Lovely Bones Criticism

You ever wonder if the dead are truly dead, if their souls escape their body and roam around with the living? In this case, Susie Salmon in, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, sees it all, from every word said, every action made, and idea thought. Susie Salmon was just fourteen years old when a familiar face in her neighborhood took her life. Mr. Harvey raped and killed Susie after an ordinary day walking home from school. What made The Lovely Bones such a significant read was the first perspective narration. Susie was able to provide intel about each character and how they dealt with the loss of their daughter or sister. Though Susie was a reliable source, I however, would become an unreliable audience due to the way I read the book. This was because my reader response to certain characters and events. By applying the chapters “Psychoanalytic Criticism” and “Reader- response Criticism,” from Lois Tyson’s novel Critical Theory Today, I was able to understand grief through the first person perspective, and how the Salmon family handled and resolved their grief. We’ve heard the phrase, “there’s always two sides to a story.” This implies one side of a story may be off and biased than the other side. However; …show more content…
This wasn’t clear until reading the chapter, “Reader- response Criticism,” by Lois Tyson. I was able to find a meaning for my feelings towards certain characters in the novel. By using “Psychoanalytic Criticism” also by Lois Tyson, I was able to descriptively explore the grief of every character throughout the novel from the first person perspective as the victim. These theories made the book such a significant read because you’re constantly questioning whether the author has created those feelings or if they come from your personal experiences. So, next time you pick up a book ask yourself why you feel a certain way towards the