The Lovely Bones Analysis

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T2W4 In what ways do the literary techniques used in The Lovely Bones develop the themes of the novel? The themes in The Lovely Bones are portrayed through various literary techniques. The ideas of loneliness, grief and the relationships between the members of the Salmon family are depicted through the use of tone, imagery, flashback and the narrative style within the novel. The narrative style in the book allows Alice Sebold to create an intimate relationship between the reader and the protagonist Susie Salmon. This means that we easily side with her instantly and show great empathy to her situation. We allow ourselves to be consumed into Susie’s tragedy and so the reader feels that she is confiding in us and this therefore allows us to form a sense of trust. This is depicted in the prologue when she says "My name was Salmon, like the fish, first name Susie, I was 14 when I was murdered on December 6, 1973. It was still back when people believed things like that didn't happen.” Throughout the novel it is shown that the salmon family feels the physical loss of her body and the uncertainty of her death, which makes it difficult for them to mourn her loss. Her family members try to hold onto Susie belongings as a form to keep her with them. However towards the end we realize that she is in their memories rather than in objects. The effects of Susie’s passing has caused her mother to grow farther away from the family and is psychologically distant from her children and Jack her husband. The leads to Abigail making the decision to remove herself from the home and becomes an absent mother and an absent wife. Both Buckley and Jack feel this force however in alternate ways. Buckley begins to push himself away from his mother whereas Jack falls in love with Abigail again while she is away. These ideas are portrayed through various techniques within the
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