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Death in The Lovely Bones and Sharp Objects

            When death occurs, people react and vent their grief in different ways. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold and Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn both demonstrate the many variants of these reactions – such as focusing solely on the death and dissecting it or pushing it to one side and acting as if it never happened. Although both stories involve murder, the means by which the murders occur are completely different – though they do result in similar consequences. Both books have been published within the last ten years and so, follow the same recognizable current reactions in society today They demonstrate the grief that is felt and the publicity violent death is given – this is especially highlighted in Sharp Objects: two deaths occur in a remote town and somehow the media are able to find out about it hundreds of miles away. We also are privy to similar euphemisms that are used to describe death in today's society such as 'Gone to a better place' and 'Passed away'. Sebold breaks the news to the parents that Susie is dead by having the police mention that there was too much blood for her to have survived. This interesting euphemism softens the sharp realization that Jack and Abigail's daughter is gone forever.
             The Lovely Bones and Sharp Objects both demonstrate that after death, the traditionally parental role of caring is passed over to the siblings. Camille steps in from her mother's neglect and looks after her half-sister, Amma in Sharp Objects and Buckley takes care of his dad in The Lovely Bones – 'He nodded and kissed my father's cheekthe care a child took with an adult'. The kiss that Buckley gives his father can be seen as a symbol of reassurance; Buckley making sure that his father knows that he is there for him. Additionally, the role reversal can be seen as an advantage due to the fact that both mothers in the books are detached from their families throughout and this is developed as the stories go on – almost as if they are in their own worlds.


Essays Related to Death in The Lovely Bones and Sharp Objects

1. The Lovely Bones - Grieving the Loss of a Loved One

"The Lovely Bones," by Alice Sebold, tells the story of a teenage girl named Susie Salmon who was raped and murdered by her neighbor. ... To begin, Jack Salmon is one of the characters that Alice Sebold uses to reveals the one of the five stages of grief in her novel, The Lovely Bones, which is anger. ... Alice Sebold's novel, The Lovely Bones, uses Jack, Abigail and Lindsey Salmon as her examples of the one of the five stages of grief, which is depression. ... In fact, at the end of the novel, she says, "These were the lovely bones that had grown my absence: the connections - someti...

  • Word Count: 1619
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Allusions from Lovely Bones

Allusions From the book Lovely Bones, I have selected the following allusion to discus and also to give it form and place in this writing. ... The first connection that I found very interesting between "To kill a Mockingbird & Lovely Bones is that both books contain the same basic idea, which is that the main characters suffer a terrible tragedy, but the town people don't know who the bad person is. ...

  • Word Count: 418
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Literacy Narrative - Pick Up a Book and Read

But once she placed that big blue book "The Lovely Bones" on my desk and I read the first page I started to realize the importance of her telling me this. ... "The Lovely Bones " helped me to develop the part of my mind that understands these things are happening in the world we live in and will only keep me better prepared and highly knowledgeable. ... Susie realizes that heaven can be whatever she wants it to be, so she chooses to create it in the image of her hometown when she realizes she can't have those things she needs to survive and live, until she notices aga...

  • Word Count: 1413
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Bone Detectives: Formal Case Report

Through a prominent spine, sharp ridge, and straight projection of the jaw, it was concluded that the subject was of White or Caucasian descent. ... This data helped to explain the age of the male at his death. ... Other methods that can be completed by the FBI is Bone marrow aspiration and DNA analysis. Bone marrow aspiration is a procedure used to collect and evaluate bone marrow. ... The Tibia was not recovered so we could not measure that bone. ...

  • Word Count: 622
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Character Analysis - Abigail in The Lovely Bones

In the novel, "The Lovely Bones," by Alice Sebold, the main character, Susie Salmon, is raped and murdered by her new neighbor, George Harvey, when walking home from school. ... In the early months after Susie's death, Jack and Abigail's relationship could be best described as falling apart. ... As Abigail can not cope with Susie's death and the way that Jack is acting, she leaves the family for a long while. ...

  • Word Count: 525
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

6. The Use of a Story That Isn

One book that really came to mind was The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, a book that opened my eyes to the tragic world of rape, murder, and deceit. ... The Lovely Bones changed my perspective of heaven. ... The Lovely Bones does not make me question my faith that there is a heaven, but I now question what my heaven will bring for me. In The Lovely Bones, Susie's death has a great impact on the lives of everyone who knew her. ... The Lovely Bones creates another image of what might happen after life. ...

  • Word Count: 1240
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

In Gillian Flynn's intriguing novel, Sharp Objects, many themes are portrayed. ... She uses alcohol as an escape from her own thoughts: "I've always been partial to the image of liquor as lubrication, a layer of protection from all the sharp thoughts in your head" (Flynn 217). ... Including leading Camille to become a depressed, alcoholic emo, leading Amma to become a murderer, and leading to the eventual death of Mariam. ...

  • Word Count: 727
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Organ Donation

Organ donation does not happen until after brain death is pronounced. ... Some organs are still useable after brain death but the standards for determining brain death are very strict. ... Everyone can usually donate something, regardless of the cause of death. ... Excluding blood and bone marrow transplants, people donate all tissues for transplant after death. ... Bone marrow is a soft fatty tissue found inside bones. ...

  • Word Count: 1874
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Bones

Rule of the Bone can be divided into three distinct sections. ... The development of Bone is most evident right here. ... It corrupted Doc, and Bone could end up the same way. This is the reason Bone decides to return to America. ... Bone's time in Jamaica is what really defines his life. ...

  • Word Count: 1223
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

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