Lovely Bones

The Grieving Process of Abigail The Lovely Bones is written by Alice SeBold and is ab bug out a young girl named Susie who was brutally murdered by her next door neighbor, Mr. Harvey. No one suspected Mr. Harvey in the beginning, but with Susies help from the beyond, he became the lead suspect. Susie began to send clues to her family from heaven, but the problem was that alone her father, brother and sister could connect with her and feel her presence. This problem expanded quickly and because of it, tore the family apart. Abigail, Susies mother, became the one torn from the family.Abigail dealt with Susies devastation differently than everyone else in the Salmon family. Abigails grieving process was slower than everyone elses grieving process. Abigail becomes the antagonist in the novel and becomes the one character that cant display case Susies goal. When the Salmon family first finds out that Susie is indeed dead, Abigail responds by being cast down, she is sad and shocked by the fact that her oldest child and first daughter is rattling gone and will never be coming back, and much like the rest of the Salmon family, she demands answers on who, why and how her daughter, Susie was murdered. My mother sat on a hard chair by the front door with her mouth open. Her pale face paler than I had ever seen it. Her blue eyes staring (Sebold 11). Abigail cant believe that Susie is gone. Things like this dont happen to a family like hers. She doesnt know what to do or say at this moment. Abigail remains depressed throughout certain points in the novel. You look invincible (Sebold 211). Abigail wishes that she could be as strong as Lindsey.Abigail calls her invincible because she wishes that she could be as strong and subject to explosive charge for the family and deal with Susies death like Lindsey. Nothing is ever certain (Sebold 20). Jack was the one who gave Abigail this idea, but she clings on to this saying as if somewhere out there, Susie is alive, despite the recent evidence. Abigail goes through the denial stage of grief and puts her defenses up to protect herself from the truth. How can you be sure he killed these other girls (Sebold 291). It seems as if Abigail was stressful to defend Mr.Harvey. She doesnt want to hear about Susies case anymore and shes not interested in who killed her daughter, she just wants to be able to move on with her life. Abigail goes through the grief stages of anger and bargaining. Abigail becomes frustrated with her family and their pursuit of Susies killer. Abigail then begins to bargain with the one man that could solve the mystery that surrounds the death of Susie. I dont know what to saywe have a family, a family and a son and Im going (Sebold 185).Abigail is pushed to her limit and shes done with her familys foolishness. She wants to move on but her family and Susie are holding her back. How can I be expected to be trapped by a man frozen in time (Sebold 276). Abigail doesnt want to be with a perso n whos still dwelling on their daughters murder and not pitiable on. I just want it to be spoken out loud by somebody. To have it said aloud. Im ready, I wasnt before Abigail is looking for comfort from someone who isnt dwelling on the past.Len provides her this comfort but really shes just inhumation her feelings towards Susie deep inside. Abigail doesnt fully accept the fact that Susie is dead and gone and will no longer return. She pushes her family away and takes herself away from the situation by moving to California to begin a new life. She becomes estranged from her family and her family becomes estranged from her. Although deep inside Abigail misses her daughter Susie, she will never be able to accept her death fully because she goes through too much of the denial and bargaining stages of grief.Abigail isnt in touch with her emotions, like her husband Jack is, and she acts out in a destructive way which damages her relationship between her and her family. Works Cited Sebol d, Alice. The Lovely Bones. Boston Little, Brown & Company, 2002. Print. Dombeck, Mark, and Kathryn Patricelli. Introduction to Grief and Bereavement Issues. _Introduction to Grief and Bereavement Issues_. Print. Ross, Elisabeth Kubler. flipper Stages of Grief. Death & Dying. Print.