Kelso High School English Department
“Chapter Seventeen”
In today’s lesson we will: Analyse Chapter Seventeen in relation to: plot characterisation Theme: Coming of Age / Grief and Loss symbolism
Plot Discuss briefly with your partner the main events of Chapter Seventeen. Check that your chapter summary notes include all relevant information.
Characterisation: Jack Looking at Abigail’s photos, Jack realises that he is falling in love with her all over again. The last few pictures show the mask she had begun to wear when her marriage was under strain. Jack asks himself, “ Did I do that to you? How did that happen?” He feels deep guilt about having failed Abigail, just as he still grieves for not having been able to protect Susie.
Theme: Coming of Age Susie is becoming more and more accepting of her death: “ At twenty-one Lindsey was many things I would never become, but I barely grieved for the list anymore.”
Theme: Grief and Loss “ Where was I? Would I be mentioned? Brought up and discussed? Usually the answer was a disappointing no. It was no longer a Susie-fest on Earth.” The family is beginning to heal and rely more and more on each other and not constantly relive the lives they had with Susie.
Theme: Grief and Loss Incident: Buckley sees Susie standing by the clock. The strings are waving out from her towards them all. The strings are slowly being cut as her family is slowly beginning to let her go. She disappears before Buckley can call her name and bring her back.
Symbolism: Lindsey running home in the rain Symbolises the symbolic washing away of pain and finding closure. Susie knows from the memory of the two of them that she has as she runs that Lindsey is almost healed.
Symbolism: Snow globe Reader is reacquainted with the snow globe from the mini-prologue. Forever represents Susie in Jack’s mind. Jack told her not to worry about the penguin because he was safe and lived in a perfect world. For both Jack and Susie, the perfect world where she is alive and grows up is something that can no longer happen.
Symbolism: Lindsey and Samuel’s house They find a house the day after he proposes. It needs work but so does Lindsey. When it is fixed it will be perfect for them and it will represent the rebuilding of the Salmon family. “Samuel Heckler…. Fixer of broken things,”
Symbolism: Houses References throughout novel to sameness of houses in the suburb. Grandma Lynn is surprised Abigail was happy with a house that looked the same as everyone else. Did this suggest that she was such a reluctant housewife that she didn’t care about her house? Susie lives in a duplex because she hated her house on Earth. Lindsey’s house will be unique and interesting - the family has moved on.
The End: Well done!