I asked this question yesterday but no one has answered thus far so I thought I'd try asking again:
If anyone has read The Lovely Bones novel could you please explain 2 things to me.
1) Is Ruth Connors able to see the dead? When she moves to NYC she writes about all the murdered women she finds. How does she go about doing that? Can see she Susie too?
2) How is Buckley able to see Susie? She didn't touch him when she left Earth :/
1) To answer your first question about Ruth Connors in "The Lovely Bones" novel, we need to explore her ability to see the dead and how she goes about finding murdered women in New York City.
To understand Ruth's ability, it is important to note that she has a form of psychic sensitivity. Although she cannot see spirits like Susie Salmon can, she possesses a unique perception of the spiritual world. Ruth is particularly connected to her surroundings and has a heightened intuition which allows her to pick up on spiritual energies.
In the story, Ruth moves to New York City and starts to write about murdered women. It is implied that she does not physically see the spirits of the murdered women, but rather senses their presence and experiences emotions or impressions related to their deaths. She taps into her psychic sensitivity and uses her intuition to connect with and understand these women on a deeper level. While she may not be aware of Susie's presence specifically, it is possible that she could pick up on the residual energy or emotions tied to Susie's death, given the close proximity and shared connection within the story.
2) Regarding Buckley's ability to see Susie Salmon, it is indeed not because she physically touched him when she left Earth. In the novel, Buckley's ability to see Susie is more symbolic and metaphorical. He is still a young child when Susie dies, and his innocence and open-mindedness allow him to connect with her presence in a different way.
In the book, the author, Alice Sebold, presents the idea that children have a more instinctive connection with the spiritual realm. Buckley's young age and his love for his sister enable him to remain open to the possibility of Susie's presence, even though he does not fully comprehend it. It is a subtle way to show the emotional bond between the siblings and how Susie's impact continues to resonate in Buckley's life.
To summarize, Ruth Connors in "The Lovely Bones" does not possess the same ability to see spirits as Susie Salmon but rather has a psychic sensitivity that allows her to tap into the spiritual energies and emotions related to murdered women. On the other hand, Buckley's ability to see Susie is more metaphorical and emphasizes the idea that children have a more instinctive connection to the spiritual realm.