality Development ... 14
5. Theory of Self-Actualization... 16
C. Theoretical Framework ... 26
d. Fearful of Doing Courageous Things... 38
a. The Beginning of the Friendship... 41
b. Terabithia as the Bond of the Friendship ... 45
c. Self-Esteem Growth ... 46
d. The Feeling of Obsession in Friendship... 47
e. Leslie Death as the End of the Friendship... 49
f. Jesse’s Reaction to Leslie’s Death... 51
i. Denial and Isolation ... 51
ii. Anger and Acceptance ... 51
g. Being Mature... 53
B. The Process of Jesse’s Self –Actualization Seen in His Friendship... 56
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION... 68
BIBLIOGRAPHY... 70
APPENDIX... 73
ABSTRACT
FRANSISKA WIWIN SUSIANI (2008). Friendship as a Means of the Main Character’s Self-Actualization Process in Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of English Letters, Sanata Dharma University.
Friendship is something, which is needed by human being to actualize their selves. It is experienced by anyone and has many values for some one’s life. Friendship is one of the mean for someone to fulfill his or her needs in their life. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson is one of children novels presenting the idea of friendship. The novel depicts the life of a young boy, named Jesse Aaron. This thesis will discuss about the value of friendship as the means of the main character’s self actualization process. The novel is about the life of Jesse Arron and his friendship with Leslie. Jesse himself represents a boy who develops his personality and finding his self-actualization through his friendship.
The objectives of the thesis are: first, to depicting the friendship between Jesse and Leslie, to analyze the main character characterization in order to understand his changes. Second, to analyze the process of self-actualization he made through his friendship.
The psychological approach will be used in this thesis. This approach considers to be the most appropriate because it explores individual’s self-actualization. The method of the study is library research. The main data came from Katherine Paterson’s novel, Bridge to Terabithia and it is supported by other references from books, criticism and theories which may useful.
First analysis will show the characterization of the main characters in the novel, depicts the friendship between Jesse and Leslie. The second analysis will show Jesse characteristic as a self-actualized person in the story. This result is drawn from answering the problem formulations. Jesse who is first insecure, lonesome, afraid to show his talent in art and afraid to do courageous things become in contrast through his friendship.
ABSTRAK
FRANSISKA WIWIN SUSIANI (2008). Friendship as a Means of the Main Character’s Self-Actualization Process in Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Pertemanan atau persahabatan adalah sesuatu yang diperlukan oleh manusia untuk mengaktualisasikan dirinya. Ini adalah sesuatu yang dialami oleh semua orang dan memiliki banyak arti bagi kehidupan seseorang. Pertemanan merupakan suatu sarana bagi seseorang untuk memenuhi kebutuhan hidup mereka. Brigde to Terabithia karya Katherine Paterson merupakan salah satu novel bagi anak-anak yang menampilkan gambaran tentang pertemanan. Novel ini menceritakan tentang kehidupan seorang anak yang bernama Jesse Aaron. Skripsi ini akan mendiskusikan arti pertemanan sebagai sarana bagi proses aktualisasi dir si tokoh utama. Novel tersebut menggambarkan kehidupan Jesse Arron dan pertemanannya dengan Leslie. Jesse sendiri digambarkan sebagai seorang anak yang mengembangkan kepribadiannya dan menemukan aktualisasi dirinya melalui pertemanannya
Tujuan skripsi ini adalah, pertama, menggambarkan pertemanan antara Jesse dan Leslie, untuk menganalisa karakter tokoh utama untuk memahami perubahan pada karakternya. Kedua, untuk menganalisa proses aktualisasi diri yang diraihnya melalui pertemanannya.
Pendekatan psikologi akan dipergunakan dalam menganalisa permasalahan. Pendekatan ini dipilih karena merupakan pendekatan yang paling sesuai karena berkaitan dengan pengungkapan aktualisasi diri seseorang. Metode penelitian yang dipergunakan adalah studi pustaka. Data utama dari skripsi ini berasal dari novel Katherine Paterson, Bridge to Terabithia dan didukung dengan referensi-referensi penunjang lainnya, seperti buku-buku, kritik-kritik, dan teori-teori yang menunjang.
Analisa pertama akan memperlihatkan karakterisasi tokoh-tokoh utama dalam novel tersebut dan akan menggambarkan bagaimana persahabatan yang terjalin di antara mereka. Analisa kedua akan memperlihatkan karakter Jesse sebagai seorang yang teraktualisasi dirinya. Kesimpulan ini diperoleh melalui ulasan dari permasalahan pokok. Jesse yang semula tidak percaya diri, kesepian, takut memperlihatkan bakatnya, dan takut melakukan hal-hal yang memerlukan keberanian mengalami perubahan melalui hubungan pertemanannya.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Perhaps not many people know about Katherine Patterson. In her life, she already writes a number of texts and articles mostly related to the children’s life. Most of the books share the reality that children may have confronted. For example about the alienation; loneliness; racism; gender issue; poverty; the loss of the loving one; etc. Almost all the books tell us about the social issue that we may see in our reality society. One of my favorite books from Paterson is Bridge of Terabithia.
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson is one of children novels presenting the idea of friendship. The novel depicts the life of a young boy, named Jesse Aaron. The novel first appearance was in 1976 and soon it became a famous book for children, after. It is famous because of its power to hypnotize the readers to keep reading the story. The story was so true that the reader can also have the same feeling and empathize to what happens to the character in the story.
realize the existence of a bond that is trustworthy to be there for us not only in the time of happiness, but also in the time of trouble. Third, trough friendship we can develop our own sets of shared concerns, common interest, collective problems, shared meanings, our perception of life, and communal emotions.
Friendship is one of the means for someone to fulfill his or her needs in their life. Following Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, if one of someone’s needs is already fulfilled, a person will try to fulfill his or her other needs. In addition, on the top of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, self-actualization becomes the highest achievement of the needs fulfillment. When friendship is needed by someone to fulfill his or her needs, it means that friendship is also used to fulfill self-actualization. In this case, friendship is only a way for the character in finding his self-actualization.
The meaning of friendship for someone’s life is the main reason why I choose the novel as the object of the thesis. The simple story that touch the reader’s heart, how the friendship leads the character to have and find his self-actualization, have come to my interest to explore furthermore. In this thesis, first of all, I will find out how the friendship begins between Jesse (the main character in the novel) and Leslie (the supporting character who becomes his best friend later on); and how it grows. Secondly, the writer will find out whether friendship will lead the character to have his self-actualization or not. If it is, the writer will find out the process of self-actualization that the main character have in the story.
plays the important role in a human life. Since it has the relation with the future of someone, as Dunn said in his book -that ‘early childhood’ relationship are associated with the quality of later relationships in adolescence and adulthood-, it is a good deal for us to know better something that come from our root, our childhood. Through the thesis, the writer expects that there will be more research on children literature in this Department.
B. Problem Formulation
To guide the analysis, the writer should have some problem formulation to answer. Here some question related to the analysis.
1. How is the friendship between Jesse and Leslie presented in the novel?
2. What are the processes of Jesse’s self-actualization seen in his friendship?
C. Objectives of the Study
The first problem formulation will be depicting the friendship between Jesse and Leslie in the novel. To understand the main character and the second main character in the novel, it is important to know their characterization first. After that, I will explore how Jesse and Leslie friendship presented in the novel.
D. Definition of Terms 1. Friendship
Steve Duck in his book Friends For Life thinks that friendship is a skill of making a relationship that will not be totally and perfectly built in a sudden because it is a process that can be improved, refined, polished like any other skill, and made for fluent (1991:4).
2. Self-Actualization
International Encyclopedia of Psychology states that self-actualization is “a constructive process of functioning optimally and fulfilling one’s potential…a process of growing and fulfilling one’s potential, of being self-directed and integrated, of moving toward full humanness.” (1996:1484)
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
When a work of literature is published and read by the public, comments, suggestion, or even criticizes often arise. This section will review some of them.
As said by Eric Petersen, Bridge to Terabithia is a timeless story that will remind us to the gift of friendship. That is why; the book has attracted a large audience of young and old readers since its publication in 1977. For him, the book is absolutely beautiful. He says as the following:
This timeless story serves to remind us that the gift of friendship is precious, fragile, and too often taken for granted. It is no wonder that such a rich and poignant story has attracted a large audience of young and old readers since its initial publication in 1977. Today, more than 20 years later, the book continues to find new audiences, and despite the controversy surrounding its censorship by certain states' school boards, it has become traditionally required reading for young students. (http://www.ulster.net/~petersne/essay.htm)
It is also strengthen by the commentary from http://www.enotes.com/bridge-terabithia-qn/. Bridge to Terabithia is depicted as a sensitive, emotionally honest novel about the two characters who rise above their weaknesses through emotional strength and generosity. From this comment it implies that the idea of friendship has flourished in the novel.
My overall assessment is that Bridge to Terabithia, winner of the 1978 Newbery Medal, offers a sensitive, imaginative, and eminently teachable story of the lives of two innocent ten-year-olds who come from vastly different walks of life but whose friendship is credible, delightful — and ultimately tragic. When I first read the novel, I found myself taken over by a great desire to share the text with a middle school or junior high class. (http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/winter98/simmons.html)
Simmon added his own idea about the novel with the surprisingly fact. Even the book is welcomed in most of the society, perplexingly the books is banned by PFAW (People For American Way) together with some prominent books such as Lois Lowry’s quite recent novel The Giver, or Maya Angelou’s long-time shocker, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
More over, Simmons gives his support for the novel. He said, the appearance of Katherine’s Bridge to Terabithia on the list of the banned book is puzzling him. He said, on a more serious note, causing Bridge to Terabithia to be excluded from the literary bill of fare for young adults would do much more than simply allow the censors to ban a high-quality novel. In addition, it may sound a frighteningly clear clarion call for a full-scale attack on imaginative literature throughout U.S.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Friendship
When approaching the notion of friendship, our first problem is, as Graham Allan in his book Kinship and Friendship in Modern Britain (1996:85) has commented, that there is a lack of firmly agreed and socially acknowledged criteria for what makes a person a friend. In one setting we may describe someone as friend; in another the label may seem less appropriate. Furthermore, as cited from Graham Allan’s Friendship: Developing a sociological perspective (1989), relationships that are often presented as voluntary, informal and personal still operate within the constraints of class, gender, age, ethnicity and geography - and this place a considerable question against the idea that friendship is a matter of choice.
However, as written in a friendship between two people can emerge only with their paths cross in the first place: they will have to ‘meet’ before they can ever ‘mate’. That they actually meet is likely if there is opportunity, by sharing, for example, the same living, school, or work environment, or if their social network overlap. (Fehr, 1996).
communication; indicating liking and interest by minute bodily activities, like eye movements and postural shifts; finding out how to satisfy mutual personality needs; adjusting our behavior to the relationship with the other person; selecting and revealing the right sorts of information or opinion in an inviting, encouraging way in the appropriates style and circumstances; building up commitment (Duck, 1991:3).
There are some factors which increase the chance of making friends including: 1. Similarity
It is has a relation with how much we have in common with them (‘birds of a feather’). Similar friends provide social validation for our beliefs, characteristics, etc. In practice, opposites seldom attract.
2. Proximity
The Propinquity Effect leads us to like most people we see often. 3. Reciprocity
We like people who like us and dislike those who dislike us. 4. Beauty
Physical attraction counts, although how it is defined varies around the world
5. Competence
2. Children’s Friendship
As said before in Chapter 1, early childhood relationship has the relation in the future of someone’s life. Ladd in his Peer Relationship in Child Development said, it is because peer relationships offer a staging area for a child to develop a sense of its own competence as well as to learn such skill not only is childhood a place to learn fundamental skills of competency, it is the main area where basic social skill, including the management of conflict, can be developed (1989:131). According to Pullataz and Gottman, in The Development of Children’s Friendships, the relationship in childhood can affect a child’s understanding of complex problems and influence the development of its comprehension of relationship between objects, between concepts, and between people as well as having a predictable effect on the child’s happiness. For example, unpopular children perform poorly at school, experience learning difficulties and drop out of school in much greater numbers than their popular peers (1981:196).
destructive and unusual personalities might have turned out in more rewarding and acceptable form (1991:133).
In general terms, children learn four types of skill from friendships (S. W. Duck, 1989: 156):
a. Social skill
It is an ability to socialize with other people. b. Interpersonal Competence
It is the way to handle other people without disruptive conflict. c. Communication Competence
We can call it as the ability to communicate skillfully and persuasively. d. Relational Competence
It is a skill or the ability, specifically within close relationship context, to handle themselves skillfully when dealing with such things as intimacy, privacy and trust.
3. Theory of Character and Characterization
Mario Klarer, in his book An Introduction to Literary Works, defines a character as a figure presented in literary work (1999:133). Since the writer will use the character as the object of the research, it is make sense if the writer put on the theory of character as the supporting aspects that help the writer to understand the characterization of the character.
moral and dispositional quality that are expressed by the means of their actions and their utterances (1993:21)
Lyman A. baker, in his article titled Critical Concepts as taken from <www.ksu.edu/english/baker/english320/cc-character.htm>, gives some definitions about character. First, character is defined as a fictional individual within a larger imaginary situation. The next definition about character is identifiable individuals with their distinctive way of behaving. Lastly, character is defined as person with more or less stable complex of traits of disposition, attitudes, opinions, and values. Moreover, he also thinks that the main subject in fiction that interests the readers is the variety and workings of characteristics of a character in the form of endowed personality traits as given by the author to the character him or herself.
any interference from the author in all part of the work including the introductory part.
Character is classified based on the importance of the character and on its characterization. Wellek categorizes character into main character who becomes the central and focus of the story, and the minor character whose function is to support the story and characterization of the main character. From the characterization, character is classified into static character, dynamic character, flat character, and round character. (1956:219).
In this study, it is also important to include theories about the development of a character. The character is influenced by the action and incident, which occur in the story, and it causes a change and development to the character. At the end to the novel, the character would be the same anymore from what it is at the beginning of the novel (De Laar and Schoonderwoed, 1969:171). It means that the character should not be static because there is changes influenced by the plot and the story that have its influence the character.
According Murphy, characterization can be classified in nine ways (1972:161-171). Those are:
a. Personal Description
b. Character as Seen by Another
The author describes the character’s characteristic through other’s eyes or opinion in the novel. The author writes the description through the other character’s p[point of view. In a story, other characters usually talk about the major character for the readers to understand the work better. c. Speech
The author describes the characteristics of each character than the speech or what the person says. It can be a form of the way the person talk. Speak or the dictions of words that he/she uses.
d. Past Life
The author gives the clue about someone’s characters through the past life of his or her. Any events, incidents or action in the past life can be used to describe someone’s character.
e. Conversation of other
Another clue that the author tries to convey the character to the reader is the conversation by other characters. The person is being spoken about by the author in a form of conversation given by other characters. f. Reactions
Through the reaction of the person in a certain situation and events, the author tries to presents the character to the reader.
g. Direct Comments
h. Thoughts
Trough a thought of a person, the author tries to give the reader directs knowledge. The readers know what is in a person mind.
i. Mannerism
The author can describe a person’s mannerism, habits, idiosyncrasies that may also tell something about the character.
4. Theory of Personality Development
Since the study will analyze about an achievement of self-actualization, the theory that related to personality development are needed in order to make the analysis easier.
Personality is a dynamic organization of characteristics attributes leading to behavior or distinguishing one individual from other individuals (Kalish, 1973:51). It is implying that everyone has their own personalities that differentiate them from one another. In addition, to understand the meaning of personality we should also know the meaning of development. Pikunas (1976:23) defines development as a kind of process of growth, maturation, learning and achievement. In broader sense, development refers to all process of change by which an individual’s potentialities unfurl and appear as new qualities, abilities, traits, and related characteristics.
in general; and more pertinent aspect of such personality is to maintain and prove in a long run.
Other statement about personality development is said by Walter Mischel in his book, Introduction to Personality. It is said that personality development is a continuous process in which learning experiences may accumulate in a variety of sequences, depending on the specific learning opportunity the person exposed to (Mischel, 1981:312)
Pikunas (1976:58-73) states that there are five factors that influence someone’s personality development process. Those factors are:
a. Environment
It is the place in which a person lives, both physical and social. Various physical factors; climate, location, size and convenience of home, continually affect thee child in myriad ways
b. Family
c. Peers as models
Peer interactions usually give much gratification are need satisfaction from middle childhood to the years of late adulthood. Peers modify the child’s thought, feeling, and aspiration as he learns to give and take.
d. Society
The community is the large social culture that serves as a framework for socio-economic and cultural life. People create a community by showing a sense of belonging and by contributing to it through labor and money, in both voluntary and mandatory ways. Traditionally, society is divided into three social-classes; upper, middle, and lower stratum
e. Culture
It refers to the total patterns of people’s way of life seen in terms of artifacts and achievement distinguishing large but similar societies. It encompasses the technology and civilization, law and morality, religion, politics, art and recreation, also the training and educational facilities of any specific period of history.
5. Theory of Self-Actualization
organism’s) individual capacities”, in the world. The tendency for self-actualization is “the only drive by which the life of an organism is determined.” Therefore, Goldstein defined self-actualization as a driving life force that will ultimately lead to maximizing one’s abilities and determine the path of one’s life.
In the other hand, another psychologist, Abraham Maslow defines self-actualization as the desire for self-fulfillment, namely the tendency for the individual to become actualized in what he is potentially. This tendency might be phrased as the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming. Different from Goldstein, Maslow used the term self actualization to describe a desire, not a driving force, that could lead to realizing one’s capabilities. Maslow did not feel that self actualization determined one’s life; rather, he felt that it gave the individual a desire, or motivation to achieve budding ambitions.
Picture 1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1981: 368)
The first four layers of the pyramid are what Maslow called "deficiency needs" or "D-needs": the individual does not feel anything if they are met, but feel anxious if they are not met. The deficiency needs are: Physiological, Safety, Love/Belonging, and Esteem needs. The following are the explanation about the hierarchy of needs.
a. Physiology Needs or Survival Needs
priority. Physiological needs can control thoughts and behaviors, and can cause people to feel sickness, pain, and discomfort. (1981:369)
b. Safety Needs
When individual physical needs relatively satisfied, the individual’s safety needs take over and dominate his behavior. Safety needs includes personal security from crime, financial security, health and well-being, also safety net against accidents/illness and the adverse impacts. (1981:370)
c. Love/Belonging Needs
pressure. e.g. an anorexic ignores the need to eat and the security of health for a feeling of control and belonging. (1981:371)
d. Esteem Needs
All humans have a need to be respected, to have esteem, self-respect, and to respect others. These needs may be classified into two subsidiary sets. These are, first, the desire for strength, for achievement, for adequacy, for confidence in the face of the world, and for independence and freedom. Secondly, we have what we may call the desire for reputation or prestige (defining it as respect or esteem from other people), recognition, attention, importance or appreciation. (1981:372)
e. Self-Actualization
speak, freedom to do what one wishes so long as no harm is done to others, freedom to express one's self, freedom to investigate and seek for information, freedom to defend one's self, justice, fairness, honesty, orderliness in the group are examples of such preconditions for basic need satisfactions.”
Maslow, in his book entitled The Farther Reaches of Human Nature,describe eight ways in which one self-actualizes.
a. Self-actualization means experiencing fully, vividly, selflessly, with full concentration and total absorption. (1971:44).
b. Self-actualization is an ongoing process; it means making each of the many single choices, and to make each of these choices as a growth choice. (1971:44)
c. Self-actualization implies that there is a self to be actualized. (1971:44) d. When in doubt, be honest rather than not. Looking within oneself for many
of the answer implies taking responsibility. That is in itself a great step toward self-actualization. Each time one takes responsibility, this is an actualizing of the self. (1971:45)
nonconformist. In addition, to be courageous rather than afraid is another version about the same thing.
f. Self-actualization is not only an end state but also the process of actualizing one’s potentialities at any time, in any amount. (1971:46). It means working to do well the thing that one wants to do.
g. Experiencing ‘peak experiences’.
h. Finding out who one is, what he is, what he likes, what he doesn’t like, what is good for him and what bad, where he is going and what his mission is means identifying defenses, and after defenses have been identified, it means finding the courage to give them up. (1971:47)
Maslow compiled some description about the character of self-actualization people. Those are;
i. Realistic
ii. Self acceptance
Self-actualizing persons are not ashamed or guilty about their human nature, with its shortcoming, imperfections, frailties, and weaknesses. They can accept their own human shortcomings, without condemnation.
iii. Spontaneity, simplicity and naturalness
Self-actualizing people are relatively spontaneous in their behavior, and far more spontaneous than that in their inner life, thoughts and impulses. They are not externally motivated or even goal-directed; rather their motivation is the internal one of growth and development, the actualization of themselves and their potentialities.
iv. Problem centering
Self-actualizing people have a problem-solving orientation towards life instead of an orientation centered on self. They are interested in solving problems; this often includes the problems of others.
v. Detachment and the need for solitude
vi. Autonomy, independent of culture and environment
Self-actualizing persons are not dependent for their main satisfactions on other people or culture or means-to-ends, or in general, on extrinsic satisfactions. They are dependent for their own development and continued growth upon their own potentialities and latent resources. The meaning of their life is self-decision, self-governing and being an active, responsible, self-disciplined deciding person rather helplessly ruled by others.
vii.Continued freshness of appreciation.
Self-actualizing people have a wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again the basic pleasures of life.
viii. Peak experiences
ix. Care about humanity
Self-actualizing people have deep feelings of identification, sympathy and affection for other people, and a deep feeling of empathy and compassion for human beings in general. This feeling is, in a sense, unconditional in that it exists along with the recognition of the existence in others of negative qualities that may provoke occasional anger, impatience, and disgust.
x. Interpersonal relation
Self-actualizing people have deeper and more profound inter-personal relationships than most adults, but not necessarily deeper than children. They are capable of more closeness, greater love, more perfect identification, more erasing of ego boundaries than other people would consider possible.
xi. Democratic values and attitudes
xii.Ethical means towards moral ends
Self-actualizing persons are highly ethical. They clearly distinguish between means and ends and subordinate means to ends. Their notions of right and wrong and of good and evil are often not conventional ones.
xiii. Philosophical, unhostile sense of humor
Self-actualizing people have a keen, unhostile sense of humor. They don't laugh at jokes that hurt other people or are aimed at others' inferiority. They can make fun of others in general, or of themselves.
xiv. Creative
Self-actualizing people are highly imaginative and creative. The creativity involved here is not special-talent creativity. It is creativity potentially inherent in everyone but usually suffocated by acculturation. It is a fresh, naive, direct way of looking at things, rather similar to the naive and universal creativity of unspoiled children.
C. Theoretical Framework
To answer the first problem formulation, the writer will used the theory of friendship, theory of children friendship, and the theory of character. Theory of friendship and children friendship theory will be used to connect some references which related to the main character’s friendship. The following theory, which is the theory of character and characterization, will be used in order to support the research. Since the object of the research in this thesis is the main character in the novel, the writer thinks that it is useful to put the theory of character and characterization as the part of supporting theory.
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
The object of this study is Katherine Patterson’s novel entitled Bridge to Terabithia. The novel was first published in October 21, 1977 in the United States of America, by HarperCollins and contained 144 pages. The book was special because it has received public attentions both pro and contra regarding to its account.
The contents of the book cause a controversy. As mentioned before in the chapter 1, it has been the frequent target of censors and appears on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000 at number nine. In the United States the censorship attempts were due largely to death being a part of the plot, Jesse's frequent use of the word "Lord" outside of prayer. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge_to_Terabithia)
Each October, on the annual publication of Attacks on the Freedom to Learn, PFAW’s state-by-state annotated summary of those censorship cases reported during the previous school year. Included in the report’s Appendices is a "Top Ten" listing of books and authors challenged during that year and over the previous (roughly) 15-year period. Throughout this decade, YA (Young Adult) novels and authors have appeared on the list with regularity. In the 1994-1995 listings, for example, Lois Lowry’s quite recent novel, The Giver, has vaulted into second place, topped only by Maya Angelou’s long-time shocker, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In contrast, during the same era the book was studied in English classes in the
United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.
(http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/winter98/simmons.html)
As cited from (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge_to_Terabithia), Bridge to Terabithia was made into a film filmed in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1985. A new version was released on February 16, 2007 with Gabor Csupo as the director and produced by David Paterson (Katherine Paterson's son whom the novel was based on) and Jeff Stockwell. Some filming took place in early February 2006, at Riverhead Primary School in Riverhead, New Zealand. The film is not as successful as the novel even though it also gets a great attendant from the audiences.
The edition that used in this thesis is the 7th edition. It was published by Puffin Books, Penguin Books Ltd: Hardmondsworth on 1987, in Middlesex England. The novel consists of 13 chapters and 142 pages. Each chapter contains different amount of pages. The shortest chapters are chapter 12 and 13 that contained only 7 pages each, while the longest chapter is chapter 4 that contained 20 pages. In general, the book is about the friendship of two-early adolescence in a suburb. The novel is set out to be Jesse’s personal journal in which he records every details of his daily life with his beloved friend, Leslie, that represent the idea of friendship.
B. Approach of the Study
To make the analysis of the thesis, the writer will use the psychological approach in supporting the analysis. In this thesis, the writer will analyze about the character’s actualization that built upon the friendship. In case that self-actualization has its relationship with the study of psychology, thus the writer needs to make the analysis using psychological approach.
As written by M.H. Abrahms in A glossary of Literary Terms, psychological approach deals with work of literature, primarily as an expression, in fictional form, of the state of mind and the structure of personality of the individual author. ( 1993:261)
Another perception came from Rohrberger and Woods in their book, Reading and Writing about Literature. According to Rohrberger and Woods, Psychological approach is the effort to locate and demonstrate certain patterns, but from a different body of knowledge that is psychology. The approach uses the psychological theories to explain human motivation, personality, and behavior pattern written in literary objects. (1971: 31)
Recognizing that there is a close relationship between literature and psychology, Kalish in The Psychology of Human Behavior implies that “literature holds the mirror up to the man.” A good writer or novelist can communicate the feeling of their characters and make then seem more life- like than the real people whose behavior the psychologist attempt to describe. The writer can use the understanding provided by the psychologist to enrich stories, and psychologist can gain in their understanding of human behavior by drawing from the deep sensitive of good author. (1973:8)
As the relationship between literature and psychology is closely-establish it can be said that psychological approach is suitable for this analysis.
C. Method of the Study
supported books which provide the theory of psychological approach, theory of friendship, theory of personal development, theory of self actualization and theory of characterization.
In doing this study, several steps were applied. The first step was having a close reading to the novel for several times to help to understand the story. This was done to find the process of friendship in the text and to find the characterization of the main character, Jesse, in the story. The writer was also making some notation and quotation during the process of reading.
The second step was collecting all the necessary data and relevant sources that were needed in order to provide the theoretical ground for this study and also to support the analysis.
The third step was doing the analysis. Since this is the focus of the thesis writing, more steps are needed in this section. First, was to identifying and interpreting the process of friendship found in the novel. The second step was to categorize the characterization of the main character; and the third step is to shown the main character self actualization trough the friendship that he made.
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
A. Jesse, Leslie and Their Friendship
By the title, Bridge to Terabithia, there is an implication that the story will include a type of bridge. However, the type of the bridge itself is still blurry. We do not know yet whether the bridge is physical or just an emotional bridge or perhaps the blend of the kinds of bridge, until we read the story.
The novel consists of several chapters. There are 13 chapters in the novel. Paterson made an introduction to her main characters in the first two chapters. The first chapter of the novel entitled Jesse Oliver Aarons, Jr. Regarding to its title, the first chapter described about the introduction to the main character of the novel, Jesse Oliver Aaron, Jr. The following chapter entitled Leslie Burke. Even though in the first chapter, Leslie’s name is already mentioned, the second chapter giving us more information about the second main character in the novel.
The third chapter is the initiation conflict between Jesse and Leslie. The title of the chapter is The Fastest Kids in The Fifth Grade. The next chapter, Rulers of Terabithia, tells about the reconciliation to their first conflict in the previous chapter and the beginning of the friendship between Jesse Aaron and Leslie Burke.
The subsequent chapters, Easter, tells about the Aarons family gathering to the church in Easter. In ninth chapter, The Evil Spell, Jesse’s apprehension seems jeopardize his friendship. The tension of this chapter decrease in the next chapter, The Perfect Day. However, this chapter does not really develop any essential themes to the degree that most of the previous chapters have. The chapter is focused around one central contrast, the beauty of Jess's day with Miss Edmunds to the whining revelation of Brenda that Leslie is dead.
The last three chapters develop the main conflict in the novel which related to the Leslie’s death. The anguish, of loosing a best friend becomes a process of his self-actualization.
1. Jesse Oliver Aaron, Jr
Jesse was a ten years old boy who physically had straw-colored hair and long legged for children of his age (1977:10-11). He lived with his parents and his four sisters in Lark Creek, a suburb of Virginia. He was a fifth grader in Lark Creek Elementary who likes running. In the first chapter he was described as a boy who wanted to be the fastest runner in the running race. It is seen in the text, “He figured if he worked at it-and Lord, he could be the fastest runner in the fifth grade when the school opened up. Had to be the fastest –not one of the fastest or next to the fastest, but the fastest. The very best.” (1977:10). Jesse’s main driving cause to win the race was to take the attention from his father. It is clear seen trough the sentence:
to Washington and the digging and hauling all day. He would get right down on the floor and wrestle, the way they used to. Old Dad would be surprised at how strong he’d gotten in the last couple of years. (1977:12) a. Lonesome
Quoting from Perlman and Peplau, Duck said that loneliness is a feeling about isolation, and people can be isolated without feeling lonely just as they can fell lonely in a crowd. Isolation is physical separation from other people, but loneliness is the feeling that you do not have as many friends, or sort of friend, that you wish you had, or enough of the opportunities to meet them that you desire. (1991:10)
Jesse was the third in his family and all his siblings were girls. With too many girls at home and a father who did not always at home for work, he grown up as a lonesome boy, who is expected to be strong and responsible without any meaningful guidance from the parents.
Sometime he felt so lonely among all these females –even the rooster died and hadn’t yet gotten another. With his father gone from sunup until well past dark, who was there to know how he felt? Weekends weren’t any better. His dad was so tired from the wear and tear of the weekend and trying to catch up around the place that when he wasn’t actually working, he was sleeping in front of the T.V. (1977:24)
b. Artistic
He would like to show his drawing to his dad, but he didn’t dare. When he was in the first grade, he had told his dad that he wanted to be an artist when he grew up. He’d thought his dad would be pleased. He wasn’t (1977:19).
His father anger made he learn to unrevealing his ability. Poor for him, his teachers also do the same thing as his father. Only Miss Edmunds, his eccentric teacher, who gave him appreciation on his ability.
The devil of it was that none of his regular teachers ever liked his drawings. When they’d catch him scribbling, they’d screech about waste – wasted time, wasted paper, wasted ability. Except Miss Edmunds, the music teacher. She was the only one he dared show anything to, and she’d only been at school one year, and then only on Friday. (1977:20)
No one give him an appreciation for his talent in art. Peer pressure also dominated the class. Being different is a big mistake. Jesse did not want to take a risk for being ashamed because of his hobby. He is even being a liar to save his dignity.
Everyone had had to write a paper about his or her favorite hobby. Jess had written about football, which he rally hated, but he had had enough brains to know if he said drawing everyone would laugh at him.” (1977:42)
c. Introvert
Jesse is an introvert. He never talks to any one about his feeling except with his cow, Miss Bessie. He become introvert because of he found that there is no one who can understand him. His lack ability in socializing makes it even worse.
d. Fearful of doing Courageous Things
Jesse labeled himself as a coward. He has low self-esteem; that is why he unconsciously valued himself as lower as he could ever imagine. He is afraid of being drown under water. It is first revealed in the story when Mrs. Myers read about Leslie’s unusual hobby, scuba diving. This was his expression when he listens to the composition.
“Lord, he was such a coward. How could he be all in tremble just listening to Mrs. Myers read about it? He was worse a baby than Joyce Ann. His dad expected him to be a man. And here he was letting some girl who wasn’t even ten yet scare the liver out of him by just taking what it was like to sight-see under water. Dumb, dumb, dumb.” (1977:43)
Jesse other fear is the darkness. When he and Leslie exploring the woods behind the Perkins place, he lets Leslie to go first. He does not feel happy with the situation beyond the woods. ‘There were parts of woods that Jess did not like. Dark places where it was almost like being under water, but he didn’t say so. ‘(197749). He followed Leslie to go to the place because she did it, and he did not want to look such a coward in front of her.
2. Leslie Burke
From her appearance, she just looked like an eccentric person who had different style from the other girl in the suburb.
Her parents are both the writers. Mrs. Burke wrote a novel, and more famous than Mr. Burke, who wrote about politics. (1977:55). Both of them are well educated persons and smart. (1977:80).
Since there was only one Elementary School in Lark Creek, Leslie became Jesse’s classmate afterwards. Even though at first Jesse try not to stay away from her, they become friends afterwards. Miss Edmunds class brought them to be a close friend.
a. Extrovert
Leslie is an extrovert. She could freely express her mind and thought. She is good at writing and telling the story. It is seen on how she makes a good composition for Mrs. Myer’s assignment. (1977:42). Being the only child from the democratic and modern family which came from the city makes her an open minded person. She likes to talk casually with her parents. She even calls her parent using their names not using the commonly way in that suburb. (1977:54).
b. Fearless
According to Jesse, Leslie is a fearless girl. She likes scuba diving an unusual hobby for a girl in his class which needs courage to do it. She is not afraid of the water as Jesse.
The dark places which Jesse’s afraid are not the matter for her. She even come first to the woods when they exploring the place to find a place for their secret kingdom. She seems not afraid to do courageous things.
However, she does not that tough. When Jesse asked her to help Janice Avery, they number one enemy at school, she is afraid to see her face to face. ‘Oh, I get it. You’re going to send me into the shark jaws. No, thank you Mr. Aarons.’ (1977:85). It is so contrast because in the previous chapter both of them gave Janice a lesson for stolen May Belles’s Twinkies. No one’s perfect, and it is also prevails with her.
c. Imaginative
Leslie has an interest in art and she like to make up a story. Her stories are the tools to revive their secret kingdom. They are pretends to be king and queen of Terabithia. Her imaginations feel so real that Jesse finally understands the power of imagination that every kids should have in their life. The story about Terabithia is actually the representation of their escaping from their real world and the enemy at the kingdom is the representation of their real enemy in their real world.
d. Confident
undershirt. She had sneakers on her feet but no socks. While others were all sitting there primly in their spring Sunday best. (1977:27). She did not care whether she will get bad impression from her new classmates. It is seen from the sentence, “The reaction didn’t seem to bother her. She stood there in front, her eyes saying, ‘O.K friends, here I am,’’ (1977: 27).
3. The Friendship
Steve Duck in his book Friends For Life thinks that friendship as a skill of making a relationship will not be totally and perfectly built in a sudden because it is a process that can be improved, refined, polished like any other skill, and made for fluent (1991:4). In the novel, the main character in the story, Jesse was also made a kind of process in making his friendship with Leslie. It was not a suddenly reaction when Jesse starting to make a friendship with Leslie. It was starting with conversation as an introduction, then the anger, following with consolation and finally an acceptation.
a. The Beginning of the Friendship
Obviously relationship cannot start until you meet people. The first meeting between Jesse and Leslie happened in the second chapter. It is told that Jesse met Leslie when he just practicing running in his backyard.
There were some reasons for that. First, Leslie dressed differently from the other kids. The second, in his age children were not comfort to make a friend with the opposite sex. It is strengthen by La Gaipa in Duck’s Friends for Life. It is said that one curiosity that may be important psychologically is that from about 4 up to age of 10 (and even bit beyond in some cases), a child’s friendship are predominantly in relation to same-sex friends, and in relation to people the same age as itself. (1991:144)
However, even Jesse did not make a friend with Leslie yet, Jess showing an attention to this new comer. For example, in the previous quotation, Jess giving his sympathizes to Leslie because he feels that she would be embarrassed to sit in front of the class.
Jesse’s attempt to be the winner of the running race was wrecked by the Leslie’s participation in the race. He was upset because all his dreams were torn apart because of his own fault. He was the one who causing her join the race. It happened when Gary Fulcher made him angry by saying ‘next thing you’re gonna want to let some girl run.’(1977:34), and he was losing his temper and deliberately asking her to join the race. Next, he was deploring himself to make such decision.
Jesse felt disappointed. It looks like because he was unable to make his father proud, but the truth was because he did not have something which made him proud of himself. He had poor self-esteem and he need to make any difference.
As mentioned in chapter two, there are some factors which increase the chance of making friends. Those are similarity, proximity, reciprocity, beauty and competence. Those factors are also the factors that presence in this friendship.
Jesse was interested with Leslie’s nature of running which is so smooth in his opinion. They have common interest in running. This is the sign that Jesse can accept Leslie as a friend lately.
It is true when it is said that Jesse hates Leslie at first. At that moment they cannot be friend because one of them dislikes the other. Nevertheless, because of the similarity they have, finally they become friends. This is what we call Reciprocity. Their meeting quantity or the Propinquity is also the factors why they became friends. Jesse and Leslie are neighbor and classmates. Automatically, they often meet each other whether it is at school or at home.
People who are making a friendship will care for one another. A friend will try to save his friend when it is needed. When Mrs. Myers, Jesse’s teacher, asking the class to watch television for an assignment, Leslie could not do the assignment because she had no television. Jesse felt regret because he could not save her from being ridicule by the other classmates.
Felling guilty because he left Leslie helplessly at the recess time, Jesse try to fix it by saving her from the seventh grader who mad at her because she was sitting in their territory. For the first time, Jesse, who considered being a coward, encouraging himself to face the seventh grader. He did not want to make a same mistake, could not save his friend. Then he got a respect from Leslie for saving her, something that he never got before from other people.
After that incident, in the school bus, they planned to do something together for the first time. Their first activity were exploring the field and doing such activities like the other kids which are playing.
Then Leslie gets a good idea for both of them. She thinks that they need a place for both of them as a secret. A kind of an escaping place for them where they can explore their potentiality and imagination without any disturbs from other. The place for them to rejoice their childhood without thinking of any pressures that they have in their real life.
‘We need a place,’ she said. ‘Just for us. It would be so secret that we would never tell anyone in the whole world about it.’ Jess came swinging back and dragged his feet to stop. She lowered her voice almost to a whisper. ‘It might be a whole secret country,’ she continued, ‘and you and I would be the rulers of it.’ (1977:49)
Before he met Leslie Jess, in particular, leads a life full of everyday hardship and dissatisfaction. He came to school just to fulfill his obligation as a student. He did not feel comfort there and feel isolated because he cannot express his imagination and his art talent in school. But Leslie could always come up with something funny that made the long days bearable. (1977:53)
Jesse is really enjoying his friendship with Leslie. Terabithia is the only place they can escape to, their secret, and Jess feels himself to be a new person the second he's swung across the creek on the old rope. The one who bring him the magic is Leslie. He appreciates her as she appreciates him.
Jess didn’t concern himself with what would ‘become of it’. For the first time in his life he got up every morning with something to look forward to. Leslie was more than his friend. She was his other, more exciting self –his way to Terabithia and all the worlds beyond. (1977:56)
b. Terabithia as the Bond of the Friendship
Jess and Leslie creating a secret kingdom which they are call Terabithia, where both of them become the King and the Queen who rules the kingdom. A place for them to spending their time. To revive the magic, they need to be imaginative. They have unique means to enter the secret land, the hanging rope on an old crab apple tree just at the bank of the creek bed. (1977:48)
Jesse feels secure in Terabithia because there are no one will treat him badly. No one will laugh at him because of his affectionate of drawing. No one will tell him how to act as a boy. There is freedom of mind in Terabithia, something which he eager to look.
enemy, Gary Fulcher, Wanda Kay Moore, Janice Avery, Jess’s own fears and insufficiencies, nor any of the foes whom Leslie imagined attacking Terabitha, could ever really defeat them. (1977:51)
Leslie likes to create a story about the enemies who attacking their kingdom. The imaginary enemies came from their experience in facing their daily life at school. The enemies could be the presentation of their real enemies or the difficulties that they are front of. For example, when she creates the story about the giant, she tries to depict Janice Avery, the seventh grader who likes to bully others.
When they are imagining to front of the enemies attacking Terabithia, they also try to find the resolution in facing their real difficulties in their real life. Being imaginative is work for them because it makes them more confident and skilled in conducting the matter. They try to defeat they fear in facing the reality, and they learn how to handle and to end the confrontation in a wiser way.
c. Self-Esteem Growth
Everybody needs to be proud of themselves. It is important to grow someone’s positive personalities for they will build their self confidence, and increase their self esteem. Jesse wants to show his gratitude by giving her a nice presents on Christmas day.
By accident, when he going back from school he see something which makes him happy. He saw a sign for free puppies. He took it as a present for Leslie. For him, ‘It was a clever, lively little thing –a present Jess could be proud of.’ (1977:72).
He does not know that Leslie also have a present for him. The present that Leslie gives him is expensive, but it is special because of the thought that went into buying it and the care behind it.
Later in the afternoon Leslie gave Jess his Present. It was a box of watercolors with twenty-four tubes of color and three brushes and a pad of heavy art paper. (1977:72)
Leslie’s presents for Jesse imply that Leslie is really a good friend. She knows that her friend is fond of drawing. She supports him by giving him the encouragement to draws what ever he wants, to show his imagination. She knows that Jesse does not have any equipment to drawing; that is why she gives him a present he needs.
Even though Leslie’s present is more expensive than a free puppy, she thanked him and tries to be humble. She succeeded grows Jesse confident by appreciating on what he gives her without seeing the nominal of the present. For the first time Jesse feels proud of himself.
He wanted to tell her how proud and good she made him feel, that the rest of Christmas didn’t matter because today had been so good, but the words he needed weren’t not there. (1977:73)
d. The Feeling of Obsession in Friendship
depending to one another. Even though he feels that he is a new person when he swings across the creek, he still needs Leslie to make the magic. He is not sure that everything will be fine if he go there alone.
When Leslie cannot come to Terabithia, he hesitates to go to Terabitha too. Since he is been dependable to Leslie, he feel empty again when Leslie not around him. He feels jealousy because Leslie is really close to his father. On chapter 7 Jesse’s emotion depicts as follows.
Parents were what they were; it wasn’t up to you to try puzzle them out. There was something weird about a grown man wanting to be friends with his own child. He ought to have friends his own age and let her have hers. (1977:79)
Realizing that his relationship with his parents is different from her, he feels that it is something which is unusual. He is pervaded by jealousy and anxiety about the continuity of their friendship. He thinks that if the relationship between Leslie and her parents are so close, it means there is no room for him on the friendship. He fells lonely again. He sees children as being in one world, adults in another, and he resents what he perceives to be the dimming of his own friendship with Leslie as her friendship with her father grows.
Jess’s feeling about Leslie’s father poked up like a cancer sore. You keep biting it, and it gets bigger and worse instead of better. You spend a lot of time trying to keep your teeth away from it. (1977:79)
At the moment, Jesse learns some things. First he learns a different kind of style of the relationship between parents and their children. Jesse’s discomfort with Leslie’s relationship with her parents viewing that he is unaware of how the relationship between a good parent and their child ought to be. He does not know it because he does not endure the life with the parents who close with their children. That is why; he does not know that parent can be their children’s friends, where they can be so comfortable around one another.
Second, how he feels about his friendship after he saw the relationship of Leslie and her father revealing his own lack of confidence. He is an insecure boy and this happening makes him even more insecure. His reaction is proof that he feels that his relationship with Leslie would see an ending, but he is mistaken. In addition he learns about how to trust a friend., he finally realizes to be not selfish and to be more sensible that he cannot restraint other’s decision.
Third, when Leslie asking him about why he looks like to hate her father, Jesse finally learns to how expressing his emotion, being honest on what he feels about what Leslie and her father had done. When he tells Leslie about what is on his mind he realizes that when you share someone about your feeling you will found solution or advice for your problem. At least he learns to let himself to be open to other.
e. Leslie’s Death as the End of the Friendship
him on the telephone asking him to join her to Washington. Delightful with the surprise, he forget to ask Miss Edmunds if Leslie could have come too, until the car past Millsburg. (1977:112). He assured himself by thinking that Leslie might already know the place.
Even though in chapter 10 Jesse looks like close to Miss Edmunds, Leslie’s position is never been placed by her. Instead of feel free to express his mind, he just agreeing Miss Edmunds’s opinion about something which he does not agree. It will be different when he hangs out together with Leslie. Moreover, Jesse never forgets Leslie. Even he did not asking her to join them, he already has something to tell and to share her.
He relaxed. He had so much to tell Leslie and ask her. It didn’t matter how angry his mother was. She’d get over it. And it was worth it. This one perfect day of his life was worth anything he had to pay. (1977:115)
It is so ironic to compare with the next scene in the novel. He suddenly becomes conscious that there is something wrongs in his house. All the family members are gathered ion the living room whereas there is no special occasion at that time. Something which is rarely happens in Aaron family. (1977:116)
The next thing is his mother grabs and hugs him tightly as if there is something terrible happens. But he still does not know anything until Brenda said a shocking news. Leslie is dead. ‘Brenda’s pouting voice break in, ‘Your girl friend’s dead, and momma thought you was dead, too.’” (1977:117)
swinging on broke. They think she musta hit her head on something when she fell.’ (1977:118).
f. Jesse’s Reaction to Leslie’s Death i. Denial and Isolation
The first reaction on hearing the bad news is one of classic shock. This initially may appear as if there is no reaction at all to the news. Jesse does not believe on what he just heard. Death is something which difficult to understand.
. When someone receives unexpected news, for example a death, most of them will experience the denial and isolation stages. Denial is a defense mechanism in which a person is faced with a fact that is too painful to accept and rejects it. This is what happened to Jesse after he heard the news. He denies that his best friend is dead. For several times he said ‘No’. He prevents that the news is wrong.
His feeling of guilt is clear. He is not feeling guilty because he thoughtlessly neglected to invite her, but he feels guilty because if he had invited her, she would not have died.
When he and his parents visiting in the Burkes house, anger comprises him. He does not like the atmosphere of sadness in that house. He still wanted Leslie to come and cheer up the family.
Why wasn’t Leslie here to help him out of this? Why didn’t she come running in and make everyone laugh again? You think it’s so great to die and make everyone cry and carry on. Well. It ain’t. (1977:127)
His anguish even stronger when he heard that Leslie will be cremated, which means he would never see her again. Not even dead. It hurts him because he thinks Leslie belongs to him, his best friend. He thinks that he understands everything about her. He is annoyed because no one asking him about how to treat Leslie’s deceased. He also blamed her because she leaves him alone. He used to be alone and he will be alone again.
He, Jess, was the only one who really cared for Leslie. But Leslie had failed him. She went and died just when he needed her the most. She went and left him. She went swinging on that rope just to show him that she was no coward. So, there Jess Aarons. She was probably somewhere right now laughing at him. Making fun of him like he was Mrs Myers. She had tricked him. She had made him leave his old self behind and come into her world, and then before he was really at home I it but too late to go back, she had left him stranded there – like an astrounot wandering about on the moon. Alone. (1977:128-129).
the memory of Leslie. He wanted to throw away the memory and bury it deep down his heart.
g. Being Mature
After he can cope with the loss, he tries to continue his life without his best friend, Leslie. When he goes to Terabithia again, he doubts that Terabithia is still the same. It is because the rope is already broken while in his mind, the way to enter the magic kingdom is by swinging trough the creek by the rope. ‘He landed slightly upstream from Terabithia if it was still Terabithia. If it could be entered across a branch instead of swung into P.T. was left crying piteously on the other side.’ (1977:133). He thinks that the kingdom is already lost its magic.
However, when he walks through Terabithia, he found that there is no change at all in that place. It is the first time he enters Terabithia alone without Leslie’s besides him. His dependent on Leslie is still seen in this section.
He still continues the habit which is to be imaginative in Terabithia. He makes a funeral procession in order to respect the late queen of Terabithia, Leslie. He puts the wreath on her favorite place in Terabitha.
When he heard his sister confession, he remind a moment with Leslie before. He remember that he used to be a coward and still to be something like it, and so with Leslie. If in previous he is been supported by Leslie and vice versa, right now he does the same with his sister, May Belle.
‘Everybody gets to scared sometimes, May belle. You don’t have to be ashamed.’ He saw a flash of Leslie’s eyes as she going in to girls’ room to see Janice Avery. ‘Everybody gets scared.’ (1977:136)
At that moment Jesse still not realize that even though Leslie is gone, the memory of her is still alive; that with or without her Terabithia is still the same, whether he enters it by swinging over the bridge or just by walking trough the tree bridge.
He is surprised when Mrs. Myer, his teacher wants to talk with him. After she gives him her sincere sympathy, she told him a story about her experience. Who knows that Mrs. Myers also experience the loss of the loved one. She offers him her support. ‘So- I realize. If it’s hard for me, how much harder it must be for you. Let’s try to help each other, shall we?’ (1977:139) Something unbelievable that even though he and Mrs. Myers not close at all, because Leslie deaths they become know each other. Jesse finally learns that helping each other even they are not close will be valuable in socializing with other.
Jesse tries not to be a coward anymore. From the friendship and the problems they are face together, he learn that it is O.K to be afraid sometimes. However, person cannot always let the fear takes the power on them. Person should learn to face the reality and learn to be the winner of it. ‘As for the terror ahead –for he did not fool himself that they ere behind him- well, you just have to stand up to your fear and not let it squeeze you white.’ (1977: 140)
He then get an idea to continue what he and Leslie done. Since the rope is already broken, he tries to change it with another bridge. To have an initiative is a good step for him to keeping the memory of the friendship he had.
The next day after school, Jess went down and got the lumber he needed, carrying it a couple of boards at a time to the creek bank. He put the two longest pieces across at the narrow place upstream from the crab apple tree, and when he was sure they were as firm and even as he could make them, he began to nail on the cross pieces. (1977:141)
He finally realizes that the magic of the secret kingdom is still there with or without Leslie, using or not using the rope to enter Terabithia. When he finished the work, his sister, May Belle comes. Moreover he asked May Belle to join him to his secret kingdom. It is the first time to him to introduce Terabithia to other people outside him and Leslie.
