Race is equally destructive as it is unifying. When two races have opposing views, a conflict emerges leading to the destruction of a community. However, when two or more races learn to live together peacefully, it leads to the grand unification of all. Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees highlights the prevalent issues surrounding the Civil Rights movement through the narrative of Lily Owens a misguided, white, fourteen year old girl who felt marginalized by society during the Civil Rights Era. Kidd’s novel focuses on the conflict between African Americans and white civilians within an ever-changing society. Lily Owens’ point of view, as a young, white woman who grows up with an African American family after running away with her maid
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Beat! Drums” Walt Whitman focuses deeply on the use of motifs to justify the negative effects racial discrimination had on members of society. Whitman’s poem was written during the Civil War, which was fought as a result of the controversy over slavery in the South. This war split America into two opposing ideologies, those in favor of slavery and those against it. Because America was split in two, the motif of discrimination led to the destruction of a once unified American community. Walt Whitman depicts this in the first stanza of his poem, “Through the windows—through doors—burst like a ruthless force/ Into the solemn church, and scatter the congregation/ Into the school where the scholar is studying/ Leave not the bridegroom quiet—no happiness must he have now with his bride/ Nor the peaceful farmer any peace, ploughing his field or gathering his grain” (Whitman 2-5). This shows the reader that many people, from priests to farmers, were negatively affected by the conflict of racial discrimination. He also hints at the fact that this conflict could have been avoided if discrimination hadn’t happened in the past. This poem can be related to The Secret Life of Bees because it shows how two different ideals can lead to a major conflict. In this case, the idea that African Americans are allowed to be slaves caused a war within America. In The Secret Life of Bees the idea of misogyny, where women are useless in society, resulted in a major conflict in …show more content…
When two races have opposing views, it leads to the destruction of a community. However, when two or more races learn to accept each other and live peacefully, it leads to complete unification. As shown through the lens of many poets and authors, motifs are very helpful in explaining a universal theme or idea. Sue Monk Kidd uses motifs brilliantly throughout her story The Secret Life of Bees to portray the negative effects of racial discrimination through the lens of a 14 year old white girl who feels marginalized by society. Because she has run away from home with her only role models being her new African African “family”, she gives another point of view to the Civil Rights Movement. Those that are not African American, but are still affected by the marginalization and discrimination. Sue Monk Kidd isn’t the only author that uses motifs to discuss prevalent social issues during times of change. In “Beat! Beat! Drums” by Walt Whitman, he uses motifs to discuss the negative effects the Civil War had on all people. The motif of racism and segregation are used to show the reader how the conflict emerges and disrupts innocent people in society, including children. Another poet that uses motifs to discuss the negative effects of discrimination and how it leads to the destruction of a community is Langston Hughes in his poem “I Look At the World.” He uses the motifs of marginalization and racism to explain how minorities are unfairly
Beat! Drums” Walt Whitman focuses deeply on the use of motifs to justify the negative effects racial discrimination had on members of society. Whitman’s poem was written during the Civil War, which was fought as a result of the controversy over slavery in the South. This war split America into two opposing ideologies, those in favor of slavery and those against it. Because America was split in two, the motif of discrimination led to the destruction of a once unified American community. Walt Whitman depicts this in the first stanza of his poem, “Through the windows—through doors—burst like a ruthless force/ Into the solemn church, and scatter the congregation/ Into the school where the scholar is studying/ Leave not the bridegroom quiet—no happiness must he have now with his bride/ Nor the peaceful farmer any peace, ploughing his field or gathering his grain” (Whitman 2-5). This shows the reader that many people, from priests to farmers, were negatively affected by the conflict of racial discrimination. He also hints at the fact that this conflict could have been avoided if discrimination hadn’t happened in the past. This poem can be related to The Secret Life of Bees because it shows how two different ideals can lead to a major conflict. In this case, the idea that African Americans are allowed to be slaves caused a war within America. In The Secret Life of Bees the idea of misogyny, where women are useless in society, resulted in a major conflict in …show more content…
When two races have opposing views, it leads to the destruction of a community. However, when two or more races learn to accept each other and live peacefully, it leads to complete unification. As shown through the lens of many poets and authors, motifs are very helpful in explaining a universal theme or idea. Sue Monk Kidd uses motifs brilliantly throughout her story The Secret Life of Bees to portray the negative effects of racial discrimination through the lens of a 14 year old white girl who feels marginalized by society. Because she has run away from home with her only role models being her new African African “family”, she gives another point of view to the Civil Rights Movement. Those that are not African American, but are still affected by the marginalization and discrimination. Sue Monk Kidd isn’t the only author that uses motifs to discuss prevalent social issues during times of change. In “Beat! Beat! Drums” by Walt Whitman, he uses motifs to discuss the negative effects the Civil War had on all people. The motif of racism and segregation are used to show the reader how the conflict emerges and disrupts innocent people in society, including children. Another poet that uses motifs to discuss the negative effects of discrimination and how it leads to the destruction of a community is Langston Hughes in his poem “I Look At the World.” He uses the motifs of marginalization and racism to explain how minorities are unfairly