The Lovely Bones’s setting is important considering it was back in the 1970s, when people didn’t comprehend such horrible events such as the following: murder, rape, and kidnapping. In the 1970s people had just begun to realize that kids were disappearing, being killed, raped, and other horrible acts, whereas in today’s society, it’s a common occurrence. Susie said in her narration that “This was before kids of all races and genders started appearing on milk cartons or in the daily mail” (Sebold 5). Therefore, this quotation clearly establishes the setting so people can understand that it was much different when Susie died; and why people didn’t suspect it was Mr. Harvey.
The author, Sebold, chose this time period so the story would be longer and for it to establish why no one suspected Mr. Harvey. In the time period Sebold chose, people were much more neighborly. Mr. Harvey was considered ‘weird’, however no one thought he would have done something as terrible as killing his neighbor, Susie, and many other girls. The 1970s was also an excellent period since a majority of the teenagers were smoking pot and …show more content…
Harvey to commit a murder in the 1970s, and he could convince almost everyone he was innocent. The similar houses of the neighborhood allowed Lindsey, Susie’s sister, to sneak into Mr. Harvey’s house and be familiar with her away around so she could easily escape without Mr. Harvey catching her. The remaining vestiges of farmland created a perfect place for Mr. Harvey to build his ‘projects’. Another specific element that was important was the sinkhole. The reason the sinkhole was important was because that’s where he hid Susie’s body and no one could find it because it was locked in a safe sinking into the Earth. It was also an important element in The Lovely Bones because that’s where Ray and ‘Ruth’ made love at the conclusion of the
The author, Sebold, chose this time period so the story would be longer and for it to establish why no one suspected Mr. Harvey. In the time period Sebold chose, people were much more neighborly. Mr. Harvey was considered ‘weird’, however no one thought he would have done something as terrible as killing his neighbor, Susie, and many other girls. The 1970s was also an excellent period since a majority of the teenagers were smoking pot and …show more content…
Harvey to commit a murder in the 1970s, and he could convince almost everyone he was innocent. The similar houses of the neighborhood allowed Lindsey, Susie’s sister, to sneak into Mr. Harvey’s house and be familiar with her away around so she could easily escape without Mr. Harvey catching her. The remaining vestiges of farmland created a perfect place for Mr. Harvey to build his ‘projects’. Another specific element that was important was the sinkhole. The reason the sinkhole was important was because that’s where he hid Susie’s body and no one could find it because it was locked in a safe sinking into the Earth. It was also an important element in The Lovely Bones because that’s where Ray and ‘Ruth’ made love at the conclusion of the