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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. Where do Samuel and Lindsey first make love?

2. What type of narration does The Lovely Bones display?

3. Who comforts Jack when he is found sobbing in Susie's room after his emotions bubble to the surface for the first time after Susie's death?

4. What item did Mr. Harvey offer Susie to make her more comfortable in his secret room?

5. When Buckley asks Nate if he sees his dead sister, what does Nate say?

Short Essay Questions

1. While visiting Jack in the hospital, what does Lindsey try to do to comfort him?

2. Who is Claire?

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

4. Why is the first picture Susie takes of her mother so memorable to Susie?

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

6. What treats do Susie and Holly find in their heavens?

7. After Susie's murder, Lindsey has a rough time at school. What is it about school that makes her so angry?

8. What does Jack's breaking of the ships in the bottle symbolize?

9. What surprising advice does Ruana give Jack about what to do about his suspicions of Mr. Harvey?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Detective Fenerman and the police department play a significant role in the story in The Lovely Bones, even if that role is made significant by their inaction. Discuss 1) how an author can use authority figures in a text, 2) how/if an author relies upon an inherent trust between the reader and authority figures, and 3) at least three ways the relationship between a reader and a text's authority figures can be manipulated (positively or negatively) in a story line.

Essay Topic 2

Throughout The Lovely Bones, there are many ghosts that come and go throughout the text. is the reader supposed to assume that they are real, or are they being used purely as a literary device? Use evidence from the text to support your argument.

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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