Bridle Path 

In Bridle Path Jason is left home alone for the day and decides to go on an adventure by himself into the woods. Throughout this journey he faces a myriad of tests that he ultimately fails, thus proving he isn’t ready for manhood. The first test was when Jason faced the dogs. When he was being chased by the dogs at first he decided to run away, but then eventually collapsed into a ball and waited for them to attack him. Instead of standing his ground and “manning up” he succumbed to the fear he was feeling and felt there was no reason for him to stand and fight. Another test was when he was up in the tree house and didn’t reveal himself to Tom Yew and Debbie Crombie when he had the chance. A person of more maturity would have told the couple that he was present before he saw things he was not intended to see. Jason decided to hide back and watch the two have sex under the tree, therefor failing this test as well. The final test was when Jason met up with Dawn Madden at the end of the chapter. Near the end of their encounter it is made clear that Dawn wants Jason to kiss her, but he opts out of the kiss, thus failing his final test. Although these tests may seem insignificant they reveal a lot about the maturity level of Jason. Throughout the book he talks like a poet, illustrating beautiful imagery throughout the text, making him seem more mature for his age. This chapter features many of Jason’s faults and highlights the fact that he is still only a thirteen year old boy.