Between Life and Death: Uncanny Spaces in The Lovely Bones

Abstract

Alice Sebold’s the Lovely Bones (2002) is a poignant exploration of grief, loss, and the supernatural, narrated by the deceased protagonist, Susie Salmon. Through her tragic story, Sebold crafts a narrative blending thriller, mystery, and horror, while exploring the psychological and emotional aftermath of Susie’s brutal murder. The novel’s supernatural dimension, with Susie narrating from the afterlife, evokes uncanny feelings that blur the boundaries between life and death. Freud's concept of the uncanny is essential to understand the novel’s emotional and atmospheric tension. The eerie atmosphere in Sebold’s work arises from the unsettling reversal of familiar experiences, particularly through Susie’s dual existence, present yet absent, and her interactions with the living. As Susie’s voice continues to influence her family and the world she left behind, she disrupts the natural order, creating a spectral presence that forces characters and readers to confront unresolved trauma. This paper examines the novel in the light of Freud’s concept of uncanny, focusing on how Sebold uses this psychological concept to enhance readers' engagement with the novel's central themes. The novel’s portrayal of heaven as an unsettling, liminal space, filled with Susie’s unfulfilled desires, mirroring Freud’s idea of the return of the repressed. The Lovely Bones creates a narrative that invites readers to experience the unsettling intersection of the known and unknown.