IndexPlotProtagonistsAntagons The Lovely Bones is a 2002 novel by the American writer Alice Sebold. It is the story of a teenager who, after being raped and murdered, watches from her personal paradise as her family and friends struggle to move on with their lives while she comes to terms with her own death. The novel received much critical praise and became a bestseller soon after its release. The book is an unflinching reiteration of innocence, a tight-lipped celebration of something that is not mutilated or shattered in any way, but that recurs regularly: the notion of the North American family, dysfunctional though it may be, but still pure and good. It is a crucial celebration, often vivid, sometimes moving, uproarious and sweet, but one that must be treated with some uneasiness, especially when considering how the narrative is presented with its villain, the outsider, who is identified by Susie's family instinctively then simply perceive that the man is a little strange and, along with strange, malevolent. «Why, my father wondered, did people trust the police so much? Why not trust your instincts? It was Mr. Harvey and he knew it." the readers did too, because Susie told them on page six - and that's a fait accompli for knowing who's bad and who's good. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The title of the novel is taken from a quote at the conclusion of the story when Susie reflects on the newfound strength of her friends and family after her death towards the end of the novel, when her family celebrates together, Susie finally reveals readers what the title means to you: These were the lovely bones that had grown around my absence [...]. And I began to see things in a way that allowed me to hold the world without me. (11.97) This is a very abstract quote, something you would expect from a ghost, but if followed closely. It is clear that Susie is saying that a) she sees her loved ones and their stories as the bones of a body of earthly happiness, of life; and b) can stop hovering over them with anxiety because they will be perfectly fine. But the following sentence complicates things. Susie says, “The events brought about by my death were simply the bones of a body that would become whole at some unforeseeable point in the future.” (11.97pm) We've thought about it a lot, even had some meetings about it, and have come to the conclusion that Susie is waiting for the day when her loved ones all die with her; then the "body" will be "whole". It sounds morbid, but it's natural for the dead. We think that's a good thing. In Susie's ever-expanding understanding of the world, human life is indeed short and is followed by a seemingly eternal afterlife. Thus, death is no longer something to fear, it is counterintuitive as it is only the consequence of life and existence as we know it. Yet no matter how hard she tries, Susie can't help but want herself and her loved ones in the same place. . Hence his wishes for their death, as well as for their happy life. She knows she can't go back to them, so they have to come to her. Plot The structure of the plot is very significant for the way the story unfolds because it illustrates exactly how events follow one another. The story gains much more energy and flow when told by a girl in paradise, a girl who is "trapped" in her personalized paradise because she holds on to the past. The story is written in a very interesting way where Susie looks down on her family and is able to see everything that they are doing. Every time something happens, it adds somethingtelling a very particular memory or story. It's like looking inside a person's head. Because the book provides such precise details that paint a picture and a feeling. The meaning of the plot, which began with Susie telling the readers that she is in heaven, indicates a loss of innocence and in a way warns the readers of what comes next in the chapter, in other words, it is a warning. It's an impactful start that shows readers what's to come. The plot is written in this form because the author wanted it to retain intellectual value in the reader's head after reading the story. Although this story is not based on a true story, there are hundreds of thousands of people like Mr. Harvey. People who target young girls and make them feel uncomfortable in their own homes and Ms Seblod wanted to shine a light on how these dirty people get away with acts like these. This is also a great warning for younger women who find themselves in these situations, it's like a book that will burn in the memory of some women with itches in the back of their brains. A bittersweet reminder that they are not the only ones experiencing this. The author really wanted to focus on this because something similar happened to her when she was little and she wanted to shed light and normalize this topic so that when it happens to other girls they feel comfortable talking about it with a trusted adult. Protagonist Susie Salmon she is a 14 year old girl, who her father describes as having a lot of "courage" (Alice Sebold pg.7). The young, energetic and always very hungry for knowledge photographer. She was raped and murdered on December 6, 1973. As a fresh new spirit in heaven, Susie gives us a deep understanding of each member of her family and how they are coping with her death. Susie doesn't want to be dead, but she has to learn to deal with the fact that she's actually gone and has to say goodbye to the people she loves. When Susie is on Earth, her dreams are quite typical for a well-suited and talented girl. High school is a big deal in his immediate plans. In her earthly life, she sees the mediocrity of middle school fade into the past, as she becomes the queen of high school. This is why, in his first paradise, "all the buildings looked like [...] suburban high schools built in the 1960s" (2.1). She has a natural talent with the camera and learns from photographing her mother, Abigail, that a photo can reveal a person's inner needs and desires. The photos of her mother that Susie leaves behind help her father, Jack, understand Abigail. This understanding leads to a strengthening of their relationship. Susie takes this photographic eye with her to heaven and often tells her story pictorially, as highlighted in one of the few chapters titled "Snapshots." Susie is obsessed with design and layout. He sees the elements of the world as bones or pieces of structures being built. The photos he leaves behind, the photos of Len Fenerman's dead, and all the metaphorical photos he takes from the sky are powerful, overlapping structures within the body of the novel. As he moves through time in the afterlife, his perceptions become more acute. Thus offering us the fascinating idea that our talents and interests continue to grow after we die. If Susie were a non-fictional victim, we would never talk about her as a tragic hero with fatal flaws. But, since he is a character in a book and presents himself to us as such, we have no choice. So let's look at some of the key elements of a tragic hero and see how he fits the mold. Susie today would be described as Too pretty... It is argued that the hero of a tragedy should be an exceptional person, but with certain character qualities. that lead him to do.