View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

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

2. Who does Ruth arrive at Susie's memorial with?

3. What is Mr. Harvey's relationship status?

4. How difficult was it for Mr. Harvey to lure Susie to his secret room?

5. What happens to Clarissa after Jack is attacked?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do Ray and Ruth decide Susie must be happier after her murder?

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

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

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

5. What does the reader learn about Susie from how easily she goes into Mr. Harvey's secret room?

6. What does Susie's heaven have?

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

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

There are many characters that appear throughout The Lovely Bones. Discuss the pros and cons of having so many characters in a text.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 736 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample