Sex Quotes in The Lovely Bones

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

Clarissa, giggly with both fear and lust, had unlocked her privates and slept with Brian. However haphazardly, everyone I'd known was growing up. (13.2)

Susie gets awful snide when she describes Clarissa's sexual experience. Well, Clarissa, her best friend on Earth, has essentially betrayed her by not honoring her memory. Clearly Susie is jealous that others can experience consensual sex, while her only experience with sex was violent.

Quote #5

To find a doorway out of her ruined heart in merciful adultery. (15.66)

Susie recognizes her mother's right to chose what she does with her body. She seems to see Abigail's affair with Len Fenerman as a healthy, necessary part of her grieving process and her process of self discovery. What do you think?

Quote #6

What no one understood – and they could not begin to tell anyone – was that it had been an experiment between them. Ray had kissed only me, and Ruth had never kissed anyone, so […] they agreed to kiss each other and see. (16.17)

Ruth and Ray aren't going to let anybody dictate their path to sexual knowledge. But, they are both far less eager to actually have sex than the other people in the book. This undoubtedly has a lot to do with Susie.