The Secret Life Of Bees Essay

In Sue Monk Kidd’s novel The Secret Life of Bees there is a psychological allegory present, which is proven by the characters in the story. The psychological allegory is based on the theory by Sigmund Freud, this theory states that in the human brain there is three major psychological portions, the id, the ego, and the super ego. The id is the portion that induces selfishness and hatred and other “bad” actions, the super ego is the opposite of the id, putting others before ones self and caring for others, the ego is the perfect balance between the two and is almost always the psyche portrayed be the protagonist. In this novel it is T. Ray who illustrates the id, through his bad treatment of Lily, his lack of

Fourteen year old Lily Owens lives with her cruel father who has piled her with the guilt and responsibility of her mothers' death when she was a young child. After her stand in mother Rosaleen arrested and sent to the hospital for insulting three of the towns biggest racists, they flee to Tiburon, South Caroline in search of information about

As readers first start the novel, the main character, and protagonist, Lily Owens is seen as a determined 14-year-old girl who will stop at nothing to find out more about her mother. After getting into a fight with T. Ray, Lily Owens thinks to herself, “That's when it came to me. What if my mother wasn’t leaving true? What if T. Ray made it up to punish me? … But I had such a moment right then, standing in my own ordinary room. I heard a voice say, Lily Melissa Owens, your jar is open. In a matter of seconds, I knew exactly what I had to do -leave.” (Kidd 41) This quote gives the readers a sneak peek at how determined Lily truly is. She takes the risk of running away from her abusive father and the house she calls home. Once Lily runs away and breaks Rosaleen out of jail, she comes up with a plan as to how they will escape Sylvan. “‘We’re going to Highway Forty and

“What is bound will be unbound. What is cast down will be lifted up. This is the promise of Our Lady” (228). Mary, known in the book as Our Lady of Chains, is an important aspect of Lily Owen’s epic quest. Though her journey is not that of legend, her quest is epic in its own right. Through her own sense of spirituality, Lily is able to overcome all obstacles in her way. Lily Owen’s journey in The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kid functions as a literary quest as she struggles to overcome her abusive father, her own guilt, and her anger towards her mother on her journey self-discovery.

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.

Every girl goes through a time when she is trying to find herself- find out who she is. Every girl tries to build a personality; a sense of self. She is filling in the puzzle of her with puzzle pieces that don’t have a determined shape. The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd is a book about this searching. The main character, a teenage girl, is going through this time when she is trying to find out who she is. In The Secret Life of Bees, this girl, Lily Owens, is living unhappily. Her mother was killed when she was very young, and her father is cruel. Lily decided she had had enough and runs away. The Secret Life of Bees is a story about a girl who is finding herself, finding out who she is and who she wants to be. This leads to a journey where she finds a place where she can thrive, and develop her sense of self.

In “The Secret Life of Bees” by Sue Monk Kidd we see a young troubled Lily Owens who longs for answers about her mother and that maternal love which she never received. Lily blossoms from a fragile hurt little girl into and strong and independent young woman with the help of the Boatwright sisters. The major themes shown throughout the book are a longing for maternal love and the power and strength of female community.

A family is a basic social unit consisting of parents and children. It is considered a group of people where one can look to for acceptance, safety, happiness and love. Families are the foundation to a human beings life because it is where one can be welcomes into the society. Individuals are nurtured and given tools so they are capable of learning and experiencing the world. Living in an unhealthy environment may impact the way someone thinks and acts physically and emotionally, in the novel The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, Lily Owens, a young fourteen year old girl who lives in South Carolina, loses her mother at the age of four because of a devastating tragedy leading to her

The novel The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, is about a teenage girl named Lily who lives in South Carolina during the 1960s. Throughout the story, Lily struggles with the guilt of killing her mother Deborah as a child. This guilt leads Lily to run away from her father and go looking for any information she can find about her mother. She comes across the Boatwrights who know about Deborah and tell Lily about her life. August steps in as the mother figure in her life and helps her blossom into a bright young woman. Much of this information is a surprise to Lily. Lily goes through changes mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Sue Monk Kidd uses literary devices to show the guilt Lily feels. Kidd uses the techniques of simile, imagery,

The title of this book is so significant knowing that the bees relate to all things in the story. The secret life of bees, is directed to the life that Lily did not realize she had. The bees signify the relation to all the people who helped Lily get to where she found who she was. The author wanted to convey a obscure perspective of life and that there many be more to life than you think. Reading this story can change you perspective of the title after getting to know the characters and what they had achieved in the story.

The Civil Right Act occurred in 1960 which allowed African-Americans more rights. In the novel The Secret Life of Bees many characters challenges and uncover the meaning of accepting taboo ideas. Set in 1964, 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.

Throughout the story, The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd elaborates on the prolonging theme,that people grow and change overtime through their experiences. This theme is furthermore developed through actions and experiences of the author. This theme is seen within the characters, Lily and May. At the beginning of the story Lily is described as a slightly prejudiced girl towards African American people, but after meeting the Boatwright sisters, she grows to love and appreciate them as cultured and intelligent people. Kidd writes, “I thought they could be smart, but not as smart as me, me being white. Lying on the cot in the honey house, though all I could think was August is so intelligent, so cultured, and I was surprised

After a conversation with T-Ray, it becomes apparent to her, that even when being at home, she would still be a prisoner. It is then, that Lily decides to break Rosaleen out of jail, and hit the road. Through little information, Lily and Rosaleen find Lily’s mother's old friends, the Boatwright sisters. Basically telling the sisters that they need a place to stay, Rosaleen is put to work in the kitchen, and Lily, works as the apprentice of a beekeeper. Life continues with good grace until things start to fall apart. During the climax, or the turning point of the story, the Boatwright sisters other apprentice, Zach is sent to jail for committing a crime he didn’t enact. The most empathetic sister, May, commits suicide by drowning herself. Nothing seems right at this point. It is also during this time, that Lily starts to ask questions about her mother, and finds out that she abandoned Lily as a toddler, and left her with T-Ray. This information puts Lily into a downward spiral for a couple days until she finally comes to terms with it, and forgives her mother and herself. In the resolution of our story, Lily seems to have finally found a loving home, with proper maternal

I’m not sure how Kim choose The Secret Life of Bees for her students. I’ve never read the book, but I’ve seen the movie. The book/movie definitely addresses the topics on the role of women, along with the issues of racism and faith. The book is set in 1964 in South Carolina at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Jim Crow Laws existed and ‘separate but equal’ plus the struggle for equal voting rights. These can and are sensitive and hard topics to address, but worthy.

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.