The Secret Life of Bees Essay

Suffice it to say, when Lily and Rosaleen follow their yellow brick road to the idiosyncratic compound of three black women bee-keepers, May, June and August, they come upon a trio that embodies every form of maternal nurturance and emotional education Lily needs, and a comfortable nest for Rosaleen as well. In the Boatwright sisters, for whom the black Madonna is queen, Kidd has created a wonderful fantasy, a sort of beloved community, part Oz, part ashram, part center for racial reconciliation (Brown 1).

Lily shows her non-racist side in the very beginning of the book, after Rosaleen has been put in jail for spitting on a very racist white man’s shoe. She willingly sneaks into jail and attempts to free Rosaleen, but gets sent home with the racist and mean father, T. Ray. She once again tries to free Rosaleen, and this time sneaks into a hospital to free her. Lily is successful this time, and runs away with Rosaleen.

Animosity for someone can be held for a long time, and is occasionally taken out on others. June Boatwright held a grudge against Lily’s mom because August, June’s sister, had worked for her family. Given the time, this is more upsetting for June. When Lily arrives, June is fairly hostile towards Lily, but later accepts her while wrestling in sprinklers. Lily shows her happiness about the situation when she thinks, “I wasn’t exactly sure of everything we were laughing about---I was just glad we were doing it together” (Kidd 169). This event occurring helps both Lily and June understand their issues adding to the faults in their relationship. Maturation takes time, no matter what age one may be. Lily and June begin understanding that both have been immature, but were able to accept it after they set their differences aside. Later in the novel, Lily’s father, T. Ray comes to the Boatwrights’ house to take Lily home. As Lily and T. Ray argue, Lily is reminded why she left home. In the beginning of this event, T. Ray is still determined to take her home, shown when he says, “You think I’m gonna walk out of her and leave you? I don’t even know these damn people” (Kidd 296). T. Ray is still in denial about Lily’s current situation, and the fact that she would rather stay with these women than go home with him. Although this should not be a surprise to him, he is still shocked and refuses to give up. That is, until he watches the

When one looks up the definition for family it says a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household. Well August is the parent and June, Rosaleen, May, and Lily are all the children. We have a family right here. Motherhood was a motif that helped play into the theme of family in this book. Lily considers Rosaleen as a mother, yet Rosaleen is not as sophisticated as she wants a mother to be. Rosaleen is the person to help Lily when she is hurt, who defends Lily against her father, has the courage and strength to go and vote and is a motherly figure to Lily. August can be looked at as a mother too. She gives Lily wise wisdom, she is there for Lily through the pain about her mother, she teaches her about beekeeping, something her mother enjoyed too, she teaches her about religion, and the courage to be a leader. Lastly, her mother, Deborah is her real mother. She helps Lily realize that nobody is perfect and even mothers who love their kids need the courage to carry on. Lily learns from all these important figures that she just needs to be the best person she can be from all the wisdom and courage all these mothers help Lily understand. “I accidently killed her,” I said staring straight into her eyes. “Listen to me now,” said August, tilting my chin to her face. “That’s a terrible, terrible thing for you to live with. But you’re not unlovable. Even if you did accidently kill

Zach explains his interest in Lily as well, and shows his affection by giving Lily a beautiful notebook, since he knows of her deep love for writing. During this scene, Kidd creates a loving and compassionate tone by explaining the actions the two does after the notebook exchange. Lily is gleeful and appreciative of Zach’s kind gesture and “[throws her] arms around him and [leans] into his chest” and Zach bashfully responds to this sudden action by “[folding his arms] around [Lily]” (Kidd 135). The two stands there, “in a true embrace” (Kidd 135). However, this tone shifts and becomes into one of sadness and sorrow. After their sweet moment, Zach explains his feelings to Lily and confesses his true emotions. Zach states that he likes her “better than any girl [that he knows], but [she] has to understand, that there are people who [will] kill boys like [him] for even looking at girls like [her]” (Kidd 135). Kidd changes the tone dramatically by stating the dark truth to their forbidden relationship, using sorrowful phrases such as “kill boys like [him]” (Kidd 135). In doing so, it allows the readers to sympathize with the couple’s story of loving and longing for someone, but being torn apart due to society’s cruel and judgemental standards. This scene reflects society’s racial standards and sees interracial relationships and marriages as shameful, since Zach explicitly states that colored men will die for even looking at white women in a romantic way. Lily responds to Zach’s statement and apologizes for her behavior, but as the novel progresses, so will their feelings for each other. Kidd utilizes the shift in tone to convey Lily’s love and adoration for Zach and vice versa, but sullenly explains how both are unable to publicly display their affections. Given these points have been noted, Kidd’s use of descriptive comparison and a shift in

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.

The year is 1964, and black people do not have equal rights. They are treated horribly and they work for the white. Lily has grown up around this environment, with the world teaching her that black people are not equal to white people. Despite everyone teaching her that she is a higher class than black people and as said by Mr. Hazelwurst, a police officer that was there to investigated more on May’s death, Lily shouldn’t be lowering herself by staying with black women, it’s not natural. Lily, loves Rosaleen, August, June, and May, and wants to stay with them.

We learn that she had accidentally killed her mother at the age of four, and has been made to feel guilty and unworthy of love. The story starts to develop when she helps her black babysitter, Rosaleen escape from prison. Lily loved Rosaleen like a mother. They use this opportunity to escape from Sylvan and her unhappy home. As Lily develops over the course of the story, we can see and learn about Lily’s many unique

“How dare she? How dare she leave me? I was her child” (259). Forgiving her mother for abandoning her is quite the process. She first must admit that she is angry, then she has to address her anger. She then expresses her anger by throwing jars of honey. Later she cools down, and she can finally understand her mother’s situation. This is the first step to forgiveness for Lily, and she can’t do it on her own. She needs the help of Rosaleen and the sisters is order to truly let go of her past. Forgiveness is key in this story. This is reminiscent of the Catholic ideas that are so common in this book. One of these ideas is, “Forgive us of our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”. According to the spiritual message in the book, Lily must feel forgiven of her trespasses, and forgive her mother, who trespassed against her. After doing this, her quest is be

All along August had known who Lily was and she reveals that she had also known Lily's mother for the vast majority of her life. Lily immediately feels a greater connection with August and therefore shares all her problems and struggles with her because Lily has gained a special relationship with August where she feels comfortable to share personal things and trusts that August will help her. “Every person on the face of the earth makes mistakes, Lily. Every last one. We’re all so human… There is nothing perfect… There is only life.” (p.256) August had told Lily exactly what she wanted to hear. Lily needed a reassuring that everybody makes mistakes and that nobody should have to live a miserable life feeling sorry for themselves. It is important to learn to forgive oneself because unwanted things happen, but there is not enough time to dwell on the past. It is important to stay strong and keep moving forward, which is what Lily’s mother would have wanted, she would have wanted Lily to enjoy her life feeling content. August helps to enforce the fact that Lily is surrounded by people who love her and therefore she should not be so hard on herself. “Drifting off to sleep, I thought about her. How nobody is perfect. How you just have to close your eyes and breathe out and let the puzzle of the human heart be what it is.” (p. 288) Lily has finally learned forgiveness and to let go of her past and enjoy the present. Without the kind hearts, intelligence and comfort from the Boatwright sisters, Lily would not have been able to achieve this. They taught her crucial things that she wouldn’t otherwise have been able to learn at home. Another important event at the end of the book was when Lily uses the strength she has gained over the years and finally stands up to T-Ray. When T-Ray comes to get Lily he is filled with anger. He

She becomes one of the body of a supportive community. Lily prosper in this environment of the Boatwright sisters’ by learning different things about herself and she also develops a more positive character compare to how she used to be at the beginning of the novel. August Boatwright, the oldest among the Boatwright sisters’, encourages Lily to be more thoughtful in all of her endeavors in life. Zachary Taylor, who appear towards the middle of the novel as Lily’s best friend and also share some romantic interest with Lily. Zachary motivates Lily to be more considerate, and the bees also play a great part involving Lily’s maturity. The bees give lily an inspiration to be more

The novel The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd has an important storyline, it teaches about attitudes and ways of coping with things from the past all while keeping the reader hooked and thinking about what will happen next. These qualities won it a People’s Choice Award in the category ‘favorite drama’. Contemporary Literary Criticism said “Honey-sweet but never cloying, this debut features a hive's worth of appealing female characters, an off-beat plot and a lovely style.” (Zaleski). The plot isn’t a standard plot as most books are its twisted and touches on sensitive topics, Kidd constantly brings in new ideas and ways to make the book more arousing.

Emanuel agrees in her paper “The archetypal mother: the Black Madonna in Sue Monk Kidd 's The Secret Life of Bees” saying that “[Kidd] speaks at length about a woman’s plight in both conventional society,”(Catherine B. Emanuel). August understands this progress of injustice. While talking to Lily about her life, August confesses that she did love a man. “I loved him enough. I just loved my freedom more”(146). This shows that August had to decide whether she wanted to have her freedom or to be married. Kidd writing about a black woman that choose a career over the traditional lifestyle of a women reinforce the notice that anyone can improve and innovate the world as much as white man. In the novel, August shows Lily that a woman can do anything a man can do by breaking from conventional ideas that a women can live a successful life without a man is normal. Laurie Grobman agreed in her essay in “Teaching Cross-Racial Texts: Cultural Theft in ‘The Secret Life of Bees” by saying that “August fits Levy’s description of the ‘model of female creativity, the repository of women 's history and the provider of mother enduring care,”(21). August is a role model to encourage women to break the mold of what a woman is supposed to be.

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.

The time period also did not allow Zach and Lily to be together. Zach was black and Lily was white, so they could not