Bees: A Narrative Fiction

Lily starts to feel that she has developed a bond with the Boatwright sisters. Lily does not have a good relationship with her father. He makes her feel unwanted and abuses her verbally and physically. Lily’s father comes to the Boatwright’s residence and demands that Lily returns home with him but she refuses. The sisters inform the father that Lily can stay with them and they pledge to take good care of her, “ I still remember telling myself that when he drove away that day he wasn’t saying good riddance; he was saying, Oh, Lily, you’re better off in that house of coloured women. You never would have flowered with me like you will with them” (Kidd 299-300). Lily came to the realization that her father was not fit to provide her with the love and nurturing that she deserved. The sisters provided her with a loving environment where she feels protected. Also, the Boatwright sisters, especially August, are strong female role models. Lily will model her ideals, values and morals after the Boatwright

If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.

“In a matter of seconds I knew exactly what I had to do-leave. I had to get away from T. Ray, who was probably on his way back this minute to do Lord-knows-what to me. ”(p. 41). In Sue Monk Kidd’s fiction book The Secret Life of Bees, Lily’s life is an obvious example of coming of age.

After Rosaleen is taking to the hospital to recover from her wounds, Lily takes it upon herself to save her dear mother figure. She knew that Rosaleen would never apologize, just as the men would never cease beating Rosaleen until she did apologize. Lily feared for Rosaleen’s life, and so she snuck her out of the hospital. But as the two journey to Tiburon, SC, they get in an argument. Sue Monk Kidd uses this argument to show that even close friends and family will fight. But as the friendship between Lily and Rosaleen heals, Kidd also illustrates how family will always love each

Setting of Novel: The Secret Life of Bees took place in the 1960s in Sylvan, South Carolina

Lily feels alone in this world. She is ostracized at school, treated with an absence of love and lives day to day knowing that she has committed irreversible acts. When she thinks about her mother all of these complications melt away in the warm allure she feels.

Sean Connery stated: “Some age, others mature”. In Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees, literary devices such as indirect characterization, symbolism and allusions are displayed. Throught Kidd’s novel, these literary devices help to present to the reader that Lily has undergone changes, developing her into a more mature character over the course of the novel.

Question 1: Choose a character whom you think changed the most in this novel. Why did the character change? What caused this character to change? What motivated this character's decisions/actions?

It is very important that the correct historical accuracy is utilized when writing. I think this because if the piece fails to be accurate, then people may get the wrong idea of the meaning trying to be portrayed in the writing. If the written information is false, then the truth may seem as if it is being covered up. This may make it feel like the author is trying to hide the truth or is fleeing the truth of the real history.

She also begins to understand emotion better, and think about it. “‘What…. do you love, Lily?’ No one had ever asked me this before. What did I love?” (Kidd 139). Under T. Ray’s care, Lily was still developing her sense of self and beginning to feel deeper, but T. Ray didn’t really allow her to feel or be who she was. When Lily is finally freed from T. Ray’s stifling attitude, she has the freedom to explore being a teenaged girl, and to figure out who she it with Rosaleen, August, May, June and Zach. In the story, Lily is finding out who she is, and how she feels. This new awareness of emotion is imperative to that search. Lily is becoming more aware of her emotions in this

The Literary Quest in The Secret Life of Bees “She is a muscle of love, this Mary. I feel her in unexpected moments, her Assumption into heaven happening in places inside me… August says she goes into the holes life has gouged out of us” (374). In this quote, Lily Owens is expressing how the black Mary has helped her overcome many struggles in her life. Lily is a 14 year old girl who is from Sylvan, South Carolina.

“I'm going to tell Grandfather, right now!” Painted Girl yelled at Sarah. “And you,” she said, turning on John. “You are no better than her! You're supposed to be working, not… frolicking with everyone! What will Grandfather think when he finds out what you've been doing to his granddaughter? What will Richard think? He’d fire you for this, friend or not.”

In the novel The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, Lily Owens discovers the deeper meaning of home, family, love, and choosing what matters, through a long journey of lies and hope. After experiencing cruelties, prejudice, and escaping from the authorities, Lily set out on an adventure to find out the truth of what happened to her mother.

The notes and letters written in,” Gibberish” (Scared, Overwhelmed) sent chills up her spine, and made her make the decision to hire around the clock guards. The police guards were with her all hours of the day in case the stalker decided to make a move. Eventually Megyn and the guards’ intelligence caught the stalker and threw him in jail.when the detective questioned the criminal, he claimed to have a love relationship with Megyn even though they had never met. Once the neurotic stalker was pronounced guilty, Megyn was able to sleep with her eyes closed again. Overall, Megyn thought that she had completely overcome the stalker. That is until she was recently informed that the criminal was released from prison and is,” Back on the streets” ( Scared, Overwhelmed). She intends to stand tall and fight back if he sets his eyes on her

“ This time, I'm at the mayflower police station as a criminal. Sixteen (almost sixteen), and I are behind bars. Okay, maybe I am being a bit dramatic. It's not as if I am being locked up with serial killers or slashers but I am in a cell. Deanna's with me, along with about thirty underage girls who were also at the party and didn't run away in time or convince the police to let them go.”