The Secret Life Of Bees Character Analysis

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

“I'm tired of carrying around the weight of the world. I'm just going to lay it down now. It's my time to die, and it's your time to live. Don't mess it up” (210). Feminist theory is an extension of feminism in which literary pieces are examined to understand the nature of gender inequality and social norms. Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees examined through a feminist lens demonstrates the patriarchy found in Owens household, shows the advantages of all female community, distinguish that mothers play a major factor in any young female’s life, and the variety of roles women take on in the community.

Once Lily accepts what she has done and learns that her mother's death did not make her a bad person, her conflict can finally be resolved. As a result of resolving her conflict, she is able to mature because of the struggle, just like other people are able to grow and evolve from their own mistakes. This is evident when she admits "Before coming here, my whole life had been nothing but a hole where my mother should have been, and this hole had made me different, left me always aching for something, but never once did I think what he'd lost or how it might've changed him" (Kidd 293). Lily finally realizes that her mother's death has not only affected her, but also her father, T. Ray, and the calendar sisters. Through the course of Lily's struggle, Lily learns a lot about life and matures into a wiser

In the novel The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, the main character, Lily Owens struggles with the notion that she killed her mother and has to live with her abusive, neglectful father, T-Ray. Throughout, Lily searches for information about her mother and why she left her. Unexpectedly, she stumbles upon new mother figures that play an important role in changing Lily to the person she is in later. The typical sequence of a hero’s journey includes a departure, initiation and trials, and reintegration into society. By the end, Lily Owens developes into a more mature, independent young women after experiencing a difficult childhood.

Sue Monk Kidd’s novel The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of a 14-year-old white girl, Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of her mother's death. Lily meets new people and they help her realize who she is and how the world is around her. Throughout the novel Kidd uses Lily’s various situations to express the theme. Kidd uses imagery, symbolism and similes to express the overall theme which is forgiveness and love.

“‘People can start out one way, and by the time life gets through with them they end up completely different’” (Kidd 293). This quote from August Boatwright perfectly encompasses what happens to Lily during The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. All throughout the novel, the increased maturity of Lily’s character is very noticeable. At the beginning of the book, Lily, a 14-year-old white girl who is living in the South in the 1960’s, accepts segregation without questioning it. By the end, her perspective on life and others changes to reflect a more sophisticated woman. Through characterization, Lily matures as a person because she learns how to face conflicts as an adult and treat people in a grown-up way.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said “A woman is like a teabag, you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” Eleanor’s meaning behind these words was that a woman is much more than you expect her to be. In The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, the main character, Lily, meets three African-American sisters who go through difficult situations throughout the book. After meeting the sisters, Lily begins to understand the importance of women in society. A woman figure in your life can help you with your problems. They tend to heal a broken person with their mother-like qualities. Some people don't see how significant women are to humankind.

Every family has parents and maybe some siblings too, it is what makes the family a family. Some kids are adopted and some are not and some like Lily Owens in The Secret Life of Bees got to choose her family. In the novel, The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd, the theme that appears a lot is how much family means, even if it is chosen.

The Secret Life of Bees is a novel written by Sue Monk Kidd. It is about a girl, named Lily, who goes to another town to seek answers about her mother. In the novel Lily starts maturing throughout the course of months. Lily has many mother figures who teach her different lessons. August teaches Lily that race doesn’t matter, June teaches Lily about love, and Rosaleen teaches Lily that the truth isn’t always good.

In the novel The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd has many important quotes that help embellish the story and give it a deeper meaning. One quote that stood out in the beginning of the story was, "People who think dying is the worst thing don't know a thing about life." (Kidd 2). This quote demonstrates the pain Lily feels and gives the reader an idea of the grief that will later be revealed in the book.

Family can be defined as individuals who are related by blood, yet it is more so about our ability to care for a person or people and for them to care for us as well. This same theme is demonstrated by many literary texts throughout history. One, exemplary novel is The Secret Life of Bees. Within the book, there are many exchanges between characters that stresses the importance of family and how there are no limits when it comes to choosing who you consider family and who you do not consider family. The relationships that structure the storyline prove this life lesson to be true. The story follows the main character, Lily. Lily has experienced many trials in her early years of life. While these trials do not define Lily, they certainly

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.

Formerly, remarkable American literature has been composed and eventually studied by high school students to educate them on a certain topic that is being discussed in school. Despite some high schools are very precise about which pieces of literature they allow in their school curriculum for their students to read and learn from. One book in particular, that is being challenged by several schools and organizations is "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd. This book is introduced in 1964 in the heart of Sylvan, South Carolina. It illustrates the story of a fourteen year old girl named Lily Owens, who has had a difficult past, beginning with the death of her mother; Deborah. Throughout the book, she ignites a journey on learning how to understand the ways of the world through the secret life of bees, which enlightens her spirit and search of love. Although "The Secret Life of Bees" is a classic piece of southern American literature that features racism to help deliver the overall concept to its readers, it should be included in a high school curriculum to help educate and enrich young adults' cultural mentality.

In the novel The Secret Life of Bees written by Sue Monk Kidd, many different themes are presented and all have a large impact on the book. Lily Owens, the main character, is determined to find a trace of her mother who she had accidentally shot as a child. Lily throughout the novel, however, discovers that a mother can be more than just a physical being. The theme of mothers in this book is conveyed through understanding, forgiveness, and love. The author uses this theme to reveal Lily’s character and her maturing beliefs.

In 1960 many governmental changes had occurred that had allowed African more rights which had drawn more attention to racism. American Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees suggests that accepting taboo actions does not necessarily compromises a person’s moral compass and can lead to an awareness and understanding of the world.