Lovely Bones Chapter Questions

Questions and Answers

How does Mr. Harvey capture Susie?

Mr. Harvey lures Susie into the hole or hiding place underground with his words.

Who is Franny and what does she tell Susie she must do now?

Franny is Susie's intake counselor and tells Susie that she must know what she desires in heaven to make it happen.

What is significant about the place where Susie meets Holly?

In Holly's place, Susie saw swing sets which are unusual for high school to have.

Now that she is in Heaven, what does Susie decide is the best that she can do?

Susie decides to desire like what Franny says to do, as well as watch over her family. Signup and view all the answers

How does Susie describe the interaction between the souls leaving earth and the living?

Susie describes that the soul would run by a living being, touch them softly on the shoulder or cheek, and continue its way to Heaven. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the first time that Susie 'broke through.'

The first time Susie broke through was an accident on December 23, 1973. She revealed herself in the glass of the ship bottle her dad broke. Signup and view all the answers

What animal does Susie compare herself to in Chapter 4? Why?

Susie compares herself to the dogs of Erensong because they hunted without stopping. Signup and view all the answers

Describe how Susie's father feels as he helps Mr. Harvey build a tent.

Susie's father feels suspicious as he helps build the tent and thinks Mr. Harvey knows something about Susie. Signup and view all the answers

What does Mr. Harvey tell Detective Fenerman is the purpose of the tent?

The tent is for and to honor Mr. Harvey's wife, Leah. Signup and view all the answers

How does Susie's father explain to Buckley what has happened?

Using a Monopoly board, Susie is the shoe, and when she is taken from the board, she couldn't play anymore. Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the gloves Lindsey gets for Christmas?

Lindsey left the gloves in the farthest boundary of the soccer and corn field for Susie, which were found and kept by Ruth. Signup and view all the answers

What does Susie's dad tell Ray Singh's mother when he visits her?

He shares his appreciation for Ray, and the knowledge of the killer, George Harvey. Signup and view all the answers

According to Holly, what are imaginary friends?

Imaginary friends are thought to be the ghosts of dead strangers or loved ones. Signup and view all the answers

What does Susie think is possible that Holly does not?

Susie believes it was possible to rescue after Buckley ate a stick, but Holly did not. Signup and view all the answers

What do we learn about Mr. Harvey's mother?

Harvey's mother is an innocent person that left him when he was young. Signup and view all the answers

Up to this point, Mr. Harvey has been portrayed as a monster. What literary advantage is gained by the answer to #5?

We learn about his character development and backstory, also parts of him others don't know from flashbacks. Signup and view all the answers

What is the bag o' magic? What special powers does it have?

The bag o' magic is Grandmother Lynn's makeup bag and it gave a rest from the grief of Susie's death. Signup and view all the answers

What happens to Lindsey at the end of the memorial?

Lindsey catches a glimpse of Mr. Harvey and feels like she remembers him and passed out. Signup and view all the answers

There is a major setting change in chapter 10, where are we now?

At the statewide gifted symposium camp with Sam, Ruth, and Lindsey. Signup and view all the answers

When playing the game How to Commit a Perfect Murder, what does Susie choose as the perfect weapon?

Susie always chooses the icicle; the weapon melts away. Signup and view all the answers

In Chapter 4, Susie's father had a feeling about Mr. Harvey. Now in Chapter 11, how does he know that Mr. Harvey killed Susie?

Susie's father decided to trust his instinct. He just knew it. Signup and view all the answers

What news does Detective Fenerman bring to the Salmon family?

That they are stopping the investigation on Mr. Harvey, and Susie's dad should too. Signup and view all the answers

What does Franny say happens to the living when the dead are done with them?

The living can accept their death and move on. Signup and view all the answers

What two analogies do Susie and Franny use to describe what souls look like as they take flight from life?

Susie describes the leaving soul like fireflies while Franny describes them as snowflakes. Signup and view all the answers

What reasons does Jack tell Lindsey why he knows Mr. Harvey murdered Susie?

Because of building Mr. Harvey's tent, his movements, the dog barking, and his wife's names changing. Signup and view all the answers

What secret does Grandma Lynn reveal to Abigail? Why does she share this?

She reveals that her husband had an affair and is convinced that Abigail is having one with Len too. Signup and view all the answers

By Chapter 14, how is Lindsey spending her time?

Lindsey is doing exactly what Mr. Harvey is doing to everyone else, playing soccer and casing his house. Signup and view all the answers

Other than her sister, who does Lindsey see when she breaks into Mr. Harvey's house?

All the other girl victims Mr. Harvey had killed. Signup and view all the answers

In chapter 15, we learn more about Mr. Harvey's childhood. How does the author intend to affect the reader's perception of Mr. Harvey?

The author intends for Mr. Harvey to be perceived as human, not a monster. Signup and view all the answers

What did Mr. Harvey do after Lindsey got away?

He picked up his belongings and momentos from victims, hid them, and called the police that his house had been broken into and played victim. Signup and view all the answers

All of chapter 16 takes place in one day. Why is this day significant?

This day is a year to the day after Susie's death. Significant because readers can start seeing people accepting Susie's death at the ceremony. Signup and view all the answers

Seeing all the people in the cornfield for the vigil, what does Jack realize about Susie?

Jack realizes Susie had been loved by many people he didn't even recognize. Signup and view all the answers

Who moved into George Harvey's house and what is the effect on Jack?

A family with five girls moved in; Jack is traumatized by their laughter because he can't hear it from his girl anymore. Signup and view all the answers

What does Len seal up in the evidence box and what does this action symbolize?

Len seals up photos of unsolved cases, which symbolize his acceptance of their deaths. Signup and view all the answers

The snow globe appears in Chapter 17 and provides comfort to Jack. What does it symbolize?

Jack knows that Susie is in a perfect world now. Signup and view all the answers

Who and what is a watcher?

Susie is the watcher. A watcher is a soul in the world of the living that is not involved but watches them. Signup and view all the answers

What is Ruth's special gift/curse?

Whenever Ruth stops at a spot, she will know where a woman or girl was killed and sees it. Signup and view all the answers

When Jack falls to the ground after Buckley's accusations, what is actually killing him?

His grief over Lindsey; he hasn't let it go yet. Signup and view all the answers

For what does Abigail believe she is being punished?

Because she never wanted Susie or to be a mother in the first place. Signup and view all the answers

What does Abigail admit to Lindsey when she sees her at the airport?

Abigail admits that she had lied to Lindsey and had an affair with Len. Signup and view all the answers

What does Abigail realize when she notices the man at the diner?

That she is back where Susie was killed and may see her killer again. She is more observant, wary, and nervous in Pennsylvania. Signup and view all the answers

What does Jack tell Abigail is the way to deal with Susie's death?

For Abigail to live in the face of it, by giving Susie a flower. Signup and view all the answers

What 'clear and easy piece of truth that everyone who had ever known me had accepted' does Jack say to Abigail in the hospital?

Jack tells Abigail what he needed to say and what Abigail needed to hear him say. Signup and view all the answers

What happens to Susie as Ruth stands near the sinkhole and Mr. Harvey approaches?

Ruth wonders if Susie's body was dumped in the sinkhole, and when Mr. Harvey passed by Ruth, she blacked out and Susie fell to the earth. Signup and view all the answers

What does Susie say is 'navigating the unknown'? Why is the answer important to her now?

Navigating the unknown is falling in love. It's important this time because she is fulfilling her duty of letting go of her death in Ruth's body. Signup and view all the answers

What metaphor does Susie use to describe her journey when she leaves Earth this time?

She uses the metaphor of traveling on a train going backward to describe how it feels on her journey to leave Earth again. Signup and view all the answers

As Susie watches her father's car pull into the drive, what does she realize she may have been waiting for all this time?

She realizes she had been waiting for all her family to come home to each other and not her. Signup and view all the answers

Finally near the end of the novel, what are lovely bones?

Suise sees her loved ones and their stories as the connections, sometimes tenuous, sometimes at great cost, that happened after her death. Signup and view all the answers

What does Susie mean when she says 'You don't notice the dead leaving when they really choose to leave you'? Who does notice?

The ones that are dead are not truly leaving the ones on Earth; they are still watching over unless they really want to leave you. Signup and view all the answers

How does Mr. Harvey finally die and how could it be considered poetic justice?

Mr. Harvey dies after being hit by a falling icicle, which symbolizes the death he inflicted on the girls he killed. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Mr. Harvey's Actions

Mr. Harvey captures Susie by luring her into an underground hiding place with deceptive words.
He convinces Detective Fenerman that the purpose of the tent he builds is to honor his wife, Leah.

Key Characters and Relationships

Franny serves as Susie's intake counselor, guiding her to understand her desires in heaven.
Susie's father grows suspicious of Mr. Harvey while assisting him in tent construction, feeling that he knows something about Susie's disappearance.
Lindsey, Susie's sister, leaves Christmas gloves in a field for Susie, which are later found by Ruth.

Susie's Perspective in Heaven

In the afterlife, Susie learns she needs to create her own desires and watch over her family.
She perceives the souls of the dead as gently touching the living before moving on to heaven.

Significant Events and Symbolism

Susie describes her first breakthrough moment as appearing in the shattered glass of a bottle her father broke.
A year after Susie's death, a memorial service takes place, allowing characters to start accepting their grief.
The snow globe symbolizes Susie's perfect existence after death, offering comfort to her father, Jack.

Themes of Grief and Acceptance

Jack explains to Lindsey that he knows Mr. Harvey murdered Susie based on his instincts and observations.
The analogy of Susie's absence from a Monopoly game illustrates incomprehensible loss and grief.

Mr. Harvey's Character Development

Harvey is depicted as a complex figure; glimpses of his childhood reveal vulnerability, fostering a conflicted perception of him as both a monster and a human.
After Lindsey escapes, Mr. Harvey conceals evidence and plays the victim when reporting a burglary.

Magical and Imaginary Elements

Ruth possesses a unique ability to sense the presence of girls murdered by Mr. Harvey, complicating her connection to Susie's death.
The concept of "imaginary friends" reflects children's ability to perceive the spirits of deceased loved ones.

Closure and Healing

By the end of the narrative, Susie acknowledges that her family needs to reconnect and heal, signaling her own acceptance of death and letting go.
Mr. Harvey's death by falling icicle serves as poetic justice, mirroring the helplessness experienced by his victims.

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Description

This quiz covers key questions from the chapters of 'The Lovely Bones' by Alice Sebold. It includes important character insights and significant plot points, helping you to strengthen your understanding of the novel. Perfect for students looking to review essential themes and characters.