The Lovely Bones

Compare the various attitudes toward grief in the novel The Lovely Bones. How does each of the characters channel their grief in different ways? Which of the characters, in your opinion, handle grief in healthier ways than others? What circumstances drive the characters’ grief? What are some possible reasons some of the characters had a more difficult time with their grief than others? 

Teaching Suggestion: Some students may have difficulty sorting through the information the novel provides about all the characters. It may be helpful to guide students to first create a graphic organizer identifying each of the characters, then answer the questions about each of the characters in the novel to help them organize their thoughts. Consider using the graphic organizer below as an example.

Questions / Character 1/ Character 2 / Character 3/ Character 4 / Character 5 etc.

Healthy or Unhealthy grief

Circumstances driving grief

Reasons for difficulty, etc.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who benefit from additional assistance in focusing or for those with executive function challenges, consider having students analyze only two of the characters, such as Abigail and Jack. Students might compare their grief and the way those two characters dealt with grief using the questions above.