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In The Lovely Bones, how do the Salmons mourn Susie's death?
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The story is narrated from the point of view of Susie, who is watching over her family after being murdered. She explains how she can see what they do and think, but can't tell them she's there with them and they cannot see her. The only person who seems to be able to see her or sense her presence is Jack, who suspects Harvey of killing her but has no physical evidence to back his claim. However, on the night that he kills Jack and Lindsey, he also comes in contact with Susie's spirit as well when he slips on a puddle of water, where "she" had been watching. A movie adaptation was released in 2009. Book: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The members of Susie's family—her father (Jack), her mother (Abigail), her sister (Lindsey), and her brother (Buckley)—all show different ways of grieving and coming to terms with the death of their loved one.
Jack's grief initially manifests as rage, and he smashes the collection of ships in bottles that he and Susie had created together. Later, through a sense of intuition, he begins to rightfully suspect his neighbor Harvey of being his daughter's murderer.
While Jack dedicates himself to finding Susie's killer, his wife, Abigail, finds herself pulling away from her family and turning to Detective Fenerman for answers.
Buckley handles his childlike grief by asking an array of questions about the sudden absence of his sister.
Lindsey endures a heartbreaking struggle between an identity crisis and overwhelming grief at the loss of her only sister.
Each of the Salmons mourns Susie's death differently. Her mother, Abigail ,...
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an intelligent and well-educated woman, has had difficulties reconciling the demands of motherhood and her own aspirations before the murder, but the loss of her daughter deeply unsettles her. She responds to her grief through detachment and by seeking escape; she leaves the family, enters into an affair with a man she does not love, and eventually moves away to California.
Susie's father, Jack, mourns Susie's death through activity, providing comfort to the surviving members of the family and insisting on being involved in the investigation of the murder. He retains a strong connection to his daughter even after her death, and eventually discovers he must learn to let go in order to carry on.
Buckley, the youngest Salmon, is only four when Susie dies and his mother leaves. He becomes sullen and angry, developing deep emotional defenses which are not completely resolved by the end of the story.
Lindsey Salmon was very close to Susie, and is deeply affected by her sister's death. She refuses to become known as "the dead girl's sister," however, and, through strength and determination, manages to find her own identity and pursue her aspirations. Of all the Salmons, Lindsey is able to respond to the traumatic loss in the most positive way, moving beyond Susie's death without leaving her memory behind.