Secret Life Of Bees Juxtapositions

Secret Life Of Bees Juxtapositions
Secret Life of Bees Final Essay
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is a novel about a girl named Lily. Lily lives in South Carolina in 1964. She has an abusive father and a
mother who died 10 years ago. Rosaleen, Lily's mother figure and caretaker, got into trouble and got into jail. Lily then decided to escape with
Rosaleen to Tiburon, South Carolina. There they find the beekeeping Boatwright sisters (August, June and May) who hold the secret to Lily's mother's
past. In the book The Secret Life of Bees there are many sad negative events; however, every negative event has a positive outcome.
First body paragraph:
First, a great example of the juxtapositions throughout the novel is the story of Our Lady of Chains. The first quote: "One day he hauled her off on a
wagon and chained her in the carriage house," talks about the story of the statue of Mary also, known as Our Lady of Chains. (Kidd 110) In this story
slaves found a statue whom they identify as Mary the mother of Jesus. This statue served as a symbol of hope to the slaves; therefore, their master
stole the statue and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
August tells Lily about how her mother lived with the Boatwrights but did not bring Lily with her. Lily got really angry with her mother (Deborah
Fontanel) thinking, " How dare she? How dare she leave me? I was her child." ( Kidd 259). The next day August came with a box full of Deborah's
things. One of those things was a picture of Lily and her mother. The picture clearly showed that Deborah had loved Lily very much. Lily knew then
she was loved: "...my mother about the sign I wanted. The one that would let me know I was loved." (Kidd 276). This shows a juxtaposition because
Deborah left Lily; however, she had loved Lily. In summary, when Lily finds out her mother left her is an example of the juxtapositions throughout The
Secret Life of
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Symbolism In The Secret Life Of Bees
In the novel, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, the color blue, a symbol of love, allows Lily to differentiate between people who truly
love her. Lily believes that for someone to truly love her, they must know the most trivial detail of her: her favorite color, blue. For example, Lily, in
an argument with her father, blatantly asks, "do you know what my favorite color is?", however, her father responds with,"I know one thing, and
that's I'm going to find you...". Although one would expect a father to know such fact, Terrence, her father, does not know Lily's favorite color and
does not take the time to even think of the color's importance. The color blue represents a fatherly and motherly love that Lily obviously lacks; due to
her lack... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
There, Lily finds the matching picture that takes her to a family of beekeepers. Moreover, after being accepted into the family of African American
beekeepers, Lily finds motherly love from one of the beekeepers, August Boatwright. Although the Boatwrights exists as African Americans, Lily
finds more love from them than she had with her own despicable white father. After confiding to August about her favorite color, August does not
disappoint Lily by remembering. When a neighbor offers to make Lily a hat and asks what color hat she wants, the novel recites, "August, who was
listening in, said, 'Blue,' and winked at me"(Kidd 225). Once a person understands every bit of another person, the sheer interest for that person
indicates an undying love. In this case, the color blue symbolizes the love that associates with frivolous details. Regardless of color, Lily judges a
person's love whether they pay enough interest in her to know her favorite color. Therefore, the color blue illuminates the theme that "Racism is
irrational" and that a person's sensitivity and genuine care sincerely makes up

The Secret Life of Bees Essay
The Secret Life of Bees
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... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Ray to let Rosaleen out of jail, and T. Ray refuses " What I ,mean is, I wouldn't be surprised if he flat out killed her " (p30) T. Ray know Rosaleen
might die but he still wont try to help her because it would mean standing up to the people of his community. He is only thinking of himself, which
is a quality of the id. T. Ray also only thinks of himself when Lily leaves him, instead of considering the fact that she might be happier without him.
T. Ray has found Lily at the Boatwright house and is insisting she come back "I spent half my summer looking for you, and I'm taking you out of
here" (290) T. Ray spent half his summer looking for Lily because he was happier with her, instead of thinking of Lily and considering the fact that
she might be happier with out him. In this he was only thinking of himself and was demonstrating the id. Through all of these excerpts it can de
determined that the character of T. Ray demonstrates the id in the psychological allegory, through his bad treatment of Lily, his lack of caring with
Rosaleen, and the way he only thinks of himself.
In this novel the character of May Boatwright portrays the super ego, by her unbiased caring, by her innocence, and by her need for perfection. May
cares for every one no matter what race or gender, and created a wall to pray for the people of the world. May has just heard that Zach is in jail and is
upset "I'm going to the wall" (p187) May knows Zach is in trouble so she

The Secret Life of the Brain Essay
The Secret life of the Brain
The PBS special "The Secret Life of the Brain" took us through all different aspects of the brain and its formation through life. These five movies taught
us that the brain is plastic and is always changing, cutting unused neurons and filling with different ideas and thoughts that you learn from your
environment. The five videos go through the five stages of life; baby, child, teenager, adult and finally the agingbrain.
The Baby's Brain: Wider than the Sky When you are born your brain is in taking all the different sounds and figures around you. Your brain was
developing before you even arrived in the world that you are now aware of. After conception your brain starts to grow at a rapid rate; neural tubes ...
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I find it interesting is that it is so simple to read yet there are so many steps that are needed to just read one word.
The Teen Brain: A World of their Own Your brain has fully developed and you are emerging as a teen into a world of pressures. There are many
addictions and disorders that begin at this stage in life. There are addictions to cocaine, pot, and alcohol. The main disorder that is discussed in the
video is schizophrenia. Looking back to the pressure of teens to use psychoactive drugs such as cocaine , amphetamines , and even caffeine , it is
seen that they are easily abused and have negative effects on the brain. The film taught us about a group of teens that had experimented with different
substances and have become addicted to them. As many of the teens explained their addiction had taken over their lives, and they didn't want to do it
anymore but because they had been doing it so long they were unable to function without it. I personally can't relate to this strong of an addiction, I
have gone through phases in life where I really want something but never to the point of not being able to function. There are people that I personally
know that are caffeine addicts where their days don't start until they have had there cup or two of coffee from Starbucks. What many people may not
realize is that when you start taking a drug you get an immediate high, but after a

The Secret Life Of Bees Essay
The Secret Life of Bees
Not everyone in the world has a perfect family and may experience certain events in childhood that can affect the way they see and how they display
themselves. Motherless Lily lives unhappily with her emotionally detached father, who claims that as a child, Lily accidently killed her mother. "It was
you who did it, Lily. You didn't mean it, but it was you" (299). After hearing this and helping break her only friend and black caretaker, Rosaleen out
of jail, the two runaway to a place where Lily suspects her mother once spent time. While on this journey, Lily must find out the truth and come to
terms of who her mother really was, and to help understand her own life. While on their way to uncovering more and more

The Secret Life Of Bees Character Analysis
In Sue Mon Kidd's Novel, The Secret Life of Bees She uses the character of Lily to show that when a child is missing a parental figure in their life,
they can sometimes lack the parental guidance in life, but when someone like August steps in and fills that parent void Lily has Overcome society's
manipulation, dejure segregation, and twisted, ingrained teaching to overcome and grow to a new level of accepting her true self. 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... Show
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Also later in the book, well into Lily's stay with August Boatwright who owns and maintains a honey label and farm, also known as the honey label
that Lily follows to get to the house in the first place, Lily goes on a drive with August's godchild, Zachary Taylor or Zach, to drop off some honey,
While Zach is viewing lawyer cases, Lily decides to give T–Ray a call, he initiates the conversation by starting with "Lily, where the hell are you?" he
continues battering and hollering at lily, not even giving her a split second to think or speak and interrupting her with curse words and belittlement
every time she attempts to speak, The conversation ends with Lily asking T–Ray if he knows what her favorite color is and him hollering at her for
asking such a stupid question, and finally her trying her hardest not to bawl her eyes out (Kidd, 159–160). This proves my point because it shows that
T–Ray isn't even civil enough to start the conversation with a "Hello" or "Are you okay" he has to be loud and uncivil and badger lily with rude,
mean, and intimidating words. This also shows that he is only set on punishing Lily and really has no care for her well–being. Any parent would be
upset with their child running away without giving a rational explanation but T–Ray does the extreme and isn't even concerned about the wellbeing of
her. In addition, In the book when lily first arrives at the BoatWright house, she kind of talks about her point on prejudice and some of the things

Song Analysis Of The Secret Life Of Bees
The Secret Life of Bees, takes place during the Civil Rights Movement in South Carolina. Lily Owens is a 14 year old girl who carries the
senseless burden of killing her mother. She destroys herself believing that she killed her mother and can't come to peace with the accident she
caused that caused her mother to die. Later in the book she comes to find out that her mother abandoned T. Ray and her. She is now at a different
conundrum and believes her mother should be hoping she'll forgive her instead of her mother forgiving her. She learns form the Boatrights that she
needs to come to piece with her mothers decisions and for the death of her mother. She notices how Mary comes to piece when she sings, "Oh!
Susanna", and helps her realize we all have our own trials and hardships but we also have our own way of coming to peace with our actions. Josh
Garrels sings the song,"Farther Along", and to me this is a song of joy. The song does have a somber tone to the song. "I wondered why the goodman
dies, the bad man thrives and Jesus cries because he loves em' both". This phrase tells me how much Jesus loves us. He is not only crying because a
good man died, or because one of his children has fallen far off track, but he is crying for them both. He loves them both. "There's much more to life
than we've been told it's full of beauty that will unfold". Life is full of ugliness and hardships. This proclaims that there is more than all of that and we
will all one day see this beauty

Rosaleen The Secret Life Of Bees
Rosaleen's Character in The Secret Life of Bees There are many important characters in The Secret Life of Bees that help Lily on her journey to find
out about her mother. "Side characters" such as Zach, August, May, June, and Rosaleen, all help Lily to grow and change and to learn more about her
past and her mother's past. Rosaleen is an important character in the story, she acts in as Lily's stand–in mother before she runs away with Rosaleen to
Tiburon. At Tiburon she stays with Lily in the honey house for most of the time while they try to survive together, and after a while Rosaleen is
show to be less of a mother and more of a friend to Lily, sticking by her side through thick and thin. Rosaleen is mainly important because of the
lessons she taught Lily about racism in the real world and dealing with problems.... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
For example in the book Rosaleen is walking with Lily when they come across some men at a gas station. Seeing that Rosaleen was black they said
offensive things such as "Where're you going, n****?"(p31) and "Did you ever see one that black?"(p32). After Rosaleen had enough and poured her
snuff juice(spit after drinking chewing tobacco) over the men's feet, they beat her until she was on the ground bleeding when she got arrested for
"Assault, theft, and disturbing the peace."(p33). After witnessing these events, Lily truly realizes how awfully black skinned people are treated and
changes her views on racism in favor of

Secret Life Of Bees
With an imagination as big as the sky, anything is possible. Sue Monk Kidd ,born on August 12,1948, knew that she was born to be a writer.
Growing close to her father who wrote and as he shared his stories, Kidd became instantly encouraged and started leaning towards a life in literature.
As a teen living in the south, Kidd became influenced by, Henry David Thoreau's work and this only strengthened her love for literature. When Kidd
turned thirty years of age she finally found her confidence in writing. Coming in strong with nonfiction literature and writing multiple books Kidd
found that she was not challenging herself by only writing nonfiction, so Kidd decided to endeavor writing fiction stories. Given the courage to write
fiction Kidd... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Lily lived her life knowing that she killed her mother instead of living her life to the fullest. Lily is trouble with so many emotion in her life that she
doesn't relive that she needs to live the life that she was given.
Significance of the title
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.
Memorable

Essay On The Secret Life Of Bees
I chose to read The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd because when I read the back of the book, it seemed to portray an interesting plot. When
reading it, I knew I was right. I feel that certain people could relate to this and I know that situations like these are happening all around us even as
we speak. When reading the book, I knew who my favorite character and least favorite character were right away. My favorite character was Lily. she
is a very relatable character who goes against all odds to try to find out what happened to her mother. My least favorite character was T. Ray. He was a
lazy and abusive excuse for a parent who should be put in jail for what he's done to Lily.
Besides the main characters of this book, I could point ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This shows you what life was like in the south in the 60's through the eyes of a teenager who is around those of a different race. I would say the title The
Secret Life Of Bees partly makes sense because a majority of the book implements the topic of bees and the setting is often somehow related to
bees and honey farming. One book that I can see would be similar to The Secret Life Of Bees would have to be Maniac Magee. Maniac Magee and
The Secret Life Of Bees are similar in the fact that they both have to do with racism and individuals overcoming racial barriers to make true
friendships. The most important part of The Secret Life Of Bees was at the end when T. Ray tried to take Lily back and everyone at the honey
farm and all of the Daughters Of Mary refused to let Lily go because they considered her family. I feel this is the most important part of the book
because it showed that Lily's relationships with people she is not related to by blood(and are not the same race) are stronger than the one she has with
her own father. I would like to read other books by Sue Monk Kidd. I think she did a wonderful job writing this book and would expect her other books
to be just as

Racism In The Secret Life Of Bees
From the beginning, the reader can clearly distinguish the main theme of racism in The Secret Life of Bees. Kidd first introduces racism in Chapter
One when three white men insult Rosaleen on her way to town to register to vote. Lily describes the attack that follows narrating, "They lunged at
her...Rosaleen lay sprawled on the ground, pinned, twisting her fingers around clumps of grass. Blood ran from a cut beneath her eye," (33). Soon
after, the police arrest Rosaleen and call Lily's father to pick her up First and foremost, Kidd writes in a style easily comprehended by any audience.
Readability in a historical fiction novel requires understandable writing and relatability, two qualities the author skillfully incorporates. Anyone... Show
Kidd draws from resources such as The Dancing Bees by Karl Von Frisch, The Honey Bee by James L. Gould, The Queen Must Die:And Other
Affairs of Bees and Men by William Longgood, Man and Insects by L.H. Newman, Bees of the World by Christopher O'Toole and Anthony Raw,
and Exploring the World of Social Insects by Hilda Simon. These sources feed into the author's complete description of beekeeping in the novel,
however, they do not add to historical aspect. In spite of this, the few historical events referenced are fairly accurate. For instance, Lily references the
famed news anchor Walter Cronkite when she describes, "On the television Mr. Cronkite said they were going to send a rocket ship to the moon. 'On
July twenty–eighth, the United States of America will launch Ranger Seven from Cape Kennedy, Florida,' he said," (112–113). Kidd includes the detail
to accurately describe the time period and how it affects the lives of the characters who experience it. The moon landing signifies a changing time,
introducing the theme of racism. Similarly, Lily alludes to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 explaining, "Since Mr. Johnson signed that law, it was like
somebody had ripped the side seams out of American life...August said she was afraid it was only a matter of time before we saw things like that
happen right here in Tiburon" (88). The Civil Rights movement changed the way Americans viewed and treated African Americans. By including the
positive and negative effects of racism in communities, Kidd emphasizes the irrelevance of skin color, as well as the accuracy of the time

Secret Life Of Bees Analysis
Bond Over Blood: The Secret Life of Bees Analysis
As written by William F. Longgood, "Honeybees depend not only on physical contact with the colony but also require its social companionship and
support. Isolate a honeybee from her sisters and she will soon die." These symbolic words quoted in Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees are a hint
to the overall purpose of the novel although just letters in italics above chapter numbers. In Kidd's narrative, Lily Owens struggles to deal with her
mother's death and her abusive father. After accelerating drama, Lily and her "stand–in mother", Rosaleen, run away and end up with August, May, and
June Boatwright, beekeepers. From there, August acts as a mother to Lily and shows her compassion and wisdom. The most important element of the
theme, family is by bond, not blood, is proven through the symbolism of bees.
The importance of bees as a symbol is shown through essential mothers and everybody's part to play. To begin, "I [August] want to get the hive
requeened before one of the workers starts laying. If we get laying workers, we've got ourselves a mess," (Kidd 287). This signifies the need for a
mother. Without the queen fertilizing eggs, the bees die off; without a mother, people do not flourish. Lily demonstrated this well by running away to
find a connection to her mother and fill the gap in her heart. She had little direction besides the wisps of memory from her mother and abuse from her
father. Then, when the Boatwrights came

The Secret Life Of Bees Metaphors
"Kidd's ways to elicit sympathy in 'The Secret Life of Bees.'"
Sue Monk Kidd the gives the reader a compassionate perspective of Lily's parents in "The Secret Life of Bees" with the use of metaphors, symbolism,
and dialogue, that exhibits the only reason behind Deborah's and Ray's actions was either endearment, self–protection, or resentment. Deborah's and
Terrence's dysfunctional marriage only began because of Deborah's pregnancy. The reader will sympathize with Deborah's depression and the
repercussions on herself and Lily. Terrence's reaction to Deborah's past will show his soft side. All
–embracing, Kidd uses these situations to create
sympathy for Lily's parents.
Deborah's marriage story and Lily's grief for her mother's absence evokes sympathy of Deborah on the reader. On page 358, August declares:
"Deborah was pregnant, that's why (Deborah married Terrence)." This revelation creates guiltiness in Lily. On page 359, Lily says: "My mother had
gotten stuck with T. Ray because of me." Moreover, Lily blames herself for her mother's marriage, making Deborah the... Show more content on
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Deborah married Terrence because she was pregnant. Despite the fact Lily's not to blame for the mistake, Deborah did not want Lily to be fatherless.
Additionally, Deborah married a man she did not love, which triggered her depression. Subsequently, Lily unfairly judges Deborah's actions, despite
the fact Deborah abandoned Lily because of her illness. That proves the only reasons behind Deborah's actions were affection to her beloved daughter
and self–protection. Lastly, Terrence shows Deborah's death was the reason behind his negligence and abuse to Lily. Terrence demonstrates he is a
human, rather than a monster. Kidd uses these reasons to capture the reader's heart. However, do these characters deserve our

Secret Life of Bees
Written by Sue Monk Kidd the novel "The Secret Life of Bees" traces the life of a 14 year old girl searching for love and care. The story begins in a
peach farm in Sylvan, South Carolina but travels toward and ends in Tiburon, South Carolina. The city of Tiburon unleashes many truths that lily has
wondered throughout her life. The town brings her what she has been longing for since she was a child. 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...
I believe that Sue Monk Kidd wanted people to realize how terrible we treated people back when racism occurred. Just because of the color of
people's skin we considered them to be lower than us. I also believe that she wanted to get across the idea of forgiveness and getting past the bad
things about people and seeing the good such as Lily being able to forgive her father for the way he treated her and believe that he loved her. In my
personal opinion this was a phenomenal book and I would recommend it to not only students but adults also. It teaches you many lessons about life. I
can't imagine that anyone would read this book and be able to say they did not like it. It includes lessons about faith, love, humor, success, failure,
coming of age, and the overcoming of hate and guilt. This is an excellent book and I would recommend it to every

Secret Life Of Bees Quotes
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. August teaches Lily
about race through acceptance. When lily and Rosaleen get to Tiburon they eventually end up at the Pink house owned by the Calendar Sisters,
August, June and May, when Lily and Rosaleen ask to stay in there home. At first the sisters are hesitant but August lets them stay. this quote is said
by August when she lets them stay. "Well, you can stay here till you figure out what to do. We can't have you living on the side of the road" (Kidd
72). This quote is significant because it shows how nice and caring August is. While Lily and Rosaleen were there the Calendar sisters held church at...
Rosaleen was Lily's maid while she was living with her father, T–Ray. Lily runs away from home with Rosaleen. At first Rosaleen doesn't know where
they are going and eventually Lily tells her. This quote is said by Rosaleen when she finds out what is really going on. "I get it. You ran off 'cause
of what your daddy said about your mother. It didn't have nothing to do with me in jail"(Kidd 53). This quote is significant because it makes
Rosaleen think that Lily doesn't really care about her. Eventually August and Lily talk about Lily's mother. Rosaleen and August knew about Lily's
mother. This quote is said by Lily while she was getting comforted by Rosaleen. "I wish you'd told me what you knew about my mother"(Kidd 264).
This quote is significant because Lily realizes all the secrets that were hidden from her. Rosaleen taught Lily that the truth isn't always great through
keeping secrets from

Analysis Of The Secret Life Of Bees
'The Secret Life of Bees' by Sue Monk Kidd is a wonderful and beautifully written story. 'The Secret Life of Bees' includes loveable characters that
each have their own unique personalities. 'The Secret Life of Bees' also includes mystery and love, which makes it enjoyable. Although it's not
realistic, it's still a really good read because of how the characters grow and develop throughout. Erin Collazo Miller's book review on 'The Secret Life
of Bees' is right about all of these things mentioned.
'The Secret Life of Bees' includes loveable characters that each have their own unique personalities. In Erin Collazo Miller's book review, he states
that "'The Secret Life of Bees' has loveable, well written characters." Lily is determined to find out about her mother; even if it means going to
Tiburon, South Carolina. In 'The Secret Life of Bees' it says, "I always promised myself one day, when I was grown up enough, I would take the
bus over there. I wanted to go everyplace she had ever been." (pg.15) Rosaleen is a strong and brave woman who doesn't give up on what she
wants. In the 'The Secret Life of Bees' it says, "Coming alongside the men, Rosaleen lifted her snuff jug, which was filled with black spit, and calmly
poured across the tops of the men's shoes..." (pg.32) Rosaleen is on her way to vote when these men give her a hard time. She however, doesn't let
them get in her way. She is brave to do something like that.
'The Secret Life of Bees' also includes mystery and love. In

Conflict In The Secret Life Of Bees
Conflict is a key aspect in all pieces of literature. Without it, works would be very boring, predictable and would not be able to draw the reader in.
There is usually one main conflict the protagonist faces, whether it is against an evil villain or the evil inside their own self. In the book The Secret
Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, the courageous protagonist, Lily, struggles with an internal conflict with the guilt of possibly being the cause of her
mother's death and the absence of knowledge about her mother. Following a clue left by her mother, Lily runs away from home and meets the
"calendar sisters" in Tiburon, SC. There, she is finally able to discover who her mother actually was and learn the truth behind her mother's death: that
Lily had accidentally shot her. Upon uncovering the whole truth, Lily is finally able to begin to forgive herself and shrug off the heavy guilt that had
burdened her for years. Through Lily's struggle to figure out who her mother was and accept what happened to her, Sue Monk Kidd wishes to
communicate that even if something... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
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

The Secret Life Of Bees
American literature is an important part of literature for the modern student. This type of literature is relatable to students throughout the United States,
and gives advice through different time periods in American history. The novel The Secret Life of Bees focuses on a young girl by the name of Lily
Owens whose life revolves around that fact that she accidently shot her mother when she was only four years old. Lily's "stand–in–mother" Rosaleen
is her only real friend, and when she insults a group of racists when she goes to register to vote, Lily rescues her and the two flee to Tiburon, South
Carolina where Lily believes she can find a trace of her mother. They end up being taken in by three sisters named May, June, and August who... Show
Kidd wrote a short story called "The Secret Life of Bees" and it was awarded the Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction and was in a piece in the 1994
edition of Best American Short Stories ("Sue Monk Kidd"). This short story's success led to Kidd's first novel, The Secret Life of Bees. This novel won
became a bestseller and won the SEBA Book of the Year Award and the Southeastern Library Association Fiction Award ("The Secret Life of Bees").
The novel was also nominated for an International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award as well as the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction.
There are many themes present throughout The Secret Life of Bees including the power of women, the strength of motherly bonds, the role of bees,
and the portrayal of prejudice in society. The power of bonds between women is shown throughout different aspects of the novel. Rosaleen was
abused by racist men, but she keep going with even more strength than she had before. When Lily and Rosaleen showed up on the Boatwright sisters
doorstep, the sisters took the two women they had never met in and treated them like family. This strength occurred throughout the novel. When Lily's
father ended up letting her stay with the Boatwright sisters it was partly because of the women in her lie. The women stood up to T. Ray and gave
him a way out while also keeping Lily's best interests at heart.

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is an unusual short story about a man who's dreams take him away from reality. His constant dream–like state fills him
with joy which the real world could never supply him with. Ultimately, the reader is stuck in the life of Walter and sees the world as he does. As the
story goes on, the reader learns of how tragic this story really is. Walter is so unhappy with his current life that he has to go into trances of
action–filled daydreams, he cannot do simple tasks properly, and displays characteristics of a mental disability. Because of these reasons,The Secret
Life of Walter Mitty is a tragic story. Becoming bored with life is one thing, but having to make up your own reality to accommodate with boredom is
another. In the case of Walter Mitty, his reality is shaped by his dreams. He finds the real world so boring that he must supply his brain with action
almost every minute. His unhappiness causes him to dream of unrealistic situations, such as Walter being a professional surgeon (paragraph 4). These
unrealistic expectations are the roots of his problems because his imagination is only making the real world seem even less exciting. By making the
world appear uneventful, Walter will never be able to understand the beauty it ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Remembering to get a certain item and driving are two specific tasks which Walter fails to complete successfully. Especially with driving, being
distracted in certain situations can be deadly. This is shown in paragraph 6 when Walter drives in the wrong lane, almost causing an accident.
Because completing tasks is what life revolves around, being unable to complete them will cause major struggles in life. If Walter cannot even
remember what to get at a store, how will he remember to get food or pay his bills? His forgetfulness caused by his dreaming state could possibly get
him evicted one day, or even

Nature In The Secret Life Of Bees
Prompt Number 3: In this novel, Rosaleen faces social challenges of all kind. She is presented with these challenges for many reasons, most being she
is an African American woman in the 1960's, the time of the Civil Rights Movement. In the Secret Life of Bees when Rosaleen is getting beat up by
the men playing cards, it says this, "That was when the dealer lifted the flashlight over his head, then down, smashing it into Rosaleen's forehead"(Kidd
35). In that time, many white people thought it was okay to treat African American people differently, just because of the color of their skin. People
thought it was acceptable to hit, beat, speak badly, and treat them inhumanely. Not only did people think this, but the law enforcement community was
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
As well as the way T–Ray abused Lily so badly and got away with it throughout the whole story. In the book when Lily and Rosaleen showed up at the
Boatwright house, August said this, "Well, you can stay here until you figure out what to do. We can't just have you living on the side of the road"
(Kidd 72). The calendar sisters let Lily and Rosaleen stay in their home after randomly showing up at their doorstep. This is not realistic in any way for
that time because although August didn't have a problem with Lily being white, others in the community might. Along with that, even June was
hesitant, and not really wanting them to stay when they came. With that, another unrealistic factor of the novel was the way T–Ray abused Lily, and
got away with it. In the beginning of the novel it said, "They were swollen with hundreds of red welts, pinprick bruises that would grow into a blue
stubble across my skin. Look at you child. Look what he's done to you she said" (Kidd 25). T–Ray horribly abused Lily throughout the entire story, and
it is one of the reasons Lily ran away, and left T–Ray. He would make her kneel on grits, grab her, scream at her, and more. This would not go
unnoticed in reality, Rosaleen or someone would be bound to report the terrible treatment to Lily at some point. The Secret Life of Bees isn't realistic
and

The Secret Life of Bees Essay
The Secret Life of Bees 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 ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
In a matter of seconds, I knew exactly what I had to do– leave" (Kidd, 41) When Lily can no longer handle her harsh, unyielding father she decides to
run away. T.Ray and Lily have a fight and T.Ray bluntly tells Lily, "The truth is, your sorry mother ran off and left you. The day she dies, she'd
come back to get her things, that's all." (Kidd, 39) In that moment it causes Lily to be very confused and makes her feel unimportant and unloved.
"Some things were not possible in this world. Children did not have two parents who refused to love them. One, maybe, but for pity's sake, not
two." (Kidd, 41) When Lily hears the truth about her mother did, she is outraged by this statement and she runs away. Lily writes a note to T.ray
telling him not to bother looking for her. She decides to sneak Rosaleen out of the hospital before she returns to the jail and they run off to Tiburon,
South Carolina. Lily hates her father and with the choices she makes, in a matter of time, Lily is forced to be responsible for herself and Rosaleen,
she must learn how to be independent. Lily and Rosaleen will take a journey that will change their lives and shape their future forever. Lily who loses
her mother at a very young age of four shapes her life around the indistinctive memory of her mother's death. Lily has been profoundly affected by her
own mother's death; she believes that living with someone else's death can be more painful than dying.

The Secret Life Of Bees Setting Analysis
More Than a Backdrop: How Setting Influences Characters The idea of having a secret life is enough to intrigue almost anyone. With a title like
The Secret Life of Bees, the reader cannot help but wonder what the secret is, and how it plays into the story. As children, we all read books that
talked about an escape to a mystical place that allowed the characters to escape from reality for a while. In many cases, the reader viewed this as an
escape they also desired, but most times could not fully relate to the character's experiences. Nonetheless, the setting of the story was intriguing. Sue
Monk Kidd uses setting to influence her characters by setting The Secret Life of Bees in the south, having it take place in the 1960's, and by creating
characters that depend on the setting for their happiness. The time period of the novel created an uncomfortable setting for the prominent black
characters in the story. During the 1960's, there was a prodigious divide between blacks and whites. Being set during the time... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Moreover, May depends on her surroundings to deal with her worldly issues. In order to cope with her unbearable sadness, May retreats to her
wall where she can sit for a while until she relaxes. June clarifies the importance of the wall to Lily by saying, "'Wailing wall,' she said again. 'Like
they have in Jerusalem. The Jewish people go there to mourn. It's a way for them to deal with their suffering. See, they write their prayers on scraps
of paper and tuck them in the wall.'" (Kidd 97). The thought of one place in the woods being enough to calm someone down entirely is intriguing.
Essentially, May finds comfort in a pile of rocks. Without those rocks though, May might not have survived as long as she did. She probably would
have killed herself much earlier in the novel had it not been for this coping mechanism built into the

Violence And The Secret Life Of Bees
While violence helps spread awareness, violence also expresses the realistic nature of the novel. Violence is exposed throughout the everyday life as
seen on media, films, and literature. The chronicles of most nations and their societies contain violence. By hiding the content of violence is to remain
silent about it. Hiding violence just constructs it so that people are hiding a part of reality and leading others to believe the world is not like that
when it is. Furthermore, it creates a weak, naive group of people who thinks everything is untroubled. For instance, parents who shield their children
away from violence creates a false sense of reality. Additionally, violence is a great way to understand the world as it is. Meanwhile, the society
perpetuates violence on TV, media, movies, video games, yet it is all hypocritical to ban a book such as TheSecret Life of Bees. ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Banning the book is not merely because of ethical reasons, but more for political reasons. It is necessary to understand the violent issue to avoid it
from being repeated. This is evident in the article titled "Books on Violence and Bullying Can Help Teens Develop Empathy" when the author notes
that "For life, even at its darkest, can hold the promise of hope and positive change–especially when we read about it with open minds and hearts, with
intellectual attention and emotional empathy" (Cart). Reading books that contain violence can bring attention, positive changes to the society and the
issue. Whereas, ignoring the issue has never solved anything. Violence in literature could encourage further open discussion concerning the nature of it,
thus preparing individuals for the real

The Secret Life Of Bees: A Literary Analysis
Due to the culture in the southern United States in the early and mid 1900s, children were exposed to harsher topics. In the novels, The Secret Life
of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Lily Owens and Jem Finch are seen growing up through their thoughts and
actions. In The Secret Life of Bees, Lily Owens leaves the home of her abusive father and finds three black sisters who take her in, along with her
black caretaker, Rosaleen. During her time there, she meets people and is exposed to events that change her view of the world. In To Kill a Mockingbird
, Jem Finch learns the harsh truth of the world when he witnesses the trial of Tom Robinson, an innocent black man who is incarcerated when a white
man accuses him ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
They were both exposed to events that broadened their view on the world and made them think about what is going on. They were both faced with
situations involving the unfair treatment of black people, especially in the legal system. In The Secret Life of Bees, Rosaleen is taken to jail after
she spit on men who were harassing her, and they later came and beat her up. When Lily visits Rosaleen she says to her, "'If you stay here, those men
are gonna come back and kill you–'" (Kidd 46). Lily knows the severity of the situation that they are in and already can be seen maturing by thinking
through her decisions and finding out a way to get Rosaleen out of the hospital. Along with Jem, even just one instance can show how they are
maturing. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem refuses to leave his father's side when he is being tormented by a mob. Atticus says to him, "'Go home, I
said' Jem shook his head... 'Son, I said go home.' Jem shook his head" (Lee 202) In just this one scene, Jem can be seen maturing and standing up for
his father. This is similar to how Lily reacted in the hospital because she needed to make a quick decision to save Rosaleen, and that is what she did.
Jem did something similar to that but with Atticus. It is clear that the way they matured is similar because they both grew up because of events that
they were exposed to during the

Zachary Taylor In The Secret Life Of Bees
In the novel "The Secret Life of Bees", there are a variety of characters that are relatively easy to relate to. Due to the nature of the novel, and the
characters themselves. The author of the book has done a great job of constructing these many characters, and giving them qualities that people of this
later age can still identify and relate to. For me as an individual, I can see myself and many others that I associate with filling the roles of these
characters, almost as if the author wrote them their own role in the novel and decided to change their names. Zachary Taylor is onecharacter that I can
see myself being closely involved with, he is a honest character who does not fear expressing himself verbally or actively. Zachary Taylor is the... Show
When the readers are first introduced to Zachary Taylor through the eyes of Lily Owens, they get the impression that Zachary Taylor is a
handsome, young man. Who is not only black but has an association with the Boatwright's, Zachary Taylor helps the Boatwrights with the
distribution and production of their Black Madonna Honey. He goes over to the Boatwright house during the summer breaks, this is because
Zachary is still attending school at a high school for African Americans. At his high school he is a well known athlete who plays running back on
the football team, August Boatwright tells Lily Owens that Zachary can run like the wind early in the novel. With all of these occupations that
Zachary Taylor dedicates his time to, it is acknowledged that he is a very hard working young man. We later on learn that he also very bright, and
intellectual. When Lily asks what Zachary would like to do as a profession, he answers Lily saying that he would like to become a Lawyer. Zachary
is close to a local white lawyer named Clayton Forrest, who is his advisor and mentor. When he becomes romantically involved with the main
character of the novel Lily Owens, it is becomes evident to the readers that he is not only smart,

The Secret Life Of Bees Analysis
Braden Quinn
Miss Matthews
American Literature
11 March 2016
Sue Monk Kidd, Two Year Best Selling Book On The New York Times List "After you get stung you can't get unstung no matter how much you
whine about it". This is miss kidd's most famous quote in her book, ВЁThe Life Of BeesВЁ which takes place in the 1960's in the south. This is a
most fantastic example of fictional realism in modern time. This was a time when racism was still being recognized but separate but not quite equal.
Miss Kidd addresses the attitudes of many about segregation and racism in the south in the 60's. Sue Monk Kidd life was full of integrity and amazing
facts but I only chose three facts to share. When Miss Kidd was in the process of writing the book, The Secret ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Miss Grobman is critiquing the way that Miss Kidd has used blacks in her story. Miss Grobman is arguing that Miss kidd should have used
literature and culture more in her story. Miss Grobman is also critiquing that she used black characters in a whitend way. also that miss kidd
should not use a 14 year old black narrator and not use dialect also it was not self centered or native. I agree with miss Grobman because life was
hard for the blacks in the 60's cause if they died the whites would just laugh about it but if the blacks were in danger or in need of help they would
make it worst. A quote from miss kidd story affected many people "If You Get Stung You Can't Get Unstung No Matter How Much You Whine
About It". After you are a slave there is no way of going back unless you take the easy way out. Another quote that she wrote is "when it's time to
die go ahead and die and when it's time to live don't sort of maybe live but live like you're going all out like you're not afraid". The blacks back in this
time period should not live in fear how they live life day by day. they should be able to live their lives to be free and live like a white person.a final
quote that was one of her famous quote is "you gotta imagine what's never been" . Blacks always imagine what life would be like without being a
slave. some of them make it but the others quite didnt make

The Secret Life Of Bees Quote
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd contains the following quote, "Loss takes up inside of everything sooner or later and eats right through
it." This quote is very relevant to the novel, especially in the life of the main character, Lily. It also connects to many things in the world today, such
as war, as well as my own life. The quote itself is referring to the loss in Lily's life, which has come in many forms. The biggest loss in her life is the
loss of her mother. A girl's mother is one of the most important people in her life. She is the role model who teaches her many important things she
must know in life. Lily misses her mother most during the monumental moments of her life. Loss does not only refer to death. People can feel

Secret Life Of Bees Quotes
Bee Lily, Lily Bee Sue Monk Kidd does a beautiful job with her bee analogies and quote connections throughout The Secret Life of Bees. As Lily
grows and matures her knowledge of bees continues to do the same, and reflects who she is and what she's doing at different points in the story. In the
beginning of the book Lily, is an innocent child who just wants to be loved desperately. Even though T–Ray is cruel to her she still yearns for his
affection because she feels lost and unloved without her mother. Just like the bees in her bedroom, she is aimless –– "The way those bees flew, not even
looking for a flower, just flying for the feel of the wind, split my heart down its seam" (1). She feels a connection to these bees because she, too, is
living for the sake of living, without a sense of importance or ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
She doesn't know everything yet but she's come far and learns more every day. She finally learns to be comfortable with herself, and to love while
letting herself be loved. When describing the beehives in the morning, she says, "Your head will say, Don't go any further, but your heart will send
you straight into the hum, where you will be swallowed by it. You will stand there and think, I am in the center of the universe, where everything is
sung to life" (286). Just like Lily projected her feelings of being lost onto the bees in the beginning, her comfortable and beautiful appreciation for the
bees could be a sign that she's developing a better sense of self–confidence and love. She has people who love and protect her for who she is, and thus
it's becoming easier for her to love herself. These feelings also show how she's learning to follow her heart instead of her head, such as with the
relationship between her and Zach. It is unwise to try to be a mixed race couple, but she does not give up on him

Segregation In The Secret Life Of Bees
In the time period of the late 1960s, which is the time period The Secret Life of Bees is set in, racism and segregation were both incredibly
common in the United States. Along with the racism and segregation of the time period, other problems began evolving. For example, many people
of colored skin were punished, whether it be verbally or physically when they did something simple, like drinking out of the wrong water fountain,
sitting in a seat of a bus rather than offering it to a person who was not of colored skin, or talking back to the wrong person. In most cases, however, this
punishment in turn only made them stronger and pushed them to continue fighting. This same situation applies to many people who are abused in some
form during their lifetime. During this time period, however, colored people were not the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Lily's housekeeper Rosaline was a big part in Lily's growth throughout the her adolescent years. When T. Ray found Lily outside in the garden
with her shirt unbuttoned he made her kneel in a pile of Martha White Grits, when she did this her knees got incredibly welted and bruised. Once
Rosaleen had seen what he had done she immediately brought it to Lily's attention how bad she was being treated by T. Ray, "'Look at you, child.
Look what he's done to you,'" she said (Kidd 25). If not for Rosaline, she probably would have never even been capable of leaving her home at the
peach farm in the first place and in turn she probably would have never found the Boatwright sisters in Tiburon, South Carolina (37). If this would not
have happened Lily would have been stuck in her miserable life with T. Ray, forever having to kneel in the sharp Martha White Grits, having constantly
wilted knees, and being neglected from the love all people need and deserve to feel throughout their

The Secret Life Of Bees
Title of Novel: The Secret Life of Bees Author: Sue Monk Kidd Year Written: November 8, 2001 Author's Nationality: American Type of Novel:
Bildungsroman and/or Historical Fiction Setting of Novel: The Secret Life of Bees took place in the 1960s in Sylvan, South Carolina Protagonist:
Lily Melissa Owens Antagonist: Terence (T. Ray) Brief Plot Summary: Lily Melissa Owens, a fourteen
–year–old white girl, lives on a peach farm with
her father, T. Ray, who is both neglectful and abusive. Lily has a guilty secret, She believes she shot and killed her mother, Deborah, when she was
younger, because of a pesky memory of what she thinks was the day she killed her mother. Lily has a housekeeper named Rosaleen, who has cared
for Lily for years. When Rosaleen watches President Johnson sign the Civil Rights Act on television, she decides she will register to vote. On the
way to register they run into some trouble that winds Rosaleen in jail. When T. Ray comes to pick Lily up from the police station, he is angry, and
yells at her for such stupid behavior. Once home, Lily stands up to her father during an argument, and T. Ray hurts her by saying that ten years ago
her mother was only coming back to get her clothes, and that she had planned to abandon Lily. But Lily isn 't sure if she believes her father, and she
plans to escape, leaving behind her abusive father and finding a way to free Rosaleen. When T. Ray is away, Lily sneaks away, carrying with her a
bag of things her mother

Secret Life Of Bees Analysis
In 1960 the Civil Right Act occurred which allowed African–Americans more rights in return this return 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. In the first couple of chapters we see Roseleen, an African–American servant standing up to a group of
white guys. "Rosaleen lifted her snuff which was filled with black spot, and calmly poured it across the shoes of the men's shoes moving her hand in
little loops like she was writing her name– Rosaleen Daise– just the way she'd practiced."(pg 32) This quote shows that Roseleen will not take crap
from anybody. She is willing to protect her freedom and her rights. She stood up to the racism she had endured and by doing so, stood up for herself
and the oppressed. The action of an African American woman pouring snuff on the shoes of a white male, then being able to break out of jail itself
is a taboo of that time period. By having a strong will woman of color that is taking action because she was denied the right to be able to vote shows
the injustice and prejudice of the time period. Roseleen standing up for herself is the first part of many that sheds light on unspoken issues.
Similar to Rosaleen, August is shown as an independent business woman, unlike a stereotypic women of that time period. Having a smart business
woman in the novel creates

Analysis Of The Secret Life Of Bees
"There is nothing perfect,' August said from the doorway. 'There is only life" (Kidd 256). This quote from The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk
Kidd explains Lily Owens life, a young girl with an unloving father and a mother who abandoned her and was later shot and killed by her own
daughter, Lily. Lily has a hard time finding her place in the world and understanding why her life is the way it is. She decides it is time for her to
take charge of her own life. She finds herself in Tiburon, South Carolina with her nanny Rosaleen and three black women, August, June and May
who unravel the story to her mother's past. Lily's story can be seen in different layers, the most significant layers are the religious, thematic and
symbolic layers. These three layers are essential when trying to gain understanding of The Secret Life of Bees. In The Secret Life of bees you can
learn a lot from the thematic layer. Three salient themes in this layer are forgiveness, hope and strength. Hope is shown when Zach talks to Lily
about becoming a lawyer one day, "I've just never heard of a Negro lawyer, that's all. You've got to hear of these things before you can imagine them'
'Bullshit. You gotta imagine what's never been" (Kidd 121). Zach has hope that one day he will become a lawyer despite his skin color and what
everyone else says about it. He doesn't give up because of what society thinks, he stays hopeful. During this time period African Americans had to keep
hope that one day the racism

Secret Life Of Bees Theme Analysis
Main Themes In the novel The Secret Life of Bees, there are many themes that are very apparent. Some of the main themes in the novel include grief
and loss, racial discrimination, betrayal, forgiveness, child abuse and neglect, coming of age, sisterhood, and growing up without a mother. Although I
could not relate to all of the themes there were some that were definitely very prevalent in my own life and some that are also seen in patients at my
field placement. Lily Owens, the narrator and protagonist of her story, is a young 14–year–old girl who is having to grow up without a mother.
Although she has Rosaleen, her outspoken black nanny, as a mother figure she still finds herself yearning for her mother especially as she is
coming to an age when a young girl especially needs a mother. As if being a girl and being motherless wasn't enough, she is also trying to forgive
herself for being the one who took her mother's life. Lily was constantly asking her mother for forgiveness. It was never very clear whether she was
actually the one who shot and killed her mother but that was what her father has led her to believe. This has made the grieving process even more
difficult for Lily to fully go through because she never really finds out the truth. Something that also didn't help Lily was the fact that she didn't really
have anyone to talk to about her mother's death and when someone would finally listen they would tell her to "just put it out of her head." Lily was
always very

The Secret Life Of Bees Epigraph Essay
The Secret of Life of Bees Epigraph Essay: Chapter Two In The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, a young girl named Lily struggles with
growing up with only a harsh father and a housemaid while trying to find her own place in the world. At the age of four, Lily accidentally shoots
her mother while trying to help her in a fight against Lily's dad. Ever since that day, Lily has a difficult time trying to be a lady and trying to cope
with her somewhat abusive father. One day, when Lily is fourteen, the housemaid Rosaleen is sent to jail for pouring dip spit on white men's shoes
but later gets assaulted by the men and is taken to the hospital where Lily goes to sneak her out. In order to help incorporate the story's title into the
story, the author has written epigraphs, that are about bees, for every chapter in the book. Chapter two's epigraph says " On leaving the old nest,
the swarm normally flies only a few metres and settles. Scout bees look for a suitable place to start the new colony. Eventually, one location wins
favor and the whole swarm takes to the air"(34). This epigraph parallels the story because of the similarities in how bees move on and look for
somewhere to start their new lives and how Lily and Rosaleen try to start their new... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
T. Ray breaks the news that Lily's mom had left Lily with him and had come back to pack up her stuff when the big argument between he and Lily's
mom happened. At that point, Lily has enough of T. Ray, so she starts to have a mini–mental breakdown. Amidst the chaos going on inside her mind,
she hears a voice say, "Lily Melissa Owens, your jar is open" (41). That little voice means all the difference in the world to Lily. To Lily, it is as if her
mother is saying to leave T. Ray and start a new life. Right then she knows that she has to

Secret Life Of Bees Maturity
"'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.
Throughout The Secret Life of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In exactly fifty pages, Lily goes from, "My mother had left me. I hate her" (Kidd 251) to "... I have forgiven us both..." (Kidd 301). For the first
thirteen of fourteen chapters, Lily hates her mother, and she makes this very clear. She directly tells August: "My mother had left me. I hate her"
(Kidd 251). It's not until August explains that Lily's mother, Deborah, "... was practically skin and bone... And all she did was cry for a week," that
Lily starts to understand why she had to leave: she was being treated abusively by T. Ray (Kidd 252). Once Lily has this information, she begins
the healing and forgiving process. This process is also helped along by Lily finally knowing the full truth about her mother's mysterious death. The
fact that Lily physically chases T. Ray as he's about to leave the Boatwright's house shows that she is ready to know, once and for all, the truth
about her mother's death. She is prepared for the possibility that she did in fact kill her mother. By allowing herself to know the truth, she forgives
herself and her mother for leaving. She even says, "I guess I have forgiven us both, although sometimes in the night my dreams will take me back to
the sadness, and I have to wake up and forgive us again" (Kidd 301). Progress in the process of Lily forgiving herself and her mom is clearly shown.
Overall, she has condoned the actions of her mother, but still has little "flashbacks" or moments of weakness where she has to forgive

The Role Of Secrets In Literature: The Secret Life Of Bees
Secrets are kept and told in everyday life. In literature, a character's goals can depend on keeping a secret and revealing the secret at the correct
time. Sometimes it is best if the secret is never revealed; occasionally, the secret is even kept from the reader. In The Secret Life of Bees by Sue
Monk Kidd, Lily Owens keeps her identity, as well as her house maid, Rosaleen's identity, a secret from August Boatwright and her sisters, Mary and
June. This secret is strategically kept by Lily and Rosaleen. This secret affects the plot by preventing August from kicking Lily and Rosaleen out, as
well as keeping suspense with wondering of if the secret will ever be revealed. In the beginning, Rosaleen is taken to jail for assault, theft, and

Allusions In The Secret Life Of Bees
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd features an allusion at the start of each chapter, each one mentioning a queen bee. Throughout the
exposition, it is believed the queen bee mentioned would be a symbol for Lily's mother, but as the plot progresses, many more motherly figures begin
to fit into this description of queen bee. Our Lady of Chains can be seen as the queen bee of the novel, as the Boatwright sisters, Rosaleen, and Lily
can all relate to her in some form. They are all trying to escape from something, the Boatwright sisters and Rosaleen are trying to escape the harsh
rasicm seen in this time period and Lily is attempting to escape her past. The allusion in chapter six writes, "The queen must produce some substance
that attracts

The Secret Life Of Bees Analysis
Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees and Rascal Flatts "I'm Movin' On", both adequately demonstrate that a childhood of guilt can result in
difficulty forgiving oneself and others. Overcoming inner conflicts as well as finding a place of belonging and contentment is a result that comes with
self–forgiveness. The Secret Life of Bees is a story of a young girl named Lily Owens who, throughout the novel, faces immense obstacles. This novel
focuses on the blurred memory Lily has of the death of her mother. In the novel, the reader learns that Lily was only a young child during the death of
her mother and her emotionally abusive father, T. Ray, often tells her that this death was all her fault. T. Ray implements the idea that Lily was the one
to who had accidentally shot her mother with a gun which causes her to grow up living with the guilt and shame of this traumatic event that took a
very valuable life from her. As the plot intensifies, Lily and her strong–willed black caretaker, Rosaleen, decide to escape T. Rays sadistic tendencies
and abusive behavior. After deciding to run away from T. Ray, Lily soon finds the Boatwright sisters who had a strong connection with Lily's mother
before she died. While meeting the Boatwright sisters, Lily says, "I felt like she knew what a lying, murdering, hating person I really was. How I
hated T. Ray, and the girls at school, but mostly myself for taking away my mother" (Kidd 71). This quote shows the destructive effect of being blamed

The Banning Of Books In The Secret Life Of Bees
Books are like people, there is a wide variety and range of them, they can range from different types of vernacular to age appropriateness. Due to the
wide range some books are eligible to be banned from a school district for any array of reasons. Books can be banned because of, profanity, societal
issues or anything else that could possibly be thought of. The Secret Life of Bees should be taught in high school curriculum because it allows for
readers to see how someone can overcome oppression of racism and various categories of abuse. Racism is something that the population goes through
every single day. All races are discriminated against, no matter the skin color, including the so called "superior" whites.
Protagonist Lilly in the novel ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Organization Safe Voices lists that, "More than 1 in 4 teenage girls in a relationship (26%) report enduring repeatedverbal abuse." (Safe Voices). With it
stating more than 1 automatically jumps to at least half, half of teenage girls have been revealed to verbal abuse in a relationship; no matter it being,
platonic, familial or romantic. In The Secret Life of Bees verbal abuse is highly prevalent throughout the novel, the abuse is mainly taken in by
protagonist Lily Owens. The main abuser is her father T. Ray, with a constant demeanor of Lily being a dumb blonde girl, he constantly calls her
numerous obscene names such as "you act no better than a slut" and "why you little bitch" (pg. 27&39, Kidd). While no adolescent should have to
endure that mental beat down, Lily later uses that to better herself and she learns herself value while overcoming the repeated verbal abuse from her

Secret Life Of Bees Juxtapositions

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Secret Life Of Bees Juxtapositions