3. THE ANALYSIS OF FANTASTIC IMAGINATION OF JESS AND LESLIE IN TERABITHIA
3.1 Fantastic Imagination of Jess and Leslie in Terabithia
World
The most fantastic experinces by Jess and Lestie in Terabithia world were: a swinging to Terabithia with a rope, b building a castle to
stay in Terabithia, c finding Terabithia’s creatures, d battling the wicked creatures in Terabithia, and e Jess became the King of Terabithia.
The first imaginative experience by Jess and Lestie was to swing to “Terabithia” with a rope and it was started when they spent the
shiny day of autumn after school by running from a bus stop to a small river near the forest, then Leslie tried to swing on the old rope hung on a
tree near the river. Leslie began to imagine and invited Jess to try swinging on the rope. When Jess was swinging, he bent his body back as
feeling a bit freedom, she looked at the bright colorful sky. When she went to swing with the rope, she also flew like lazy-big-white cloud, stepped
back and forth over the blue sky. It can be seen from quotation below : “They took turns swinging across the gully on the rope. It
was a glorious autumn day, and if you looked up as you swung, it gave you the feeling of floating. Jess leaned back
and drank in the rich, clear color of the sky. He was drifting, drifting like a fat white lazy cloud back and forth across the
blue.” Paterson, 1977:49
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Leslie said that they needed only a place for themselves, far away from the real world and known only by both of them, a confidential
place like a secret country where they became the rulers of the country. It can be seen from quotation below :
“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.” Paterson, 1977:49
The second imaginative experience of Jess and Leslie was when they decided to across the river by swinging on the rope and went to
a forest beside the river. In the forest, they decided to build “a castle” located near the river which they acrossed brightly, Jess disliked the dark
place in the forest because it made her like in the depth of water. It can be seen from quoted conversation between Jess and Leslie as follows:
There were parts of woods that Jess did not like, Dark places where it was almost like being underwater, but he didn’t say
so. “I know” –she was getting excited- “it could be a magic country like Narnia, and the only way you can get in is by
swinging across on this enchanted rope.” Her eyes were bright. She grabbed the rope. “Come on,” she said. Let’s find
a place to build our castle stronghold.” Paterson, 1977:50
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Leslie gave name their secret place “Terabithia”. It was one of another imagination from a child who gave name for the new-visiting
place. Leslie got inspiration to give the name “Terabithia” from a fairy tale Narnia and invited Jess imagined by borrowing her books about country
Narnia. “Leslie named their secret land “Terabithia,” and she loaned Jess all of her books about Narnia, so he would know how things went in a
magic kingdom. Paterson, 1977:51 The third imaginative experience of Jess and Leslie was when
Jess and Leslie found creatures in Terabithia like within their imagination, “Terabithian”, The Giant Troll. Leslie found the Giant Troll based on their
imagination about their schoolmate, Janice Avery, this seventh grader which had obesity liked to disturb his unpleasant friends, mainly his junior
graders, like Jess, Leslie, and May Belle. Firstly, Jess unpurposely found footprint of the Giant Troll, then Leslie said they needed a hunter Troll to
find the creatures. Then they brought Leslie’s dog, Prince Terrien to help them finding the Giant Troll by sniffing his footprint around Terabithia.
Finally, their investigation ended, firstly they found a heap of leaves slowly changed into a giant looked like their friend, Janice Avery, and
certainly the thing happened only in their imagination. Then Leslie gave name the creature the Giant Troll. Their imaginative adventures still
continued to interact with the Giant Troll which firstly guessed as wicked creature, apparently he was kind and a bit timid.
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The fourth fantastic imaginative experience by Jess and Leslie was when they imagined to battle with wicked creature in Terabithia. One
day, they went to Terabithia after one month not to visit Terabithia together, and also brought Leslie’s dog, Prince Terrien, they went back to
Terabithia and imagined to battle with wicked creature in Terabithia. See this quoted conversation between Jess and Leslie as follows:
“We must have courage, my king. It may indeed be so. “They swung silently across the creek bed. On the farther bank,
Leslie picked up two sticks. “Thy sword, sire,” she whispered. Jess nodded. They hunched down and crept
coward the stronghold like police detectives on TV. “Hey, queen Watch Out Behind you” Paterson, 1977:90
Then they also continued to imagine battling the wicked creature in Terabithia until they won it in the ending. Imagination
experienced by these both children was very fantastic, even though they were still young but they dared to battle with imaginative wicked creature
in the world “Terabithia” and finally they won and “Terabithia” was conducive anymore. It can be seen from quotation below :
“They have sounded the retreat” the brave queen cried. “Yey” “Drive them out utterly, so they may never return and
prey upon our people” he said. “Out you go Out Out” All the way to the creek bed, they forced the enemy back,
sweating under their winter jackets. “At last. Terabithia is free once more” Leslie nodded. Paterson,1977:91
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Furthermore, the fifth fantastic imaginative experience in Terabithia was Leslie inaugurated Jess as the King of Terabithia. It can be
seen from quotation below : Leslie’s eyes were sparkling. “Arise” –she barely swallowed
a giggle-“arise, king of Terabithia, and let us proceed into our kingdom.” The king of Terabithia snuffled and wiped his
face on the back of his hand. “I will arise,” he replied with dignity, “when thou removes this fool dog off my gut.” Jess
nooded. Paterson, 1977:115 From the fifth fantastic imaginative experiences in Terabithia
by Jess and Leslie above can be concluded that “Terabithia” was not only an ordinary place, because when Jess and Leslie began their imagination,
“Terabithia” would change into a full magic place as if it would come true, such as swinging to Terabithia with a rope, building a castle to stay in
Terabithia, finding a Terabithian creature, battling a wicked creature in Terabithia, and Jess became a King of Terabithia.
3.2 The Effect of Terabithia for Jess and Leslie