Set in the American South in 1964, the year of the Civil Rights Act and intensifying racial unrest, Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees is a powerful story not simply about bees, but of coming-of-age, of the ability of love to transform our lives, and of the often unacknowledged longing for equal women and human rights. Although this novel is not one of a higher reading level, Kidd displays many hidden meanings, ones that require the reader to dig beneath the surface. Addressing the wounds of casualties, betrayal, and the lack of love, Kidd shows the power of women uniting together to treat those wounds, to care about each other and themselves, and to create a community of true family and home.…
Sue M. Kidd grew up in 1964 where prejudice and discrimination was still in full effect, in “The Secret life of Bees” a New York Times bestseller and major picture movie was written it had a lot of influences from her adolescents. Sue M. Kidd explains to the reader the reasoning for her naming the book “The Secret Life of Bees’ was because she practically lived with Bees when she was younger, the honey would ooze out from the walls onto the floor. “The Secret Life of Bees” was published on November 8Th,2001 and the major picture movie was released on October 17th, 2008. Sue M Kidd uses many literary devices throughout the book, in fact it is an expended metaphor describing how the Bees illustrates who Lily (the main character) is and what…
“I had to get away from T.Ray, who was probably on his way back this minute to do Lord-knows-what to me.”(Kidd 41). Lily Owens, the main character of Sue Monk Kidd’s novel, The Secret Life of Bees, constantly lives in fear of her father’s temper has to take her wellbeing into her own hands when his temper gets too much for Lily to handle. She was living in an abusive relationship with her father T. Ray, until she runs away and finds safe haven with a family her deceased mother once knew, The Boatwrights. The open jar shows the theme of “saving yourself from unwanted situations” that is strewn throughout the book The Secret Life of Bees when Lily has to save herself from an abusive kinship, and decides to find a loving…
Zach Taylor is a character in Sue Monk Kidds novel ‘The Secret Life of Bees’. He is a black boy living with the racist culture that is the norm in South Carolina in 1964. Zach’s story and the challenges that he faces show the reader the theme of discrimination, specifically race discrimination. This conveys to the reader the important message that you can succeed despite your circumstances, and that the colour of your skin does not define your worth.…
In the world people are always preconceived based on who they are or what they look like. Even thought it isn't as big of a problem in some areas as in others, we need to fight it. If we don't then it will continue to get more serious and at times lead to death. In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Alexandra tells her niece that she can't play with a schoolmate simply because of his class. "You can scrub Walter Cunningham till he shines, you can put him in shoes and a new suit, but he'll never be like Jem Becauseheistrash.'" (224). This prejudiced state of mind is the foundation for the plot events of the novel. By way of experiences, a young girl, Scout Finch, must learn about the part prejudice plays in the everyday life of Maycomb County. Through settlement patterns, justice, and social stratification Harper Lee reveals the ways of prejudice.…
In 1964, racism in the South was as prominent as ever. Lily Owens, protagonist of Sue Monk Kidd's Secret Life of Bees, found herself stuck smack in the middle of it. From the beginning of the book, readers recognize that Lily has very few people in her life; her mother is dead, and Lily is the reason, so that leaves her with her malicious father, T-Ray, and loving maid, Rosaline. In the first few chapters, readers feel the tension grow in Sylcon, South Carolina, where they live. Tension grows between Lily and her father, and through whites and blacks, as the Civil Rights Act has just been passed. On July fourth, Lily goes into town with Rosaline, where Rosaline intends on registering to vote. Due to abhorrent racists, this does not happen.…
2. What realizations does Lily make when August and the daughters back up Lily and tell her father that they want Lily to stay? How do these realizations change the way Lily views herself?…
Once stated by an African American social reformer, Frederick Douglass, “Without struggle, there would be no progress.” Douglass explains that for progression to take place, there must be some sort of obstacle. For example, in Sue Monk Kidd’s book, The Secret Life of Bees, Kidd implements indirect characterization, symbolism, and allusions to help have a better connection to Lily’s development. Lily is depicted as person who is learning from the racial, family, and life hardships she encounters.…
The reality of appearances can deceive people and trick them into thinking that the best people are the worst, and the worst people are the best. In mind with that; reality of people versus their appearances shows greatly throughout the story The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. When the reader deciphers the question of appearances versus realities, they can see the differences between the reality of the characters, and the way that the characters appearances are portrayed by the townspeople in Kidd's book.…
This sets up the major conflicts that are faced in The Secret Life of Bees, for example; after President Johnson signs the the Civil Rights Movement, Rosaleen decided to register to vote. On her way there, is confronted by three white men. Rosaleen bravely stands up to their harassment, and in result, they beat her up. Police arrive, and her and Lily end up getting unjustly arrested. T. Ray (Lily’s father) collects Lily at the prison, and informs her that Rosaleen will most likely be murdered. Later on in the novel, Zach, an African American that Lily expresses a love interest in, gets arrested for being with a group of friends when someone throws a glass bottle at a white man. These scenes were very important in the novel for building up the theme of racial…
A beautiful, captivating, and revolutionary story, In the Time of the Butterflies, was written by Julia Alvarez and is a true account about struggle, courage, and love between four sisters, their families, and the people they encountered in their lives. I believe the central theme is to push back for what is right, even if it's hard or you stand only, in this case they stand as a family. The family has to deal with entrapment in the Dictatorship in the Dominican Republic throughout the entire story, this family helps change the entire nation's feelings, from entrapment to open minded. This captivating story is so easy to relate to, as it’s presented things every person has to go through in life, problems. What comes…
As a part of the definition of the southern gothic genre, racism is involved within The Secret Life of Bees and is either shown as irrational or is shown through the segregation of color. Racism is used frequently because the main character associates herself with people not of her color and the people around her see this as wrong. June says, “But she’s white, August. (Kidd 87)” this shows that racism is shown using white and black references. The main character also realizes the irrationality of racism when a cop suggests, “Take my advice and call your aunt and tell her to come on and get you. These are colored people here. You understand what I’m saying?” I wrinkled up my forehead. ‘No sir I’m afraid I don’t. (Kidd 198)’” While living amongst three black women Lily becomes “color-blind” and only sees people for their personality. Southern gothic literature is defined as such, because it is mostly written during the time of the Civil Rights Movement where racism is a big part of the south.…
How would you describe Lily's feelings about her mother? Do they change throughout the novel?…
In this book, The Secret Life of Bees the main purpose is to inform. Sue Monk Kidd had described many events in which racism took place. Throughout the story she describes whites being cruel to colored people. The first is when three men saw Rosaleen and said “Where you going nigger?” (p. 31) she then poured her snuff jug full of spit over their shoes. The men told her to clean it off, and when she didn’t they started to beat her. The next is when Zach is put in jail for something he didn’t do. One of his friends had hit a white man with a bottle, and Zach was taken to jail along with him (p. 179). The author informs us how racism was much worse back then. Whites were superior, and treated with more respect.…
Novelist Sue Monk Kidd in her book The Secret Life of Bees illustrates Lily Owens’ journey as she overcomes the irrationalities of racism, discovers the power of the female community, and defines the importance of storytelling. Kidd’s purpose is to convey that even though society might drag a person down, the person still has someone who believes in them. She also wants people to be able to understand how real racism and loneliness is, what one can do to rise above it, and how not to put all of ones’ dreams into one belief. Kidd uses vivid imagery, poetic devices and a unique dialogue to assist making the point of views on racism in the 1960’s, Lily’s journey to finding a true role model, and the truth she craves so deeply, clear.…