ESSAY OF GROWING UP

Growing up is the feeling of childhood freedoms slipping away

without any warning, the loss of unstructured time for relaxation,
the necessity to work to survive. The film Bridge to Terabithia,
directed by Gabor Csupo and the novel Get a Grip, Cooper Jones
written by Sue Whiting explore the ongoing procedure of growing
up in many different ways. The film is about challenges which are
faced by young teenagers at school and at home with family. The
novel concentrates on average teenagers who get to the stage to
maturing and understanding issues with family.
The novel Get a grip, Cooper Jones written by Sue Whiting is
about two teenagers who encounter many challenges, which
included personal experiences for both teenagers. Cooper a
thirteen-year-old boy who is at his turning point in life. Cooper
doesnt have a father. His relationship with his mother becomes
tense when he meets Abbie, a gorgeous new girl in town. Too
close for comfort, she stirs intense feelings in Cooper. While he is
struggling with an identity crisis without a father figure, Abbie is
struggling with issues of identity for different reasons. It is his
feelings for Abbie that force Cooper to face his fear of the ocean
when she is in urgent need of help. With the bushfire blocking
access to the outside world on one side, Coopers only option is
the ocean. Cooper come across challenges but one of them is to
step out of his comfort zone and swim in the ocean to save his
friend Abbie.
The film Bridge to Terabithia is directed by Gabor Csupo and is
about a teenager named Jesse Aarons, the protagonist of the
story. One of the challenges h had to go through was Leslies
death. Leslies fire and her imagination challenged Jess to look
beyond the small existence that had been defined for him by his
family and their underprivileged situation. Through conversations
with Leslie, Jess learned to look outward and far into other worlds
both real and imaginary: Close your eyes and keep your mind
wide open. This is said by Leslie to Jess when they are up in the
tree looking down at farm land. Leslie was Jesses best and only
friend he had ever had. She had helped him to find his inner
strength, but he had to make the choice to use it. In the end, Jess
had to decide whether to go back to his life the way it was, or to
honour Leslies memory by keeping alive the story of Terabithia.

In conclusion, growing up is a ceaseless process that results with

challenges which are both physical or mental. This experience
that teenagers go through change them into more matured and
responsible people. Cooper Jones had to understand that his
father left because he didnt want Cooper in the family and had to
face his fear, by stepping out of his comfort zone to help Abbie,
who was bitten by a brown snake. This made Cooper more
matured and less fearful out the outside world. Jesse had to
accept the fact Leslie was dead and she is not coming back. This
experience changed Jesse Aarons and makes him more matured
and realise that there is more to reality if you imagine it.

By: Vithuya Uruthiran 8English7