The Not Soo Lovely Bones - 90 - 150

Summary:
In these few chapters, Susie resumes to tell us about her family and how the Salmons cope with her death. Her grandmother arrives the evening before her memorial and quickly can notice the agony in her daughter, Susie's mother. Susie's mother has almost completely lost her hair and seldom can be the mother she once was. Furthermore, Lindsey has found solace in make-up and now dresses herself with pounds of blush and mascara. She also starts to wear Susie's dresses making Susie feel uncomfortable since she feels as if she is only in heaven. Lindsey continues to have conversations and quality time with her friends, especially her dorm-mate Ruth. Lindsey and her friends battle ironically about who is the best murderer and once in a while plop Susie into their conversations. The 17 year old girl who was murdered, it seems as if everyone knows about Susie's death but nothing is done. Mr. Len continues to search for clues but he still doesn't have anough evidence to acquit anyone.  Yet, Mr. Salmon emphatically believes Mr. Havery killed his daughter and becomes even more certain when a dog howls at Havery's house. However, Mr. Havery is so well of a killer, Mr. Len intents to dissuade Mr.Salmon from thinking he is a possible suspect. Moreover, Mr. Havery locks a little girl inside a truck ready to make her his victim, but her boisterous shrieks alert a group of men and women nearby. They ask him what he was planning on doing to the child, but he fibbs by saying he was fixing her shoe. In otherwords, Mr. Havery is more then just a rapist, he is a professional liar. Just like he lied to Susie, Detective Len, and his numerous victims, he continues to triumph in his profession. Moreover, Susie declares how he also killed animals and how he had more then just human bones on his conscience, he was the spark of destruction in his town. Yet, the town was so blinded by his aloof and anti-social personality, that they just saw him as the old man who didn't attend block parties neither had children. The hurtful truth was that he was the criminal everyone but Mr. Salmon disregarded.  Mr. Salmon no longer caring what would happen, goes into the cornfields where Susie was, to kill Mr. Havery. However, the book until this chapter only states that Mr. Salmon is in the hospital, on medications, and has had surgery. The entire neighborhood was awakened from the incident occuring in the cornfields, so the police imminently showed up. The entire Salmon family became petrified when they couldn't find Mr. Havery since they knew exactly where he was and why.
Quotes:
"Mr. Harvey was at once unknowable and the only person in the world who could have killed me. As Len denied it, my father grew more certain"(Sebold 134).
Reaction:
This quote generates many themes at once. Mr. Len, a detective, fervently believes Mr. Havery did not commit the crime while Mr. Salmon knows immensely that he did. In otherwords, one doesn't just have to be a cop to figure out a crime or disprove a pattern. Mr. Salmon knew Len was blind folded by Harvey's loneliness and lack of attention in society. In other words, this theme of solitude in men leads to many ordeals and symbols in literature. In particular, in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Boo was disregarged in society because he was a lonely old man. Overall, it doesn't just take any father to discover the criminal who murdered his daughter, it takes a bold man like Mr. Salmon. Salmon was nonchalant of what could happen and went with his gut feeling. If the police didn't take action, Salmon did. In simpler words, one should never limit ourselves because of fear, for we never know what our outcomes could bring.

The Not Soo Lovely Bones - 90 pages

Summary:
In The Lovely Bones by Alice Seabold, Susie Salmon divulges her death as if she is already in heaven. In these first few chapters of the book, we have learned Susie was raped by her neighbor Mr. Harvey. Mr. Harvey deceives her into thinking he is this gregarious man just leading her to his scientific clubhouse for children in the neighborhood. Susie emphatically loves Science and  Mr. Havery has made a chimney that would draw smoke out if he ever chose to build a fire thrilling the naive fourteen year old. Susie believed Mr. Havery had known she was his neighbors oldest daughter and as a result would never cause any harm to her. However, Havery was more malicious then anyone would expect, so it all started when he locked the door of the chimney where Susie would be trapped and  made his victim. After being locked in the room with Havery, Susie began to make sense out of things, but it was just too late. Mr. Havery quicly began to eye Susie in a very seductive and sexual manner and then obliged her to drink a Coke. Susie insisted she had to run home but he coerced her into staying. Havery then commanded for Susie to take her clothes off with the alibi that he wanted to check that she was still a virgin. Susie imminently responded she was, but he persisted and raped her. Susie fought a tedious battle against Mr. Havery but the intent was in vain. Havery slithered all over Susie panting and sweating losing his composure and even glasses. Furthermore, Susie then continues to tell us of her death as if she is already in heaven. In fact, she explains how her father, mother, her little sister Lindsey, and little brother Buckley our all deeply agonizing her death. Her little brother Buckely continues to believe Susie is on an extended vacation at her friends house but Lindsey who is much older to comprehend, knows the cold truth. Detective Fenerman has unveiled to the Salmons that the case has been treated as a murder case since he found her elbow and thus had no other alternative then to piece a catastrophe. Furthermore, Susie tells us how devastated her father is and how he doggedly intents to find evidence of his daughter. In particular, he sends Mr. Fenerman all around the neighborhood and at first he accuses Susie's crush, an Indian boy Ray Singh who luckily proved to be innocent. Lindsey then states that Mr. Havery and her  father have a dispute where Mr. Fenerman is then convinced for the second time to go to Mr. Havery's home; However, he still cannot find evidence. Mr. Havery asks Fenerman many questions and pleads for condolences to the Salmons almost buying Detective Fenerman. In addition, Havery discloses he made the bridal tent for his wife Len but then Susie's father recalls her name was Sophie becoming very jaundiced. From here on, Susie's father goes once again to Ray's house and tries to collect information from his mother, yet he knows it wasn't Ray and then for the second time in the book states that the murderer was Mr. Havery. At last, he threatens to kill him soon but quietly.
Quote:
"I felt huge and bloated. I felt like a sea in which he stood and pissed and shat. I felt the corners of my body were turning in on themselves and out"( Seabold 14).
Reaction:
This quote really creates and reiterates the purpose of The Lovely Bones. Seabold here forces her audience to feel Susie Salmon's pain. Susie has just been raped but Seabold doesn't just state that, she uses a simile and hyperbole to bring her readers closer. I can just imagine the pain I would feel to be deprived from my innocence and virginity. Seabold conspicuously states how undignified and abused one feels after being sexually abused in these short lines. Susie wasn't just a victim, she was a fallow sea where this enemy Mr. Havery, pissed and deteriorated her. Susie wasn't only psychologically abused, but she was also physically. The hyperbole Seabold uses in this line when she unveils Susie's  pain, is one we all can relate to and thus become closer. In particular, after a very tough track meet, I certainly feel my body yearning and churning. However, although as teens we can relate in certain ordeals, I could never relate to a rape case which then drives me closer into Seabold's memoir.