Adolescence is a very important period of life that everyone must go through. It's like a journey, and yet you don't know what to expect on this journey. In Katherine Paterson's novel Bridge to Terabithia, Jess Aarons, a very naive follower, goes through adolescence. He has a strong desire to become the fastest runner in fifth grade so that his father will notice him more. But suddenly a new girl moves into the house next door in Lark Creek, Virginia. The next day, during the boys' running races, the new girl, Leslie, bravely joins the race and beats them all, thus ending Jess's dream. They soon become friends and create their own magical world, Terabithia, from their strong imaginations where they have no limits. But one morning, a terrible tragedy occurs. Jess, after the tragedy, realizes how much stronger he has become under Leslie's influence and is no longer the weak and cowardly boy he once was. Say no to plagiarism. Get Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay Jess Oliver Aarons Jr. is a very insecure and careless boy who is unsure of what he likes . One day, Mrs. Myers reads Leslie's article aloud about her hobby, scuba diving. Jesse wrote about a hobby he didn't enjoy. He lied because he didn't want to be teased about his real hobby, drawing. For the essay, "Everyone had to write an article about their favorite pastime. Jess had written about football but was smart enough to know that if he said drawing, everyone would laugh at him." (33) This event shows that Jesse is not safe. He chooses to write about football even though he hates it, just to avoid people teasing him. Jesse doesn't want people to tease him since his real favorite hobby is drawing. He's not sure about his feelings. Jesse is unsure of his tastes and doesn't want to open up about his feelings. After becoming friends with Leslie, Jess tries to change and overcome her fear of water. Jesse is lying on his bed after going to Terabithia with Leslie. He thinks about his fear of water. He's not afraid to tell Leslie about his fear, but he's afraid to be afraid. Jesse thinks, “Lord, it would be better to be born without arms than to live without guts.” » (93). This event is important because it shows that Jess does not want to continue to be afraid. Jesse wants to change and overcome his great fear. He feels he needs to “grow up” and try to have courage. Jess wants to stop being afraid. Jess is trying to change and no longer wants to be afraid. After the terrible tragedy, Jesse realizes the strength and courage he gained through Leslie's influence. Jess now accepts her feelings and reflects on what Leslie did to help her. After talking to Mrs. Myers, he begins to show sympathy for her. Looking back, he realizes how much Leslie had changed him. He thinks "As for the terrors to come - for he was not mistaken in thinking that they were all behind him - well, you just have to resist your fear and not let it whitewash you. Don't you not Leslie? (135) This event is important because Jess reflects and now shows that he understands that Leslie is dead. Leslie had turned him into a king when he was the kid who wanted to impress his father by running around the pastures. He now looks back and what Leslie's influence did to him. She had completely transformed him into a mature teenager. Now Jess is more mature and braver than ever. Keep in mind: this is just one.