Style and Figurative Language
Figurative language such as similes, metaphors, and imagery are commonly used through out the novel of The Lovely Bones.
Chapters 1-4
Alice Sebold used an extensive amount of imagery in the first section of her novel The Lovely Bones. She uses imagery to descriptively describe what Susie's heaven looks like and according to Susie everyone's heaven is different. For example "...large, squat buildings spread out on dismally landscaped sandy lots, with overhangs and open spaces to make them feel more modern" (Sebold 16). is imagery that describe what the buildings surrounding Susie in her heaven look like.
Another dramatic scene that is in the first section besides Susie being in heaven at age fourteen is that she was murdered by her neighbor. Sebold uses many similes to describe George Harvey such as "...he wore his own innocence like a comfortable old coat" (Sebold 26). or "...as his consciousness woke, it was as if poison seeped in" (Sebold, 58). to describe the actions and guilt a murderer such as George Harvey might have.
There is also an additional piece of figurative language in this section "What you got in there, a dead body? she joked." (Sebold 52), which is sarcasm or in correct terms a hyperbole, but what the women doesn't realize is that inside the trunk of Mr. Harvey's there was a dead body and the dead body was Susie's.
The style that Sebold uses in this particular section is articulate. Her writing is easily understood and forwardly expressed through her figurative language.
Chapters 5-9
In chapter seven Alice Sebold uses imagery to describe Susie's house and what it looked when she was a kid, "...the spots on our suburban walls replaced with bright graphic prints meant to stimulate children" (Sebold, 92).
Another piece of figurative language used in this section is a simile located in chapter nine, "My parents were like sleepwalkers saying yes to his questions, nodding their heads to flowers or speakers" (Sebold, 98). This quote is relating to Susie's parents whom are getting ready for Susie's funeral making sure every thing and prepared but, as you can notice Susie relates or compares her parents to sleep walker that are saying yes too every question. So with this simile you can infer that Susie's parents are tired of letting Susie's murder drag on and are ready to get it through the ceremony.
An additional quote that was found in this section was "Our only kiss was like an accident- a beautiful gasoline rainbow.” which is a simile that relates to Susie's first kiss with her crush an giving a glance through word of how powerful the feeling was.
The style that Sebold wrote in this section was more diffuse rather than articulate. This certain style was very wordy and not easy to comprehend.
Chapters 10-14
In this section Susie's younger siblings are growing up past were Susie left off. As Susie's sister Lindsey steps in to adultery hood Susie compares herself to her sister "At age fourteen, my sister sailed away from me into a place I'd never been. In the walls of my sex there was horror and blood, in the walls of hers there were windows." (Sebold 125). The figurative language being personification considering that in sex there are no walls nor windows.
The style that Alice Sebold specifically used in this section would declamatory. Susie express multiple feelings and opinions with great force.
Chapters 15-19 including Snapshot.
An example of figurative language from this particular section is imagery "We both listened together to the rain pour down and the thunder clap and smelled the earth rising to greet us" (Sebold, 211). This is also a flash back to when Susie and her sister were younger and loved to experience thunder storms.
Also found in this section is the simile “I watched my beautiful sister running . . . and I knew she was not running away from me or toward me. Like someone who has survived a gut-shot, the wound had been closing, closing - braiding into a scar for eight long years.” (Sebold 242).
which is comparing her sister to healing from a gunshot when in retrospect Lindsey is healing from her sisters death.
Sebold is using a style of crisp. The writing that is not only clear and effective but dear and heart warming.
Chapters 20-23 including Bones
"They're afraid of more sink holes like the one that swallowed the cars" (Sebold 328) is simile about a sink hole that was close to Susie's house where the locals would through their old appliances, but for Susie the sink hole is more than just a place where old furnishings are dropped. The sink hole was were George Harvey had disposed of Susie's body that he had out in a large trunk, the sink hole was practically Susie's grave.
To conclude Susie had always said that the weapon to use to get away with murder was an icicle because it melts away,
"A moment later, the icicle fell. The heavy coldness of it threw him off balance just enough for him to stumble forward . It would be weeks before the snow in the ravine melted enough to uncover his body." (Sebold 327). Mr. Harvey dies in the last chapter of the book.The icicle is symbolism for Susie its a softer or more gentle way to die, for Harvey it death itself.
As Alice Sebold begins to wrap up her novel she again like in the chapters 1-4 uses an articulate style of writing.
Figurative language such as similes, metaphors, and imagery are commonly used through out the novel of The Lovely Bones.
Chapters 1-4
Alice Sebold used an extensive amount of imagery in the first section of her novel The Lovely Bones. She uses imagery to descriptively describe what Susie's heaven looks like and according to Susie everyone's heaven is different. For example "...large, squat buildings spread out on dismally landscaped sandy lots, with overhangs and open spaces to make them feel more modern" (Sebold 16). is imagery that describe what the buildings surrounding Susie in her heaven look like.
Another dramatic scene that is in the first section besides Susie being in heaven at age fourteen is that she was murdered by her neighbor. Sebold uses many similes to describe George Harvey such as "...he wore his own innocence like a comfortable old coat" (Sebold 26). or "...as his consciousness woke, it was as if poison seeped in" (Sebold, 58). to describe the actions and guilt a murderer such as George Harvey might have.
There is also an additional piece of figurative language in this section "What you got in there, a dead body? she joked." (Sebold 52), which is sarcasm or in correct terms a hyperbole, but what the women doesn't realize is that inside the trunk of Mr. Harvey's there was a dead body and the dead body was Susie's.
The style that Sebold uses in this particular section is articulate. Her writing is easily understood and forwardly expressed through her figurative language.
Chapters 5-9
In chapter seven Alice Sebold uses imagery to describe Susie's house and what it looked when she was a kid, "...the spots on our suburban walls replaced with bright graphic prints meant to stimulate children" (Sebold, 92).
Another piece of figurative language used in this section is a simile located in chapter nine, "My parents were like sleepwalkers saying yes to his questions, nodding their heads to flowers or speakers" (Sebold, 98). This quote is relating to Susie's parents whom are getting ready for Susie's funeral making sure every thing and prepared but, as you can notice Susie relates or compares her parents to sleep walker that are saying yes too every question. So with this simile you can infer that Susie's parents are tired of letting Susie's murder drag on and are ready to get it through the ceremony.
An additional quote that was found in this section was "Our only kiss was like an accident- a beautiful gasoline rainbow.” which is a simile that relates to Susie's first kiss with her crush an giving a glance through word of how powerful the feeling was.
The style that Sebold wrote in this section was more diffuse rather than articulate. This certain style was very wordy and not easy to comprehend.
Chapters 10-14
In this section Susie's younger siblings are growing up past were Susie left off. As Susie's sister Lindsey steps in to adultery hood Susie compares herself to her sister "At age fourteen, my sister sailed away from me into a place I'd never been. In the walls of my sex there was horror and blood, in the walls of hers there were windows." (Sebold 125). The figurative language being personification considering that in sex there are no walls nor windows.
The style that Alice Sebold specifically used in this section would declamatory. Susie express multiple feelings and opinions with great force.
Chapters 15-19 including Snapshot.
An example of figurative language from this particular section is imagery "We both listened together to the rain pour down and the thunder clap and smelled the earth rising to greet us" (Sebold, 211). This is also a flash back to when Susie and her sister were younger and loved to experience thunder storms.
Also found in this section is the simile “I watched my beautiful sister running . . . and I knew she was not running away from me or toward me. Like someone who has survived a gut-shot, the wound had been closing, closing - braiding into a scar for eight long years.” (Sebold 242).
which is comparing her sister to healing from a gunshot when in retrospect Lindsey is healing from her sisters death.
Sebold is using a style of crisp. The writing that is not only clear and effective but dear and heart warming.
Chapters 20-23 including Bones
"They're afraid of more sink holes like the one that swallowed the cars" (Sebold 328) is simile about a sink hole that was close to Susie's house where the locals would through their old appliances, but for Susie the sink hole is more than just a place where old furnishings are dropped. The sink hole was were George Harvey had disposed of Susie's body that he had out in a large trunk, the sink hole was practically Susie's grave.
To conclude Susie had always said that the weapon to use to get away with murder was an icicle because it melts away,
"A moment later, the icicle fell. The heavy coldness of it threw him off balance just enough for him to stumble forward . It would be weeks before the snow in the ravine melted enough to uncover his body." (Sebold 327). Mr. Harvey dies in the last chapter of the book.The icicle is symbolism for Susie its a softer or more gentle way to die, for Harvey it death itself.
As Alice Sebold begins to wrap up her novel she again like in the chapters 1-4 uses an articulate style of writing.