Alice Sebold began writing The Lovely Bones in the late 1990s, and it was published in 2002 to instant acclaim. Many readers consider that Sebold’s own experience of rape strongly influenced the novel’s content and themes, with one reviewer advising readers not to start the novel ‘unless you can finish it. The book begins with more horror than you can imagine, but closes with more beauty than you could hope for’ (Charles 2002).
In the opening chapter, the narrator, 14-year-old Susie Salmon, describes how she was raped and murdered by ‘a man from our neighbourhood ’ (Ch. 1), George Harvey. Harvey remains a key character throughout the novel, evading the police until, in the final pages, Susie is finally able to exact revenge not only for herself but for his many other victims. A detailed analysis of this character needs to address the linguistic and literary devices that Sebold uses to present him and consider which contextual and narrative factors are especially significant in his portrayal.
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