Kelso High School

English Department

Bones

In today’s lesson we will:

Analyse Bones in relation to:

Plot

Key Incident One: Harvey’s Death

Key Incident Two : Abigail Suzanne

Key Incident Three: Susie’s charm

Ending

Irony

Plot

The final chapter is really more of an epilogue: Grandma Lynn has died, Samuel and Lindsey are married and have a baby girl, Susie plays a little trick with the garden, Ray becomes a doctor while Ruth tries to find a way to record all she knows to be true, and the Salmon family is well and thriving.

The final loose end - Mr. Harvey - is finally tied up when Susie causes his death in a way nearly as horrible as those of his victims.

Plot

This chapter concludes the book with several final symbolic and/or meaningful moments.

First, Lindsey and Samuel name their daughter after Abigail and Susie, ensuring that these loved ones will never be forgotten.

Second, Harvey is killed, but almost casually. He no longer matters.

Third, Susie's charm bracelet, lost when she was killed, is found, and this leads her to make the final statement: she is almost grown up now, but

will still be growing even in heaven, even after death.

Plot

Susie herself finds her wide, wide Heaven and no longer yearns for life. Finally, the charm bracelet surfaces long after its discovery is needed. But it’s the final touch, the final goodbye of a life well lived.

Key Incident One

She doesn’t dwell on revenge against Harvey but describes his death in a matter of fact way. There is a hint that she caused the icicle to fall, but then she starts the next section with “but now let me tell you about

someone special”. She is referring to the new baby: Abigail Suzanne.

Is he killed matter of factly because he doesn’t matter anymore.

Key Incident One

One of the icicles mysteriously breaks off and hits Mr. Harvey. It startles him so that he pitches forward and falls into a ravine. It will be weeks before the snow melts enough to uncover him.

Susie has her final revenge. Now she has what she wanted from the beginning: the ability to stop yearning for life and the end of the evil that Mr. Harvey had spread on Earth.

Key Incident Two

Samuel and Lindsey have a little girl whom they name Abigail Suzanne.

She is little Susie and with her, Lindsey finally is able to leave big Susie in her memories where she is meant to be.

Key Incident Three

Ironically, an unknown man finds Susie’s charm bracelet at the old industrial park where they are bulldozing the whole lot for fear of more sinkholes.

His wife washes it off and looks at each little charm, finally commenting, “This little girl’s grown up by now”.

Susie’s final words to us are her answer to this unknown woman, “Almost. Not quite. I wish you all a long and happy life.”

Ending

Outcome Susie’s family repairs the break in their bonds and moves on without Susie, but also without forgetting her. Susie is finally able to give up Earth and find her true Heaven.

Ending

The falling action also involves the aftermath for all of the Salmons and their friends:

Jack and Abigail resolve their marriage;

Lindsey and Samuel are married and have a little girl

Buckley becomes a good young man who will come to forgive his mother

Ruth continues what makes her happiest – using her sight to help the dead and the living.

Ending

Ray becomes a doctor and never forgets the possibilities of Heaven

Susie lets go of Earth and faces her eternity.

She leaves us with her final blessing, “I wish you all a long and happy life.”

The reader then can close the book with the sense that he/she has just been through a process of reconciliation, redemption, or coming to terms.

Ending - Themes G&L / C of Age

The outcome is the final resolution of the story or the denouement. In the end, every family member has accepted his or her way of grieving for Susie and cut the cord that binds him or her to Susie, cords that keep Susie bound to Earth. They move on with their lives and Susie accepts her own death.

Ending

“I wish you a long and happy life.” Like all good lines it has no clear meaning but sparks a series of thoughts in the reader’s mind. Does she mean that she doesn’t want us to go though what she and her family went through? Does she mean that life is precious, hold onto it?

Is she being ironic? We are all going to die and bad things can happen at any time. Yes, it is desirable to have a long and happy life but that is not guaranteed so be prepared for anything to happen!

Whatever it means, it packs quite a punch coming from a girl killed at 14 who has the generosity to wish us that.

Irony

It’s ironic that Susie’s charm bracelet is finally found when it’s no longer needed, not even by her.

Mr. Harvey’s death comes about because of the best murder weapon in Susie’s mind: the icicle, which she hoped Samuel and Lindsey would use for The Perfect Murder project.

The End: Well done!