The Keystone State/ The charm and bracelet -Represent Susie
The old shoe from the monopoly game -Represent Susie and Buckley
The funeral pyre in Abigail’s dream
-Symbolically, Abigail can burn away her old self and begin again.
The women on the window’s walk of Susie’s house in heaven
-Symbolize Harvey’s victims
The bloody twig -Symbolizes Susie’s belief that rescue is always possible
The amber necklace -This represents George Harvey’s mother who was forced out of his father’s car, left in the desert and never seen again.
The “bag of magic” -Grandma Lynn’s bag of makeup represents a respite from the grief of Susie’s death
Susie’s room -For every member of her family, it symbolizes a place where she is still alive.
The porch light -It has been left on continuously and represents the family’s belief that she will come home. When Jack turns it out to try to catch Harvey in the cornfield, it represents that with the capture of her murderer; there will be closure for Susie’s family. Unfortunately, he is never caught and Susie never comes home.
The Candle -Blowing it out is the only thing Susie is able to accomplish from Heaven as she watches her father assaulted. It represents her frustration and unhappiness that she can’t do more to ease their pain.
The “hard-blessed hours” -This is how Susie refers to the time when her father is mercifully asleep after his surgery. It represents a time during which he can stop thinking about his dead daughter.
The In between -This is where Susie resides in her heaven. It is a place between earth and heaven where she and her family are stuck. They can’t go forward into the future. It is a representative of purgatory.
The number 5 -It was the last thing Mr. Harvey had seen of Lindsey running away from his house. It symbolizes to him the time when he world came crashing down.
The Map -Franny gives to Susie and it leads her to all of Mr. Harvey’s victims. It represents comfort in that she finally knows she’s not alone.
The eye charm -Mr. Harvey’s mother had given it to him after they stole it from a roadside memorial. It symbolizes how he’s always watching for his next victim.
The air filtration system in the mall -To Abigail it represents her own heart
Ocean Eyes -The nickname Jack gives Abigail represents her beautiful eyes that men want to drown themselves in, but which often have no love in them to give back.
The college books
-When Abigail begins to read them again, it symbolizes that she’s getting ready to leave her family.
The front door of the Salmon house -It looks like every other door in the development, but it symbolizes the red blood of murder.
Mr. O’Dwyers Song -They represent a time when Susie felt invincible
Daffodils -These flowers represent Susie
The snow globe
-To Susie’s father, this is Susie
The Ships in the bottle -These projects, completed by Susie and her father, represent a time when she was needed and loved.
Strings and Cords -They symbolize the bonds of the family and the chains that Susie’s death has helped create between them.
The Ticking Clock -It hangs about Jack’s hospital bed and represents not only the possibility that time is running out for him but also that time has already ran out for Susie.
The wrecked Ship -Jack thinks his relationship with Abigail as a wrecked ship, but with remnants that can be salvaged.
The Lovely Bones - Represent Susie’s body, but also the connections that cement her family together.
The Icicle -In reality it’s only frozen water that can eventually melt away. To Susie, it’s a softer way to die. For Mr. Harvey its death itself.
Significance of Susie’s Name
-Is to inform readers of the plot
-Her name means “Lilly” and her last name means “peace”. (Explains character development)
-Is a passive young girl that avoids conflict and does not disobey authority? (Mr. Harvey sees this through observation and takes advantage of this)
-(P.22 in depth meaning of her name)
-Susie could have gone home but decides to obey Mr. Harvey’s “orders”. In heaven Susie questions why she went there with Mr. Harvey but with a personality like hers she would not have been able to say no to him or had the courage to run away because she was grown into life being a polite girl that always follows the rules.
Symbolism/Motifs/Metaphors/Imagery
The Keystone State/ The charm and bracelet
-Represent Susie
The old shoe from the monopoly game
-Represent Susie and Buckley
The funeral pyre in Abigail’s dream
-Symbolically, Abigail can burn away her old self and begin again.
The women on the window’s walk of Susie’s house in heaven
-Symbolize Harvey’s victims
The bloody twig
-Symbolizes Susie’s belief that rescue is always possible
The amber necklace
-This represents George Harvey’s mother who was forced out of his father’s car, left in the desert and never seen again.
The “bag of magic”
-Grandma Lynn’s bag of makeup represents a respite from the grief of Susie’s death
Susie’s room
-For every member of her family, it symbolizes a place where she is still alive.
The porch light
-It has been left on continuously and represents the family’s belief that she will come home. When Jack turns it out to try to catch Harvey in the cornfield, it represents that with the capture of her murderer; there will be closure for Susie’s family. Unfortunately, he is never caught and Susie never comes home.
The Candle
-Blowing it out is the only thing Susie is able to accomplish from Heaven as she watches her father assaulted. It represents her frustration and unhappiness that she can’t do more to ease their pain.
The “hard-blessed hours”
-This is how Susie refers to the time when her father is mercifully asleep after his surgery. It represents a time during which he can stop thinking about his dead daughter.
The In between
-This is where Susie resides in her heaven. It is a place between earth and heaven where she and her family are stuck. They can’t go forward into the future. It is a representative of purgatory.
The number 5
-It was the last thing Mr. Harvey had seen of Lindsey running away from his house. It symbolizes to him the time when he world came crashing down.
The Map
-Franny gives to Susie and it leads her to all of Mr. Harvey’s victims. It represents comfort in that she finally knows she’s not alone.
The eye charm
-Mr. Harvey’s mother had given it to him after they stole it from a roadside memorial. It symbolizes how he’s always watching for his next victim.
The air filtration system in the mall
-To Abigail it represents her own heart
Ocean Eyes
-The nickname Jack gives Abigail represents her beautiful eyes that men want to drown themselves in, but which often have no love in them to give back.
The college books
-When Abigail begins to read them again, it symbolizes that she’s getting ready to leave her family.
The front door of the Salmon house
-It looks like every other door in the development, but it symbolizes the red blood of murder.
Mr. O’Dwyers Song
-They represent a time when Susie felt invincible
Daffodils
-These flowers represent Susie
The snow globe
-To Susie’s father, this is Susie
The Ships in the bottle
-These projects, completed by Susie and her father, represent a time when she was needed and loved.
Strings and Cords
-They symbolize the bonds of the family and the chains that Susie’s death has helped create between them.
The Ticking Clock
-It hangs about Jack’s hospital bed and represents not only the possibility that time is running out for him but also that time has already ran out for Susie.
The wrecked Ship
-Jack thinks his relationship with Abigail as a wrecked ship, but with remnants that can be salvaged.
The Lovely Bones
- Represent Susie’s body, but also the connections that cement her family together.
The Icicle
-In reality it’s only frozen water that can eventually melt away. To Susie, it’s a softer way to die. For Mr. Harvey its death itself.
Significance of Susie’s Name
-Is to inform readers of the plot
-Her name means “Lilly” and her last name means “peace”. (Explains character development)
-Is a passive young girl that avoids conflict and does not disobey authority? (Mr. Harvey sees this through observation and takes advantage of this)
-(P.22 in depth meaning of her name)
-Susie could have gone home but decides to obey Mr. Harvey’s “orders”. In heaven Susie questions why she went there with Mr. Harvey but with a personality like hers she would not have been able to say no to him or had the courage to run away because she was grown into life being a polite girl that always follows the rules.