Inspiration in form of a fourteen year old

Most of my way through The Lovely Bones, I just thought of it as a very sad story and a very sad situation. Though it is indeed sad, I have come to realize that this was not Alice Sebold's goal. From any point of view this is a sad story, Sebold's true intention was to send a message out to all of her readers. This message is the following: life goes on. Throughout everyone's life there is always a moment in which something awful happens. Sebold, having experienced something similar to Susie Salmon, shows us (the readers) firsthand that we have a choice in these events. Our choice is to feel sorry for ourselves or to put our best foot forward and move on.

Susie Salmon, a fourteen year old who endures one of the worst possible things that could happen to anyone, is forced to grow up and move on with her life. Moving on in to a sort of half way heaven, Susie watches everyone she loves and hates move on without her, experience things she never would, and try to fill the gap Susie's death left in their lives. To me, more than anything, this is a story of inspiration and life lessons. Through Mr. Harvey, we learn that you might have to wait, but everything comes back to a person who does evil. Susie, watching from heaven, also sees her loved ones maturing, making mistakes, and trying to honor her memory. Though Susie sometimes feels jealous and angry, she always returns to her amazingly strong state of mind.

My view of Susie as a hero, even through the worst of times, is one of my favorite things about this novel. She does show us that life goes on and to make the best of what you have. These lessons are not said in a preaching sort of manner in the book. They are emotions and lessons that the reader must pick up in between the lines. Perhaps this book was not meant to teach these exact lessons, it is just an inspiration to tell the reader what they need to hear. When I see a character like Susie get over her fears, disappointments, and desires it makes me appreciate what i have and realize what I need to do.

Another attraction I have to the book is the close relationships exposed within the characters. My favorite example of this is Ruth and Ray who come together as close friends after Susie's death. This also is Susie and Sebold's way of saying that life goes on. When there is nothing you can do to change the past, these characters teach us that you must embrace the future and your new people in it. I have no clue if Sebold's goal in writing The Lovely Bones was to teach these lessons. However, I do believe she wrote this to reach out to anyone who needs inspiration and hope. Through the Salmon family, Ruth, Ray, and of course Susie, we learn that life goes on (506).