What are some examples of figurative language in The Lovely Bones?

When
examining figurative language, keep in mind that it is writing that the author does not intend
for you to take literally. Figurative language adds depth and beauty to the author's
story.

In ,utilizes figurative language throughout her
novel. Mostly she uses(a comparison of two things by using the words "like" or
"as") and(or writing that appeals to any of the five senses). By using these specific
types of figurative language, Sebold is able to strengthen the novel's narrator:
Susie.

Susie uses similes to make comparisons between descriptions she thinks
her audience will know to those she believes they will not. In chapter 7, Sebold writes "My
parents were like sleepwalkers saying yes to his questions, nodding their heads to flowers or
speakers." This comparison to sleepwalkers illustrates the pain her parents are going
through. They're unable to do anything aside from nod mindlessly while making the funeral
arrangements. Later in the chapter, Susie uses a simile again when she describes her first kiss:
"Our only kiss was like an accident- a beautiful gasoline rainbow." Later in the book,
Susie uses the simile

I watched my beautiful sister
running . . . and I knew she was not running away from me or toward me. Like someone who has
survived a gunshot, the wound had been closing, closing -braiding into a scar for eight long
years.

The powerful simile explains that, for her sister,
getting over Susie's death is like getting over a gunshot wound: it is painful and takes
time.

Imagery is used throughout the text as Susie describes her view of
heaven, what she sees going on at home, and even how she died. When describing heaven, Susie
says it is "large, squat buildings spread out on dismally landscaped sandy lots, with
overhangs and open spaces to make them feel more modern." In chapter 5, Susie uses her
childliketo describe her family's home: "the spots on our suburban walls replaced with
bright graphic prints meant to stimulate children." Later, in a flashback in Chapter 15,
Susie remembers a thunderstorm and reminisces about how she and her sister enjoyed them:
"We both listened together to the rain pour down and the thunderclap and smelled the earth
rising to greet us."