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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. What does Jack try to use the board game for that the family plays at Christmas?

2. What animals run freely in Susie's heaven?

3. When Susie was still alive, why is Ruth Connors reprimanded for her drawings in art class?

4. What comfort did Susie offer Ruth after she is reprimanded in art class?

5. Who are Clarissa and Brian?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Samuel Heckler first meets the Salmon family, what does the reader learn about him?

2. What does Susie's heaven have?

3. How does Mr. Harvey dispose of Susie's body?

4. How is the reader supposed to interpret Lindsey's reaction to seeing Mr. Harvey at Susie's memorial?

5. What is Susie referring to when she speaks of her "Evensong"?

6. When was the last time Mr. Harvey saw his mother?

7. After she tells of her own murder, what embarrassing story about Lindsey does Susie recall?

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

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

10. When Buckley keeps asking where his sister is immediately after her murder, why do his parents suggest going to the zoo?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

As The Lovely Bones progresses, the Salmon family continues to unravel. Discuss the main reason why the family unravels, what exact moment the unraveling begins, and when the unraveling is completed. Make sure to use specific examples from the text to support your argument.

Essay Topic 2

Beginning fairly early in the novel, several characters claim to see Susie's ghost. Name two of these characters; discuss the circumstances of when, how, and where they see Susie; and describe how these early "sightings" can be interpreted as foreshadowing Susie's reappearance at the end of the novel.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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This section contains 749 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample