What is the moral lesson of The Lovely Bones?
The overall theme or message of The Lovely Bones is that life must go on, even in the aftermath of tragedy. The prevalent themes of the novel are grief and letting go.
What does the gazebo represent in The Lovely Bones?
Representing her “safe place,” the gazebo appears as a shining beacon in a watery glade, a crumbling structure in a stormy wood and elsewhere.
What are some themes in The Lovely Bones?
The Lovely Bones Themes
- Justice and Injustice. The opening chapters of Alice Sebold’s novel The Lovely Bones depict a graphic and despicable act of violence.
- Tragedy, Grief, Alienation, and Isolation.
- Love and Sex.
- Family and Community.
- Desire and Longing.
What is the meaning of Lovely Bones?
The description of the bones as “lovely” could refer to the fact that Susie was young and presumably innocent, and young women are often described as lovely. While the bones begin to lead the authorities toward her killer, they are also lovely in the way that they begin to solve her crime.
What are some symbols in The Lovely Bones?
SYMBOLISM / MOTIFS / IMAGERY / SYMBOLS.
Is The Lovely Bones inappropriate?
It starts off with the intense, brutal rape and dismemberment of a 14-year-old girl. Most of the novel is narrated by the dead girl and there are more murders of women and girls described, often in great detail. There is alcohol use, adultery, teen and adult sex, and some swearing.
What are the themes of the book The Lovely Bones?
The Lovely Bones examines the opposite extremes of family life. To begin with, the Salmons are a happy, loving family with a stable life in the suburbs. On the other hand, Mr. Harvey is completely alone in the world and has never known a happy family moment.
What happens at the end of the Lovely Bones?
At the end of the book, when Mrs. Salmon has returned home, Mr. Salmon is out of the hospital, and Lindsey and Sam are engaged to be married, Susie realizes that her family has finally reshaped itself into a new and beautiful configuration. “These were the lovely bones that had grown around my absence,” says Susie.
What are the symbols in the Lovely Bones?
Both the porch light and the candle symbolize the hope that Susie’s family has that she will find her way home alive. The light was left on continuously throughout the novel, to represent the family’s continuous belief that she will come home.
How does Susie develop in the Lovely Bones?
Her development is seen first hand through her narration. Susie advances through her own stages of grief and recovery in the ‘in-between’, trying to move on from the tragedy and give her family peace.
