The Lovely Bones
by Alice Sebold
Pages
1-30
11.) Summary
of what I read: The book begins with a description of the main character Susie
Salmon. It promptly states that she was murdered and describes how it happened. She was walking home from school one day and decided to take a shortcut
through the field. She stumbled upon her neighbor Mr. Harvey. They conversed
about how he made a fort in the earth for kids to play in. Then, Mr. Harvey
brings her down into the fort in which has no exit except for the way they
came. Mr. Harvey does not let her go and ends up horribly raping her and
murdering her violently. She wakes up in heaven and continues to describe her
life there. Anything can happen there if you wish it hard enough and have a
good reason for it. Anything except Susie’s biggest desire of her being alive
and Mr. Harvey dead. So instead, she decides to watch down on her family has
they receive the heartbreaking news of her death.
22.) Important
quote from the text: “I could not have what I wanted most: Mr. Harvey dead and
me living. Heaven wasn't perfect. But I came to believe that if I watched
closely, and desired, I might change the lives of those I loved on Earth”
(Sebold, 20). I thought that this quote was important because it shows what Susie desires to do in the upcoming chapters. Obviously she wants to be alive
and living her life with her friends and family but she knows that she cannot
do that anymore. No matter how hard she tries and wishes it will never come true.
Though she still grasps onto the hope that someday she will reenter her life on
Earth she wants to help her family that is still living unfold what has
happened to her and discover her perpetrator.
33.) Connections
to the text: Personally, I haven’t connected with this text very much so far. I
have never been in such a horrible situation as Susie has and I hope that I
never will be. In a way, I do understand her longing to be somewhere else even
though she is unable to be there. She wants to be home with her family and I have
experienced that as well. I have not experienced it to that degree, but I
understand her longing to be in her own sheltered and safe environment. So far,
this book has reminded me about the dangers of strangers or even people that
you know somewhat but not very well. Some people are capable of harsher things
than we can even imagine and I always need to remember that before I put myself
into a bad situation.
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