In Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees, Lily Owens is indirectly characterized as stubborn in order to portray the phase of defiance and independence that emerges during the teen years. An example of the stubborn trait in Lily is when she walks away from Rosaleen and yells at her: “I got you out of there, and this is how you thank me. Well, fine. … You find your own way from now on!” (54). Lily believes that Rosaleen should thank her for removing her from the hospital, but does not, therefore, Lily throws a fit and refuses to assist again. Teenagers often throw fits and refuse to perform certain actions to demonstrate their independence, and become stubborn in the process.
