Blog #8-"Just close your eyes, but keep your mind open"-Leslie Burke

Enrique Irizarry
Jeannina Perez
WST 3015
April 14, 2010
Blog #8

As stated by the Fray, “Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend somewhere along in the bitterness and I would have stayed up with you all night had I known how to save a life.” After viewing the movie, “Bridge to Terabithia,” these lyrics by the Fray struck my mind. When Leslie Burke past away she left her mark on Jess Aarons. Leslie meant more to Jess than anything else in the world and Jess admired her just as much. Yet, more than their wonderful relationship with each other, it was their passion for adventure in a place once forgotten by many kids today, nature. Leslie and Jess went on numerous odysseys. Nature was the driving force behind their escape from society and the everyday culture that they lived in, school. This movie has depicted images that many people may see as different. Jess was the artist, while Leslie was the adventurer. It was amazing to see this in the characters since in today’s view of nature, boys are usually the warriors and girls are characterized as being soft and dainty, or the artist. Furthermore, the image of nature has played a major role in consecrating the importance of cherishing the outdoors. From an environmental justice standpoint, to a delocalization view, nature is seen as the binding between relationships of family members and friends in Bridge to Terabithia.

Leslie said it perfectly when she stated, “You’ll see, just close your eyes and keep you mind open.” When people begin to cherish the wonders of nature, magic happens. As Kirk and Okazawa-Rey mentioned, “Nature is not something far away, to be encountered on weekend hikes or occasional camping trips. Everyone is connected to the natural environment in the most mundane but profound way: through the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat, as embodied human begins in a continuum of life.” This is precisely what Leslie has emphasized and shown Jess to do, to think about nature and its wonders because it’s everywhere.

Leslie and Jess are constantly harassed by other students because of their relationship with nature. Leslie has no t.v. because her father believes that it kills brain cells. This is similar to what Elizabeth, in Gaia Girls-Enter the Earth, goes through at her home. Elizabeth watches “Tree T.V.” Tree t.v. is watching nature at work and admiring the beauty that takes place when a tree falls and nature takes over.

Jack Aarons, Jess’ father, said, “She brought you something special when she came here, didn’t she? That’s what you hold on to. That’s how you keep her alive.” Just like Elizabeth in Gaia Girls, series one, Jess must learn to embrace what Leslie has marked on him, the fascinating world of nature and imagination. Nature was depicted as both scary and hurtful at times, but with the right mind set anyone can see that nature is always on your side.


Works Cited

Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. Women's Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2007. Print.

Welles, Lee, and Ann Hameister. Gaia Girls: Enter the Earth. White River Junction, Vt.: Chelsea Green Pub., 2006. Print.