Summary
Susie describes an encounter she had with Ruth who evidently has some sort of psychic ability as she sees and feels Susie run past her after we know she has died. Ruth distances herself from people as she is troubled by her memories of this and starts writing poetry. Susie spends time using her freedom of observing people on earth and talks about missing her mother. She recalls her 11th birthday and the camera she got as a gift; she remembers taking an unusual picture of Abigail and realises that in many ways she was performing the role of a happy wife and parent. Susie recalls when she ‘broke through’ and was able to communicate with people on earth, as Jack smashes the ships in bottles, Susie casts the reflection of her face into the shards of glass on the floor.
Presentation of time and space/place (AO1, AO2)
We receive more details of Susie’s heaven; she has a sense of distance and space in heaven as she speaks about having a view of earth that makes her feel far away and as though the living seem so small to the dead, she says that her and Holly ‘looked down’ on the dead. This links to the contextual idea of heaven being ‘above’ earth as it suggests that Susie can look down on earth and see the people appear as tiny; the Christian belief of heaven being separate from but above earth links here too. Susie notes how her and Holly are able to see souls leaving bodies and how they often react with the living which relates to the cultural idea of the dead being able to interact with the living (COR). Susie juxtaposes the idea of leaving earth as she describes the process as hurried but says they pass the living softly. Susie’s detailed description of her trauma implies that death itself seemed preferable to enduring that level of violence. She later reveals that heaven has several sensory aspects; all individuals smell their favourite scents in heaven. It is made clear to the audience that heaven is an idiosyncratic place which changes and reflects the individual taste of a person. Heaven can also be frustrating as Susie cannot receive the same comfort from Franny as she would from her mother.
What does Susie remember about her mother before Abigail realised she was being watched?
Susie remember an unusual photo she took of Abigail on her 11th birthday; reflecting in heaven Susie realised that Abigail being a happy mother and wife was only a performance.
Why does Jack smash up all the ships in bottles?
Jack smashes up the ships in bottles as an act of uncontrollable grief and anger after Susie’s murder is confirmed as he reflects on the fact that they enjoyed making them together.
