A GUIDE FOR
TEACHERS
THE
LOVELY BONES
by
Alice Sebold
Susie Salmon, the oldest of three children, is
14 years old when she is raped and murdered
by a next-door neighbor. Now in heaven,
Susie tells the story of how the horror of her
death affects the lives of her family and friends. At first there are
rumors about her disappearance, and as her parents hold on to the
hope that she will return, Mr. Harvey, the murderer, is covering his
tracks and eluding the law. Susie observes her family at different
stages of their grief, and wonders why her parents can’t bring themselves to explain the concept of “gone” to her little brother,
Buckley, or discuss her disappearance with her 13-year-old sister,
Lindsey. It is tough watching her family change, but it is equally
tough adjusting to heaven. There is an intake counselor to help her
make the transition between life and death, but it is Susie who
must decide when to “give up Earth.”
JERRY BAUER
ABOUT
THE
NOVEL
High school students who watch the nightly news
or read daily newspapers are very aware of stories
of rape, murder, missing children, runaway teens,
random shootings, and other tragedies in our
society. They are presented with these stories in short bytes, and
come away not fully realizing or feeling the effects of such acts of
violence on families. By reading a novel like THE LOVELY BONES,
students are emotionally present as a family deals with the day-to-day
reality of the disappearance and ultimate murder of their teenage
daughter and sister. Through the Salmons, readers will experience
hope and despair, anger and joy, innocence and guilt. Like all of the
characters in the novel, readers will discover there are different ways
of coping, and ideally they will come away from the reading
experience willing to talk about their feelings. The ultimate goal is for
students to realize that brutal acts of violence have more long-term
and lasting consequences than indicated in the short news segments
of the daily media, and that to reduce such violence in our society
requires empathy and a sense of community.
NOTE
TO
TEACHERS
Explain to students that the narrator of
THE LOVELY BONES is in heaven and
refers to “her heaven” throughout the novel.
Ask each student to write a one-page
description of his or her view of heaven.
Encourage them to share their writings in class. Why is it important
to acknowledge our differences regarding religion and our beliefs
about the hereafter? What is the difference between “appreciating”
and “practicing” a particular religious belief?
PREREADING
ACTIVITY
DISCUSSION
1
Discuss the difference between theme and topic.
Identify the most important topics that Sebold
deals with in the novel. What is the central theme of
THE LOVELY BONES? Readers often talk about
relating to a novel. Explain the difference between
relating to a topic and relating to a theme. Ask
students to think about how they personally relate to
the novel. Is it through the emotions of grief, love,
healing, and hope? Is it death, personal tragedy, or
growing up? Or is it the quest to solve a mystery, or
the need to bring closure and move on in life?
2
The first-person omniscient point of view offers the
reader insight into all of the characters. How does this
add to the suspense of the novel? How does the point
of view help delineate the overall theme of the novel?
3
How does Susie describe “her heaven”? What does “her
heaven” reflect about her life on Earth?
4
Susie says, “I desired to know what I had not known
on Earth. I wanted to be allowed to grow up” (p. 19).
Trace her growth from the beginning of the novel to
the end. What does Susie learn about her family? Susie
says, “I came to believe that if I watched closely, and
desired, I might change the lives of those I loved
on Earth” (p. 20). Debate whether she has a greater
influence on their lives in death than she did in life.
5
6
Susie Salmon is walking home from school when she
encounters Mr. Harvey, her next-door neighbor, and
notices that he is looking at her strangely. Why does
she follow him into the cornfield? Discuss how Mr.
Harvey lures Susie to his secret hideout. What should
Susie have done when she first encountered Mr.
Harvey? What can young adults learn from the tragedy
of Susie’s death?
10
The police question Mr. Harvey after Susie’s
disappearance, but they immediately dismiss him
as a suspect. At what point in the novel does Susie’s
father begin to believe that Mr. Harvey might be
connected to his daughter’s disappearance? It turns
out that Mr. Harvey has murdered other young girls
and women. How has he managed to elude the police
for so many years?
11
7
Discuss why Sebold includes details about Mr.
Harvey’s childhood. How does this help the reader
understand his motivation?
8
Why does Mr. Harvey pull the bike charm off Susie’s
bracelet and put it in his pocket? What is the
significance of the bike charm in solving the crime?
9
12
Buckley tells his friend Nate that he has seen and
talked to Susie. Discuss whether he really sees her,
or if she is a figment of his imagination and his own
version of play therapy. Why doesn’t Buckley want to
tell his mother about seeing Susie? If he told his
mother, what do you think she would say to him?
Discuss how the concept of “gone” or “death” should
be explained to a young child.
Principal Caden organizes a memorial service for
Susie. Explain why Mr. Caden thinks the service is so
important. Why doesn’t Ray Singh attend? Discuss
Ruth’s father’s attitude toward the service. In reference
to her father, Susie says, “Today he would not have to
pretend he was getting back to normal—whatever normal was. Today he could walk tall with grief and so
could Abigail” (p. 109). Discuss whether the memorial
service really helps the Salmons deal with their grief.
What is the purpose of the brief romantic scene
between Abigail Salmon and Len Fenerman? Discuss
whether Abigail’s need to leave home is really related
to Susie’s death. How might her daughter’s death be
an excuse for doing something that she has needed to
do for a long time? Debate whether Abigail’s choice
to leave her family can be justified.
Discuss how each member of the Salmon family deals
with their grief. Why is it so difficult for them to
grieve together? How does Susie explain the “Walking
Dead Syndrome” (p. 59)? Explain why Lindsey is the
most vulnerable to this. Why doesn’t Lindsey use her
last name at the gifted camp she attends? At what
point does Lindsey let go of Susie’s death and begin
living her own life?
PHOTO-ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL LEE
13
14
Why does Abigail leave Susie’s picture outside the
Chicago airport on her way back to her family?
15
Discuss whether Abigail comes to her husband’s bedside out of guilt, or because she really wants to be with
him. What is Buckley’s reaction to his mom when she
comes home?
16
How is Ruth an important secondary character in the
novel? Discuss why Sebold includes the scene where
Susie inhabits Ruth’s body and fulfills one of her greatest wishes—making love with Ray.
17
Explain the following statement: “Horror on Earth
is real and it is every day. It is like a flower or like
the sun; it cannot be contained” (p. 186).
18
Susie’s heaven seems to have different stages, and
climbing to the next stage of heaven requires her to
remove herself from what happens on Earth. What is
this process like for Susie?
19
What is the purpose of the section in the novel called
“Snapshots” (p. 212)?
20
Tone is an important element in a novel because it
relates the attitude of the narrator and reveals the
writer’s point of view to his or her audience.
Discuss the tone of THE LOVELY BONES.
21
Explain the title of the novel. Discuss the effectiveness
of waiting until the end of the novel to reveal the
meaning of the title.
What is Lindsey’s role in helping her father deal with
his grief? Why does she insist that they take Buckley to
the ceremony the neighbors are having for Susie in the
cornfield? At which point does Jack Salmon really
begin dealing with his grief? How does his own lifethreatening experience help him see the importance of
moving on?
ACTIVITIES
There are a variety of activities suggested for students. Some are intended for entire class participation, and others are
individual activities. Students may enjoy selecting ones that most interest them.
Write a short paper titled “I disagree with Susie’s view of
heaven because…,” or “I agree with Susie’s view of heaven
because…”
Lucky by Alice Sebold relates her personal story of being
raped when she was a freshman at Syracuse University. Read
the book and write an essay that compares Sebold’s mother
to Abigail Salmon in THE LOVELY BONES.
Find out the purpose of a prologue to a novel. Then write
a prologue to THE LOVELY BONES.
Divide the class into small groups and ask each group to
brainstorm ways that Mrs. Dewitt could have prepared the
class for Lindsey Salmon’s return to school after Susie’s disappearance. Have the groups share their suggestions in
class. Read the scene where Lindsey is in conversation with
Principal Caden (p. 31). Have the class discuss what Mr.
Caden does wrong. Then ask for volunteers to role-play a
conversation that is much more appropriate.
The reader sees Mr. and Mrs. Salmon from Susie’s point of view.
Write a description of them from Lindsey’s point of view.
Write an article about Susie Salmon’s disappearance that
might have appeared in the town newspaper the next day.
Include statements from Ray Singh, Mr. Harvey, Principal
Caden, and Ruth.
Susie wrote a paper on Othello titled “The Ostracized: One
Man Alone.” Use this exact title and write a paper about
Mr. Harvey.
There are people who object to reading books that deal with rape,
murder, dysfunctional relationships, and sex. Others object to
books based on religious beliefs that differ from their own.
Think about why people may object to THE LOVELY BONES
and Lucky. Role-play a conversation where you defend these
two books to a person who objects to them.
Susie mentions that she had studied Our Town and To Kill a
Mockingbird. Ask students who have read these pieces to write
a paper about their similarities to THE LOVELY BONES.
Note: one is similar in point of view, and the other in topic.
Ruth Connors deals with Susie’s death by writing poetry.
Her titles include: “Being Susie, “After Death,” “In Pieces,”
“Beside Her Now,” and “The Lip of the Grave.” Instruct
students to select one of these titles and write the poem that
Ruth may have written.
Art is often used in therapy to help people express their
emotions. What people draw and the colors they use may
be very revealing. Draw a picture that Buckley might have
drawn on the day his mother returned.
The Polly Klaas Foundation has been instrumental in
getting legislation passed to protect children and help
families of missing children. Read about this legislation
(www.pollyklaas.org), and select one of the legislative acts
to research further and share with the class.
In Lucky, Alice Sebold tells how she received help from a Rape
Crisis Center. Ask students to find out what agency in their
community focuses on helping rape victims. Find out their
mission and the type of assistance they offer. Make a brochure
about this agency and display it in the school library.
Ask students to read about the following organizations and
write a brief annotation about their mission:
• The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
(www.missing.org)
• The Polly Klaas Foundation (www.pollyklaas.org)
• The Klaas Kids Foundation (www.klaaskids.org)
• The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
•(www.rainn.org)
• Women Organized Against Rape (www.woar.org)
• FBI Youth Grades 6th-12th
• (www.fbi.gov/kids/6th12th.htm)
Back Bay Books
Time Warner Book Group
www.twbookmark.com
Prepared by Pat Scales, Director of Library Services, SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, Greenville