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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which character informs the reader that Susie is not the first girl Mr. Harvey has killed?

2. What picture does Lindsey find in Susie's room when she enters it for the first time after her death?

3. Which character tries to get Lindsey to talk about her emotions right after Susie dies?

4. When Mr. Harvey and Jack first start talking after Susie's murder, what does Mr. Harvey say to Jack?

5. What do the teachers change the final symposium project to the year Lindsey is in attendance?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Nate have such a hard time believing Buckley when he says he sees his sister's ghost?

2. Who is Claire?

3. What first makes Susie start to think that there might be other heavens other than just her own?

4. When Lindsey and Ruth are up late talking about Susie at the symposium, what does Ruth say her bad dreams are about?

5. How does Susie respond to Buckley's claim that he can see her ghost?

6. How does Mr. Harvey react when Jack accuses him of being involved in his daughter's death?

7. After Susie is murdered, what does Jack want desperately from his dead daughter?

8. How does Ruth Connors begin expressing herself after she sees Susie's ghost?

9. Why does Grandma Lynn at first avoid Lindsey's questions about who her father suspects was involved in Susie's murder?

10. How do the police respond to Jack's constant phone calls about Mr. Harvey?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

While the character of Mr. Harvey is quite complicated, Sebold lets the reader into his background, mindset, and psychology more than an average author might. Using what the reader knows about Mr. Harvey's dreams, discuss three aspects of his character that the reader may not otherwise have known about.

Essay Topic 2

The "Snapshots" chapter is unlike any other in The Lovely Bones. Discuss what function it serves in the text and why Sebold may have chosen to switch to this style in the middle of the novel (and then switch back in the very next chapter).

Essay Topic 3

Ruth's relationship with Susie after Susie's death is in strong contrast to the relationship they had while Susie was still alive. Is the reader supposed to believe that Ruth has some kind of spiritual connection with Susie after she dies? Or is the reader supposed to believe that Ruth's connection with Susie is completely in her own mind? Use at least three specific examples from the text to support your position.

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This section contains 800 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample