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Secret life of bees essay
Secret life of bees character development
The secret life of the bees essay
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In the novel The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd the protagonist Lily matures and progresses throughout the novel, learning new skills and tips. When Lily finds out a terrifying truth about her mother she tries not to believe it and runs away. Taking her house maid, who recently was put in jail, with her she travels to a city which she thinks can help her find the truth about her mother. As she goes through this life changing adventure she changes in many ways, in one way she gains confidence, also she realizes the Boatrights and the other Daughter of Mary can act as her mother and finally how she thinks of her dad, T Ray. In the beginning of the book Lily struggled to make friends and worried about her appearance. As the book went on she gained confidence and started to respect herself more. Lily says, “I worried so much about how I looked and whether I was doing things right, I felt half the time I was impersonating a girl instead of really being one” (Kidd 9). This shows how Lily's confidence is low and how …show more content…
When she stays with the Boatrights she realizes how much they love her and how she doesn't need a birth mother to have a mother. Kidd rights, “I sank farther down…hardly aware of myself mumbling the words out loud. ‘I am unlovable’” (242). This shows how Lily thinks that since she killed her mom that she wouldn’t find a mother figure or anyone else to love her. Later she realizes how the Boatrights and Daughters of Mary care for her and love her. August says, “‘Mr. Owens, you would be doing Lily and the rest of us a favor by leaving her here. … We love Lily, and we’ll take care of her …’” (Kidd 298). When August and the Daughters of Mary come to tell Mr. Owens to leave Lily with them it shows how much they love her and how they act as Lily’s 8 mothers. Lily progresses with her emotional self to help with the loss of her mother and gaining 8 new loving
As strong, independent, self-driven individuals, it is not surprising that Chris McCandless and Lily Owens constantly clashed with their parents. In Jon Krakauer’s novel, Into the Wild, Chris was a twenty-four-year-old man that decided to escape the materialistic world of his time for a life based on the simplistic beauty of nature. He graduated at the top of his class at Emory University and grew up in affluent Annandale, Virginia, during the early 1980’s. In The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, Lily was a fourteen-year-old girl who grew up in the 1960’s, a time when racial equality was a struggle. She had an intense desire to learn about her deceased mother. Her nanny, Rosaleen, with whom she grew very close over the years, raised Lily with little help from her abusive father. When her father failed to help Rosaleen after three white men hospitalized her, Lily was hysterical. Later, Lily decided to break Rosaleen out of the hospital and leave town for good. While there are differences between Chris McCandless and Lily Owens, they share striking similarities. Chris McCandless’ and Lily Owens’s inconsistencies of forgiveness with their parents resulted in damaged relationships and an escape into the unknown.
In the beginning of the novel, as the reader is first introduced to Lily’s character, she comes across as an extremely negative young girl. While thinking about
This “home” that she finds brightly displays the ideas of identity and feminine society. Though Lily could not find these attributes with T. Ray at the peach house, she eventually learns the truth behind her identity at the pink house, where she discovers the locus of identity that resides within herself and among the feminine community there. Just like in any coming-of-age story, Lily uncovers the true meaning of womanhood and her true self, allowing her to blossom among the feminine influence that surrounds her at the pink house. Lily finds acceptance among the Daughters of Mary, highlighting the larger meaning of acceptance and identity in the novel. The meaning behind Sonsyrea Tate’s statement can be found deeply rooted within Sue Monk Kidd’s novel, The Secret Life of Bees.
The devastating tragedy of losing a person's mother at an early age can drastically affect that person's life. It can impact the way someone thinks, corresponds with others, and the way someone handles themselves emotionally. In the novel The Secret Life of Bees Lily Owens loses her mother at the early age of four. During Lily's journey she finds comfort and support in the women that she meets. Throughout the novel Lily goes through many changes because of the impact of the motherly figures of the Black Mary, Rosaleen, and the Calendar Sisters.
In life, having someone to care and look after you is necessary. In many ways, a mother gives the love and care needed to help a child grow. In Sue Monk Kidd's, The Secret Life of Bees, Lily Owens, the main character, does not have a mother to look after her. However, it is the minor characters that play the mother figures in her life due to her mother's passing. May and Rosaleen are mother figures towards Lily. Throughout the story, Lily realizes that although she may not have her mom with her, there are many other women who she views as mother figures because of how they help her grow. The youngest sister May Boatwright and her housekeeper Rosaleen Daise are these mother figures. Firstly, they help Lily to feel loved. Due to her troubled
The Secret Life of Bees is a beautifully written novel by Sue Monk Kidd. It tells the story of fourteen year old Lily Owens. She lives with her abusive father and believes that she was the one who shot and killed her mother. One day she runs off with her Rosaleen, Lily's only mother figure. They end up on the doorstep of the Boatwright sisters who take Lily and Rosaleen in. August, May and June teach Lily how to become independent. They also teach her the way of beekeeping and worshipping God. The movie was very similar to the book with a few differences. A noticeable difference was the talk of God and religion.
In The Secret Life of Bees, readers find that the second third of the book contains many plot twists and emotional distress amongst the characters. At first, Lily is told about the story of Our Lady of Chains with the Daughters of Mary—a religious group August had organized from before. Lily longs to touch the heart of the statue, but June practically forbids her from it. Later on, Lily meets Zach—a Negro boy her age—and befriends him. When she thinks Zach does not believe in her writing, Lily breaks down. Zach helps her and tells of how she will “be a fine writer one day.” (129).
In The Secret Life of Bees, author Sue Monk Kidd, portrays the transformation of Lily Owens from a child burdened with the guilt of her mother's death to a strong and confident young woman, as a result of living with May, Rosaleen, and August. Lily, burdened with the guilt of her mother's death becomes terrified of her father, T. Ray. August and May guide Lily’s growth to a life of faith and devotion while Rosaleen remains as Lily’s constant companion. As Lily finds her true identity she transforms into a strong and confident young woman which helps her face the world and all of its challenges.
In the story “ The secret life of bees”, The author, kidd, strikingly portrays the relationship between lily and rosaleen because lily was sick and tired of his dad. Since lily’s mother died when lily was at a young age. Rosaleen was the only female influence in her life. Rosaleen puts limits on lily just how a mother would. Even though rosaleen is black and lily is white, lily doesn't care because she acts like a mom that cares a lot for her daughter. She would cook for lily and take care for lily. Lily accidently killed her mother deborah while t-ray and deborah were arguing, but t-ray wouldn't tell lily she did it.
August was correct when she said that Lily must be her own mother. Lily will not always have someone to care for her. If this happens she must learn to care for herself. Lily was also relying too much on the statue of Mary. When the statue of Mary was chained up Lily could not go to her for help.
The book The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is a rather interesting book that manages to create mixed feelings in the reader towards many contrasted and relatable characters. There is Lily and her father who have always had a rather rough relationship after Lily’s mother passed when Lily was only a small child. Then there are characters like Rosaleen and August who provide emotional and physical support to the main protagonist, LIly. There are also side characters that bring life to the story such as May and Zach. And then there are characters like June Boatwright, who stands out not only because of her broad spectrum of emotions, but because of her complete 180 and change of perspective. To me, June’s story was one that was just as interesting as that of Lily Owens.
Since the death of her mother, Lily developed a complicated attitude towards her, sometimes ranging from admiration to hatred to forgiveness. Lily always saw her mother as the loving kind until one day when August explained her relationship with Deborah,
“ ‘Well, you sure had one back at the hospital, coming in there saying we’re gonna do this and we’re gonna do that, and i’m supposed to follow you like a pet dog. You act like you’re my keeper. Like i’m some dumb nigger you gonna save.” (page 53 in text, 82 online) Lily, while living in Sylvan, suffers abuse from her father T-Ray, and carries the guilt of possibly killing her mother by accident. She knows nothing of her mother and why she left, so she is very curious. At this point in the novel, before a change in setting, Lily is still an immature teenage girl who is unaware of who she is and how to love and forgive herself. On an impulsive emotional decision, Lily decides to break Rosaleen out of the jail, and the two of them decide to go to Tiburon, in slim chances of finding out the history of Lily’s mother. Lily does not really confide in Rosaleen of her plan, but instead just takes charge and acts as the rescuer which frustrates
The Secret Life of Bees delineates an inspirational story in which the community, friendship and faith guide the human spirit to overcome anything. The story follows Lily Owens, a 14 year old girl who desperately wants to discover the cause of her mothers death. Her father T. Ray gives her no answers, which leads their maid, Rosaleen, to act as her guardian. Together, Lily and Rosaleen run away to Tiburon, South Carolina and find a welcoming community. It is in Tiburon that Lily learns many life lessons, including many about herself. In her novel The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd explores a theme of spiritual growth through Lily's search for home as well as a maternal figure.
In the novel the Secret Life of Bees, Lily faces many obstacles which helps her become a young woman. Every major character plays an important role in Lily’s journey to maturity. By August and Rosaleen’s guidance, Lily obtains the necessary knowledge and experience needed to complete her goals and become a young woman. During the events that occur in the novel which aids Lily through her trials, she experiences female empowerment which bestows love into her life and strengthens her in order to survive the prejudiced world.