illustration of Susie in the clouds with her charm bracelet above her head

The Lovely Bones

by Alice Sebold

Start Free Trial

The Lovely Bones Questions on Abigail Salmon

The Lovely Bones

In The Lovely Bones, Abigail cheats on her husband with Len in Chapter Twelve. This affair is driven by her need to move on from her daughter's death and the emotional distance growing between her...

1 educator answer

The Lovely Bones

In The Lovely Bones, major conflicts include Susie's murder and her family's subsequent grief. The resolution involves Susie's acceptance of her death and the family's eventual healing. George...

2 educator answers

The Lovely Bones

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...

2 educator answers

The Lovely Bones

Internal and external conflicts in "The Lovely Bones" are exemplified through Abigail Salmon. Internally, Abigail struggles with dissatisfaction from unfulfilled dreams of teaching, feeling trapped...

1 educator answer

The Lovely Bones

Abigail moves to California because she seeks an escape from her grief over her daughter's death and her husband's inability to move on. Initially, she tries to find solace through an affair but...

1 educator answer

The Lovely Bones

Susie, by exploring her past life and death through the eyes of the people she has left behind, comes to terms with her passing. Each member of her family, who are at different stages of grief when...

2 educator answers

The Lovely Bones

In The Lovely Bones, Abigail's character is portrayed through both direct and indirect characterization. Indirectly, her withdrawal from family is shown through her disdain for the word "Momma,"...

1 educator answer

The Lovely Bones

In my opinion, one of the first indications that the family is using isolation to cope manifests itself in their isolation from Susie's room: My mother had not touched it. My bed was still unmade...

1 educator answer