Main characters
Jesse Oliver Aarons, Jr.
Jesse Oliver Aarons, Jr. is a fictional character in the book '' Bridge to Terabithia'' by1977 book
It comes to being Christmas time, and Jesse gets Leslie a puppy named P.T. (short for Prince Terrien). Leslie gives Jesse his present: an art set which includes all the colors and different sized brushes. Jesse is shocked but loves the present. Jesse has an unspoken infatuation with his music teacher, Miss Edmunds, which is the reason why Jesse does not invite Leslie to the museum with him and Miss Edmunds.2007 film
=Depiction
= Knowing that Jesse loves drawing, Leslie gives him an art set for his birthday. He says, "This must have cost a fortune..." In return, Leslie tells him, "Well, I can take it back and get a cheaper one if you want." Later, to show his appreciation, Jesse gives Leslie a dog which is very nice of him. She names it "Prince Terrien, Troll Hunter Extraordinaire". Like the book, the film revolves around the dramatic focus of Jesse's horrible relationship with=Reception
= Regarding the performance, Bill Warren notes that the "kid actors are exceptionally good, particularly Josh Hutcherson..." Chris Barsanti writes that Hutcherson portrays Aarons "with sullen inattention..."Comparison to other fictional characters
Alice B. McGinty draws an interesting comparison, including a possible influence, between the Jody Baxter character of '' The Yearling'' and the character Jess Aarons.Leslie Burke
Leslie Burke is a fictional character in the award-winning book and movies titled ''Bridge to Terabithia''. She was portrayed by Canadian actress Julie BeaulieuMarsha Ann Tate, ''Canadian Television Programming Made for the United States Market: A History with Production and Broadcast Data'' (McFarland, 2007)Real life inspiration
Debbie Elliott reports that "Katherine Paterson was inspired to write ''The Bridge to Terabithia'' after her son's childhood friend Lisa Hill was struck and killed by lightning."Fictional biography
Leslie is depicted as being tomboyish, kind, sweet, friendly, free-spirited, cheerful, daring, strong, intelligent, athletic, and clever. She is gifted with imagination and creativity, and is a fast runner, claiming the position of the fastest racer in the fifth grade, a title normally intended for boys, to the irritation of Jesse. Her family had relocated to Lark Creek during summertime at the start of the book, but after starting school she is socially ostracized for her utter tomboyishness, non-conformism to certain standards, and eccentricities. However, she soon gains the friendship of Jesse Aarons and, later, that of the bully Janice Avery, after learning of the girl's abused background. Leslie's parents are portrayed as being carefree and relaxed, but criticized for their hippie lifestyle and dress. They permit their daughter to address them by theirFashion
In the 1977 book, Leslie went to school the first day wearing a T-shirt and cut-offs. In the 2007 movie, Leslie's clothes were outrageous and colorful, primarily because of the time alteration between the novel and film. She also has on armwarmers.In 2007 film
In the 2007 movie, the actress AnnaSophia Robb played as Leslie Burke. When asked, "What did you like about it and what did you see in Leslie that you related to?" Robb replied, "I love Leslie's character and the story of friendship and imagination and bullies and giants and trolls and squogers." Robb has received praise from one critic for her "charming performance." Todd Gilchrist and Christopher Monfette go further with their praise of the performance, writing, "Robb, meanwhile, has the same sort of radiance that Natalie Portman did at her age, and seems poised to become one of Hollywood's next great child actors. Knowing how to portray Leslie's cleverness and uniqueness as inadvertent, incidental, or even unconscious, Robb plays perfectly the exact kind of girl who could always beat all of the boys at sports – and they would still love her for it." James Plath asserts, "it's AnnaSophia Robb who really shines. Her character is supposed to be a life-changing life force, one of those clichéd people who can light up the room and change the energy level just by walking into it, and that's how it is. When she's onscreen, there's a special feeling."Comparison to other fictional characters
Joel Chaston and M. Sarah Smedman refer to Leslie as "a modern version of Mary Lennox."Joel Chaston and M. Sarah Smedman, ''Bridges for the Young: The Fiction of Katherine Paterson'' (Children's Literature Association and The Scarecrow Press, 2003), 69. Leslie Burke is also the title of a song by Austin, Texas pop band The Sour Notes, inspired by Leslie's rope swing accident while entering Terabithia.Other characters
* Joyce Ann Aarons – Jesse's baby sister. May Belle thinks Joyce Ann is "nothing but a baby". She is played by Grace Brannigan in the 2007 film. * May Belle Aarons – May Belle is one of Jesse's younger sisters. She is described as the only one of Jesse's siblings with whom he feels comfortable. However, because she is six years to Jesse's ten, she does not fit the mould of the ideal confidante to Jesse, leaving him still desperate for companionship. She clearly admires him from the beginning, and like him feels that she does not have a place in the family. She is the first of his sisters to learn about Terabithia, and becomes princess after Leslie dies.The last sentence of the novel,"Shhh, yes. There's a rumor going around that the beautiful girl arriving today might be the queen they've been waiting for." She is the only one Jesse allows to enter into his world and the only one who has any sort of empathy for, or acceptance of, Jesse in his family. She is played by Jennifer Matichuk in the 1985 film and Bailee Madison in the 2007 film (in which a scene from the book of her in her underwear was changed so she wore pajamas for it) * Ellie and Brenda Aarons – Ellie and Brenda Aarons are Jess's two older sisters. They primarily exist as secondary static characters, or characters who do not grow or change as a result of the events of a story. They are never mentioned separately within the novel and are never portrayed in a positive light. From the beginning of the story, they continually ask for favors from their mother, and pocket money which she cannot afford to give them. With sufficient whining, they know how to get their way with their parents, as by asking for five dollars to pay for school supplies from their mother by saying that their father promised that they could have the money. Being the elder of the two and the eldest child in the family, Ellie develops the ideas of their ideas. Both have an incredible desire not to have anything to do with Jess specifically, but with all of their younger siblings more broadly. At the climax of the story, when Jess learns of Leslie's death, Brenda is the one who tells him of it. The fact that Brenda is the one who breaks the news to Jesse in the novel only serves to increase the shock. Ellie is played by Emma Fenton in the 2007 film. Brenda is played by Sharon Holownia in the 1985 film and Devon Wood in the 2007 film. * Janice Avery – The school bully at Lark Creek. Janice is very overweight and tends to become offended when people tease her for being so. She has a crush on Willard Hughes, which Jesse uses to trick her. Janice's father beats her and she secretly smokes marijuana. She was betrayed by her friends and comforted by a sympathetic Leslie. She is played by Bridget Ryan in the 1985 film and Lauren Clinton in the 2007 film. The giant troll in Terabithia is based on her. * Miss Edmunds – The somewhat unconventional and controversial music teacher, whom Jesse greatly admires. She invites Jess to go to the Smithsonian Museum, which leads Leslie to go to Terabithia by herself. As a result, Leslie is alone when she falls from the rope and drowns. She is played byReferences