Book Report Secret Life Of Bees

When Lily finally decides to run away from T.Ray to Tiburon with Rosaleen, the housemaid, in the movie this act is shown more as her wanting to get away from him and not so much as her being curious about what really is in Tiburon, South Carolina. Also, while at the Boatwrights house Lily did not act in a curious manner, but was mostly doing what she could to blend in so she was accepted, and not kicked out. When T.Ray tells Lily that her mother left her as a child, Lily refuses to believe so. She knows that it was just another punishment he uses to torment her, and only seeks to find the real truth at the very end of the movie. When he tries to take her away from the Boatwrights, she asks him before he leaves, “Did you lie about my mother leaving me.” The quality of Lily’s curiosity is lost in the movie. Lily’s life is represented more as a drama than her being curious and seeking answers about her mother, and the black Madonna. Because the movie lacks the value of curiosity it takes away from what the true story

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.

The first literary element in this scene that helps develop the theme is dialogue. In the scene when T.Ray is trying to take Lily home she thinks about how T.Ray is no longer talking about her but is talking about her mother, T.Ray then says, “How dare you leave me! You need a lesson, that is what you need,”(Kidd 294). This quote helps the author show that Lily is realizing that T. Ray isn’t mad at her, but is reminiscing about what Deborah did.

My novel selection is “The Secret Life of Bees.” The novel was written by Sue Monk Kidd in 1997-2001, near Charleston, South Carolina. I choose this novel due to its nature. The set is in 1964. The Civil Rights Act and segregation were at its peak. The story is of a young white girl named Lily. She lives on a peach orchard with her emotionally detached father. Her mother died when she was four years old. She comes to find love in a series of strong African-American women. One of the first influential women to love her was her caretaker. Her name was Rosaleen and she had worked the fields for her father. “Rosaleen had worked for us since my mother died. My daddy- who I called T. Ray because “Daddy” never fit him- had pulled her out of the peach orchard, where she’d worked as one of his pickers.” (print) Lily then finds the Boatright sisters. She finds the Boatright sisters after raveling to find the “Black Mary” she found on a photograph in her mother’s belongings. Lily felt locating the lady in the photograph would solve the mysteries

In the book, Lily is a fourteen-year-old girl who doesn't have a mother figure in her life, because of her mother dying, at an early age Lily is left with her unloving and irresponsible father, T-Ray, this is relevant to the book because throughout the book we see how Lily changed through having the correct and

n the novel, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, Lily a 14 year old girl is abused by her father and runs away. Throughout Lily's life she was sheltered from blacks and always thought of them as a lower class in society and her in a higher class because of her skin color. As a result she has limited respect for blacks. There are many motifs in this book that change the mindset of Lily, one of which is the Virgin Mary. The symbol the Virgin Mary is a huge impact on Lily's growth and development.

When Lily decides that she wanted to escape her troubling relationship with T. Ray learn about her mother in order to understand her own life, she flees with Rosaleen into a small tow called Tiburon in South Carolina. There, she discovers a world where her mother used to live for a short while in the past.

In addition to the Black Mary, Rosaleen showers Lily with love and support. Rosaleen treats Lily like she is her own daughter. Rosaleen accepts the way Lily is and has faith in her. "'Here you go. Happy Birthday" (28). Rosaleen cares about Lily and knows when something is important to her, like her Birthday. Lily never gets anything from T-Ray on her Birthday, but Rosaleen cares so much about her that she still gets Lily something. Rosaleen can tell when Lily is in pain or is sad like most mothers can. "'Well why don't we sit down on the side of the road awhile?'" (28). Rosaleen acknowledges the fact that Lily feels upset, and is comfortable expressing the need to rest and relax. Since Lily has known Rosaleen a long time she is comfortable expressing herself around Rosaleen and knows that Rosaleen will listen to her problems and insecurities. "'I was the only one who knew that despite her sharp ways, her heart was more tender than a flower skin and she loved me beyond reason'" (11). Rosaleen and Lily have a connection that most mothers and daughters have. They care

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is a book discussing the internal strife of a young white girl, in a very racist 1960’s south. The main character, Lily Owens, faces many problems she must overcome, including her personal dilemma of killing her own mother in an accident. Sue Monk Kidd accurately displays the irrationality of racism in the South during mid- 1960's not only by using beautiful language, but very thoroughly developed plot and character development. Kidd shows the irrationality of racism through the characters in her book, The Secret Life of Bees and shows that even during that time period, some unique people, were able to see beyond the heavy curtain of racism that separated people from each

In literature, childhood is often played off as a time of innocence: one of mere self-discovery. Sue Monk Kidd’s novel, The Secret Life of Bees, contradicts this notion, particularly as the plot thickens. Kidd portrays her feelings that innocence is fleeting; there one minute and gone the next. Once a curious girl, the struggles of Lily Owens’ life age her long before her time. In The Secret Life of Bees, Lily’s personal struggles shape the novel in its’ entirety.

The Secret Life of Bees written by Sue Monk Kidd, is set in South Carolina, 1964. This coming-of-age story follows the journey of Lily Owens who escaping her life under the authority of her abusive father to unravel the truth about her mother’s past. A few days before Lily and Rosaleen flee, Lily returns from her job selling peaches and walks in the house to find Rosaleen fixated on the television. President Johnson was on and “signed his name on a piece of paper, using about ten ink pens to get it done” (Kidd 20). Then they both heard the announcement, “Today, July second 1964, the president of the United States signed the Civil Rights Act into law…” and Lily turned to Rosaleen who looked “disbelieving and happy” (Kidd 20). On July 2 1964, the Civil Rights Act was passed, banning segregation in public places based on race, gender, nationality, and religion. Prior to the Civil Rights Act, segregation was a prominent issue in the southern states, denying equal rights to people of color. In The Secret Life of Bees, the Civil Rights Act played an important role in the

Books have a way of bringing people together, by showing different points of view. One of the most inspiring books I have read, is The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. This contemporary novel of a young girl's journey to discover herself, has the ability to engage readers from many different walks of life. I believe that everyone in my generation should read this novel, as this coming of age story will leave readers with a new outlook on family and how people can change.

(e) Towards the end of the book, the reader discovers the real reason for traveling to Tiburon. Not only did Lily travel to find more about her mother but she also needed to find herself and that is exactly what she accomplished. She learned about her mother and for the first time in her life had a motherly

It is hard to imagine a person who feels as though nobody loves them. A person who has no support system and constantly feels out of place. Lily strives to be accepted by someone, she feels unworthy of kindness and affection and does not understand the reason for her poor treatment. Throughout The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, Lily’s various relationships throughout the novel ultimately strengthen and shape Lily as a person, helping her to move forward from her past struggles.

The Secret Life of Bees: Thematic Analysis What is the definition of family? Family can be defined as those who are related to an individual, but on the other hand, it can also be described differently depending on certain situations. With horrible memories of her deceased mother, Deborah, and abusive father, known as T. Ray, 14-year-old Lily Owens escapes with her colored caregiver Rosaleen Daise to the little town of Tiburon, South Carolina in order to find her mother’s past. In Tiburon, Lily encounters the Boatwright sisters, also known as the Calendar sisters, who care for them and teach Lily about beekeeping, honey, and their Black Mary.