Category: The Secret Life of Bees

Sue Monk Kidd wrote this novel based on a little of her imagination and childhood memories. Where she grew up, in the south, in effect Sue actually had no less than 50,000 honey bees living in the wall of her childhood home. Sue lived in her Sylvester home for 18 years.

Sue Monk Kidd was born on August 12, 1948 in Sylvester, Georgia. Her parents, Leah and Ridley Monk raised her in the southern city as an only child. She attended local schools as a child but years later she graduated from Texas Christian University in 1970. Sue knew she wanted to be a writer but was not sure so she went and got her B.S. degree in nursing and taught nursing at a medical college for the next decade. She was influenced by Henry David Thoreau’s Walden and Kate Chopin’s The Awakening. She also listened to the honeybees in the wall of her home.

In this novel the bees that swarm Lily’s bedroom looking for a new place to build a hive in the beginning of the book symbolize her need to find a new home. Lily was like a worker bee isolated from the other bees. A condition of isolation within bee community causes bees to die, it causes Lily to suffer pain. Lily is also motherless. It is as if she lives within a hive that has lost its queen bee, the mother of all the bees. A bee colony without a queen soon dies off.

Another symbol in The Secret Life of Bees novel is photographs. Photographs symbolize the power of a relationships. In the story Lily only has one photo of her mother which she handles carefully. She hopes to inherit her mother’s beauty. This photo also represents desire the desire that she will find the feeling of motherly love she feels when she looks at the photo. When she looks at this photograph she sees her mother’s lost potential and her own possible potential, which may or may not be fulfilled over the course of her life. Lily struggles to forgive her mother for being a complicated person. But, once again, seeing a photograph of her mother makes Lily feel guilty about being closer to the deceased woman.

Works Cited

1. SparkNotes, SparkNotes, https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/secretbees/summary/.
2. “The Secret Life of Bees.” Sue Monk Kidd Biography, https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/s/the-secret-life-of-bees/sue-monk-kidd-biography.
3. Guest. “The Secret Life of Bees – PDF Free Download.” Epdf.pub, EPDF.PUB, https://epdf.pub/the-secret-life-of-bees77f027358ef42bfeaab7a1a899675e3558564.html.

In July of 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into effect the Civil Rights Act, in hopes of unifying the diverse group of people in America. Although it was a step forward for many, some people had trouble accepting the new laws and demonstrated their disdain through acts of violence and harshness. Sue Monk’s Kidd’s novel, The Secret Life of Bees, engages the reader in instances of racism and prejudice through the eyes of Lily. Lily, the main character, is a young and naive protagonist who leaves her home in Sylvan, South Carolina to find out the truth about her mother. Along the way, Lily meets the Boatwright sisters, a group of sisters who come to accept Lily into their community, despite her being a different race. The Boatwrights help Lily to understand that people are judged based on looks all the time, but Lily also learns how to overcome stereotypes. The same occurs in Taylor’s film, The Help. In The Help, a young protagonist, Skeeter, gains a new perspective on life when she interviews the African American community in her neighborhood. Skeeter receives backlash for the new book that she wrote, full of interviews of African American people’s experiences, and learns that people are more than just their outside looks. Both Kidd’s novel and Taylor’s film give insight into the troubles that African American citizens dealt with during the 1960s through different characters, their conflicts with each other and their conflicts with society, while giving hope for a world without stereotypes and racism.

To begin, the conflicts between characters in both The Secret Life of Bees and The Help showcase discrimination, but also give hope for a better future. The first experience of unfairness occurs in The Secret Life of Bees when Lily was talking with Zach, a black teenager that works at the Boatwright sisters’ honey farm, about how they both like each other a lot. Lily thinks that she and Zach can be together, but she does not know of the repercussions that would face them if they were. Zach finally tells Lily, “‘you have to understand, there are people who would kill boys like me for even looking at girls like you’” (Kidd 135). Zach knew that because he was black, and that Lily was white, there was no chance they could have been together. Kidd developed Zach’s character as a way for Lily to learn about the harsh realities of the world. Not only was he a love interest to Lily, but he was also a role model. Lily, after having been told by the people around her that black boys could not be nice and handsome, realizes that Zach is nothing like anything the school children said he would be. Zach helped Lily come of age and shape her identity as a beekeeper accepted into a new community. Although Zach believes that he and Lily cannot be together, he presents hope to Lily and the readers for a future where they can be together. Kidd wrote Zach to give hope to the readers for a more equal society. Through him, Kidd expresses her belief that in the future, it is possible to live in a society without racism or prejudice. Similarly, in The Help, Taylor brings light to discrimination through interactions between different characters in the film. In one scene, Skeeter gets into an argument with her boyfriend, Stuart, about the book that Skeeter had written. Stuart shows his racial intolerance by complaining to Skeeter that she should not have written the text. During the conflict, Stuart says, “‘Things are fine around here. Why go stir up trouble?’” (Taylor 125). After Skeeter’s and Stuart’s argument, Stuart leaves Skeeter because she supposedly ruined their relationship. Stuart is a prime example of how people stereotyped and judged people in the 1960s based on their skin color. Throughout the film, Stuart is characterized to be a nice, caring person, and it does seem that way when Stuart is with Skeeter. But in breaking up with Skeeter, Stuart is revealed to really only care about how different actions affect him. In this case, Stuart associating with Skeeter would only give him a bad reputation because of the society’s cultural norms. Taylor incorporated this character to show us that even the nicest people can be judgemental, critical, and racist. However, having Stuart leave is a sign for both Skeeter and the audience that the book Skeeter wrote is working, and is having an effect on everybody in Skeeter’s community. Both of these interactions between characters allow for the audience to see the effects of discrimination, but also give hope for a brighter future where all people are treated equally.

Given that it was the 1960s, the characters of The Secret Life of Bees and The Help also had conflicts with society and its cultural expectations. Near the start of The Secret Life of Bees, Rosaleen, Lily’s caretaker, is unjustly arrested by the local police for not giving an apology to a group of men whom she had spit on. Later, Lily finds her in the black patient area of the hospital and asks her about her injuries. In response, Rosaleen says, “‘After [Lily] left, that policeman called Shoe let those men come in for their apology’” (Kidd 46). All Rosaleen wanted to do was register to vote, but she was brutally beaten, harassed, and hurt. At a base level, Kidd included this moment to display the vulgarity of the South in the 1960s. However, Kidd also incorporated this scene as a way to teach Lily about the harsh ways of the world. Prior to this moment in the novel, Lily had not encountered a moment of prejudice or injustice on this scale before. Lily did not see why Rosaleen would not just apologize to the group of men, but as time goes on, Lily starts to understand how individual acts can eventually change society. At the start of the novel, Lily believed that racism was this brute force that could not be reckoned with. As the novel goes on, Lily experiences many moments, like Rosaleen standing up to a group of racist men, that teach her the hard truths of the world. This growth that Lily has is a way for Kidd to tell us that it is possible to live in a society without racism and prejudice; it just takes time and growth. The same kind of growth also occurs in The Help, when Aibileen, a maid who agreed to be a part of Skeeter’s novel, is helping Skeeter to write her book. During this scene, Aibileen, Skeeter, and another maid, Minny, are debating about how to finish the book. Suddenly, Aibileen says, “‘They killed my son… [The white foreman] drove to the colored hospital and dumped him there’” (Taylor 78). Aibileen expresses that because no one was willing to help her son, he had no chance to survive. Aibileen believes that Skeeter’s novel has the ability to change their community, and maybe even save lives. By telling this story, Aibileen gives a commentary on society during the 1960s, and how society is capable of change. Aibileen believes that if her son or herself were white, then maybe her son would still be alive. Without Aibileen’s story, Skeeter may have not been motivated to finish the novel. Taylor including this scene in the movie not only gives a vivid description of what struggles African Americans had to go through in the 1960s, but also helps the audience understand why Aibileen wants Skeeter to finish the book so badly. Near the end of the film, Skeeter’s novel finally goes public, and Taylor gives the audience hope of a less judgemental society through a newfound sense of equality in Skeeter’s community. Both Kidd’s novel and Taylor’s film give a sense of hope towards the future of the world, and the possibility of getting rid of stereotypes.

As evidenced by the conflicts between characters and the conflicts between characters and society, Kidd and Taylor allude towards a future without racism and prejudice. Both Lily’s and Skeeter’s growth are ways for the audience to reflect on their lives. Although society has made progress, many instances of stereotyping can still be seen in today’s world. For example, one story that changed the world was Malala Yousafzai’s story. Malala was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman because she was an advocate of girl’s rights in Pakistan. Fortunately, she survived, and she has used her story to establish the Malala Fund, a charity dedicated to giving girls across the world access to education. This is only one of many stories that have changed lives. Everyone has a story of discrimination. For those whose voice is not loud enough, someone needs to speak for them.

Works Cited

1. Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret Life of Bees. Penguin Books, 2002.
2. Taylor, Tate, director. The Help. Dreamworks, 2011.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd brings readers to the hot South Carolina summer of 1964, just after the Civil Rights Act had been signed. The novel follows a girl named Lily Owens who has a dead mother and a father who blames her for it. When Lily finds enough confidence to abandon her abusive father, she runs away with her housekeeper Rosaleen. They are led to the Boatwright household by a ‘Black Madonna Honey’ label. As Lily searches for clues about her mother, she learns more about herself and the people that matter most. Although up to this point Lily has never had a mother figure in her life, she is given the opportunity to take part in an almost mother-daughter type bond between herself and the three Boatwright sisters, who are the epitome of what a strong mother should be. These amazing women give Lily a chance to think for herself for once and make her own decisions. The power of feminism is demonstrated throughout this novel by the actions of different characters, as well as symbols.

Prejudice, discrimination, racism, the 1950s come to mind when these words are heard. This time period was filled with prejudice and extreme racial segregation. The author Sue Monk Kidd writes, “That’s fine with me,’ I said a little annoyed. ‘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 tells lily of his dreams of becoming a lawyer. Before, she had grown used to the laws and the stereotypical roles of different races and social classes. Now she has been introduced with African Americans who dared to dream beyond what their stereotypical role is. Lily is surprised by the realization that people can go above their social classes to achieve their dreams. The civil rights act was barely being enforced, and before then it was never spoken to have African Americans do important jobs that are held by the whites. The incorporation of African Americans to the everyday White community was resisted and not welcome. Another example of prejudice in the novel was after Mary’s death, while police officer Eddie Hazlehurst was questioning Lily.He said, “I’m not saying it’s not natural, you shouldn’t be… well, lowering yourself,” (Kidd 198). It wasn’t recognized that African Americans had the same intellectual possibilities as white people. The officer says that Lily shouldn’t be residing with black people. On another level, Lily must personally navigate the delicacy of the racial difference between herself and the African-Americans she comes to love in Tiburon. White people criticize Lily for living with the black women, who treat her better than anyone else ever has. Lily develops romantic feelings for Zach, who tells her that he could get killed for even looking at a white girl. Finally, for the first time Lily experiences what it is like to be judged based solely on her skin color when June complains to August that she does not want Lily in the house because she is white.

Motherhood is also closely tied to love in the novel. Lily’s spiritual quest throughout the book parallels and is related with the quest to find her mother. In chapter 14 August tells Lily, “You have to find a mother inside of yourself, we all do.” The inner mother is nothing other than the source of each persons strengths and power. Ones biological mother provides this but until a certain point in life you have to find it in yourself and rely on it. This happens to Lily not only does she feel Mary’s presence insecure her she also realizes she has multiple mothers. Lily is driven by her need to know about her mother so that she may learn more about herself. In seeking her mother, Lily finds mother substitutes. Rosaleen, August, and the other women step into Lily’s life and provide the mothering that she needs so desperately.The Virgin Mary demonstrate each woman’s need to be mothered. The women’s devotion to the Blessed Mother shows the power and importance of a mother in the life of a woman.

The secret life of bees traces Lilys discovery of her own spirituality and her acceptance of it and it’s strength. “I live in a hive of darkness and you are my mother… you are the mother of thousands.” The Black Mary symbolizes a motherly figure not only for characters in the book but for thousands of people across the world that look up to you. The black Mari figure appears throughout this novel as a symbol of maternal figures. Whether it is Louise real mother or just the mother she finds throughout her journey.

The major theme of this novel is expressed in its title, which comes from a statement made by August: “Most people don’t have any idea about all the complicated life going on inside a hive. Bees have a secret life we don’t know anything about” (148). Throughout the novel, the reader learns how most characters are not what they seem on the surface. People’s lives are usually much more complex and complicated than they appear.Throughout the novel, Kidd builds on the hive and bees as a metaphor of life. Bees represent people working together in a society, which is represented by the hive. The beehive has been known in history to represent the soul, death, and rebirth. The hive is presided over by the queen, or mother-figure. In explaining that bees have secret lives that are not immediately perceptible, August speaks metaphorically of people. As the plot progresses, we learn that almost every character has an explanation for his or her actions that cannot be seen immediately.We know that Lily is pretending to be someone that she is not in order to find out about her mother. We learn that May is so emotional because of her twin’s suicide. August tells Lily that T. Ray was not always the cruel man he is now. He was once tender and sweet and become embittered when Deborah died. Lily also finds out that her mother was not the perfect women she imagined. Throughout this story, Lily learns people, like the bees, are often motivated by forces that cannot be understood immediately.

In conclusion, this book portrays several different themes. As lily made her way through the novel she discovered things she had never even thought about before and discovered a whole new perspective on life.

In the book “Secret Life of Bees” Sue Monk Kidd uses very powerful themes throughout the book. A major theme that caught my eye throughout the entire book would be prejudice and the real meaning of family. Throughout the book Sue Monk Kidd also uses death as a major theme through this book and it makes it a very powerful and emotional piece of literature.

When reading this book you learn the true meaning of what family is and that it does not matter what you look like or what you believe in. It also shows that just because someone has a different skin color than you it does not make them less of a person or inferior to you which makes the theme of prejudice in the novel. Lily was loved the most by the people that had colored skin, they treated her more like family than her own father did, they took her in as their own when they knew that it was not right to do that during this time period. Lily grew up being abused and neglected by her father and even when her mother was around she would leave Lily and then eventually come back for her but she was never her mother’s main priority. Even Lily’s housekeeper Rosaleen gave her most of the love and affection that she did not get from her parents. When Lily arrived at the Boatwright house they also gave her so much love and gave her a home and were really kind to her.

This is what the meaning of family is, that even though you may have different skin, even though you are not blood or share any genes you can still love someone and be as passionate towards them as your own blood and skin. Many people were hateful of colored people during this time and that shows the prejudice in the book.

In the book it talks about Lily seeing the bees in her room and that it was a connection to her deceased mother. Death is another major theme in this book because death is a real thing and many people will eventually face some type of death in their life and the way they respond to it and see it will truly affect the way of life that they will live. Many of the characters in the book face a death of a family member in their life and it shows how they handle that situation and use it to guide them and help them live a better life. For example, May Boatwright commits suicide by drowning herself, but her sisters August and June take this situation and try to lighten it up because they knew they pain that May was in they felt that now that she was gone that she had no pain anymore and it showed how the matured through the situation.

They way Sue Monk Kidd presents death in this novel is very powerful and it shows that many people handle death in different ways and you get to see that throughout the novel and it is very impacting to learn how everyone handles a certain situation. Reading this wonderful novel makes you want to hold your loved ones close and really never take a moment with them for granted because you may not know what is going on with them on the inside.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is about a young girl named Lily. Lily is a fourteen-year-old white girl with a scarring past. After accidentally killing her mom. And having an abusive dad she decides to try for a new beginning. Lily runs away and finds a new home at the Boatright sisters house. As she struggles to forgive herself for her past and forgive others the theme becomes very clear. You must practice forgiveness, forgiving yourself and others.

Lily makes it very hard to forgive others and herself throughout the book, many scenes come up in the book where Lily is challenged to forgive herself and others for example she must learn to forgive herself for killing her mother. Just imagine at the age of four accidentally killing your mother as she’s trying to flee from an evil husband. Well that was exactly Lily’s situation. Lily throughout the book learns that yes it was an accident and no she can’t go back to fix it but that’s ok. Because she has to move on to feel better about herself and not have that guilt in the back of her head haunting her for the remainder of her life. So to get over the quilt she must forgive herself for the death of her mother. And move on to have that quilt go away.

Forgiving herself isn’t the only person Lily must forgive, she must also forgive her mother. You may be thinking why does she need to forgive her mother. Well it’s very simple at a time in the story lily thought that her mother was trying to abandon her and leave her with the evil T-Ray. And she must forgive her mother because her mom was only trying to do what was best for herself. But along with forgiving her mother she must also comprehend the whole story. Lily’s mom was actually gonna take Lily with her, which is something i don’t think Lily quite realized until later on in the book. But either way lily needs to understand her mother was trying to do the best for herself and even if lily doesn’t think it was the best idea her mother was trying to do what’s best. And if Lily understood the whole situation from the beginning maybe things would be different and her mom could possibly still be alive. But she isn’t so forgiving her mother for “abandoning” her is the best alternative.

Along with forgiving her mother, Lily must forgive June who is one of the boatwright sisters. Throughout the book June is very cruel to lily. June doesnt like the idea of a white girl living with them and is somewhat racist towards white people. She dislikes them and doesn’t think lily is a good thing to have around. But even though June and Lily argue and fight throughout the book I do think Lily should forgive her for her actions. Because if you look at it from Jones point of view most white people to her aren’t the nicest and usually very mean. And so having lilly around might scare her or make her uneasy. But both of them understand that each other are both very sweet and kind they put skin color aside and through the fighting away.

Along with forgiving her mother, I feel in the book Lily starts to forgive T-Ray for the horrible almost villain-like things he did. I think she finally understands by the end that her mother’s death really messed with T-Ray. Maybe some of the things T-Ray did were because of that. I think by the end of the book Lily kinda understands more of why T-Ray did what he did and this brings her a step closer to trying to forgive him. Even though it doesnt tell if she fully forgives him I feel like she might’ve. And also if she did end up forgiving him i also feel it maybe help her forgive herself more having one more thing not to worry about. But this is a big step for Lily to at least consider forgiving or evil and mean father who did nothing but verbally and physically abuses Lily.

With the forgiving of her abusive father and forgiving her and her mother. I think the theme of practicing forgiveness really shows. It helps make the story more interesting by showing Lily’s struggles in practicing forgiveness. It also helps her grow as a character throughout the book. It makes her feelings change about things she has done and things that have happened. Also, I believe if lily didn’t start to forgive herself and others the story may have been a lot different.

In conclusion, the secret life of bees had a very strong theme of practicing forgiveness. Lily struggles in the book to forgive herself for things that she causes like her mother’s death and her mom marrying T-Ray. But she gets through those struggles and becomes a different character. She also yearns to forgive others like her mother and T-Ray. Once forgiving her mother and starting to forgive T-Ray i believe Lily changed as a person. In all this story has many examples of practicing forgiveness and how it’s not always easy but sometimes it is the right thing to do.