Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life Of Bees

(TS) In Sue Monk Kidd’s novel The Secret Life of Bees, August Boatwright helps reunite her sisters and her community by using the faith in the Black Madonna as a way to improve the quality of their lives. (PS) The faith within the Black Madonna improved Lily Owens’ and the Boatwright’s lives because they had to find a spiritual mother within themselves. (SS) Since August practiced the philosophy of the Black Madonna, she tells Lily, “You have to find a mother inside yourself” (Kidd 288). (SS) She expresses that Lily does not need to put her hand on Mary’s heart in order for her to “get strength and consolation and rescue, and all the other things we need to get through life” (Kidd 288). (SS) The faith enclosed by the Black Madonna not only improves Lily’s life, but the Boatwright’s as well. …show more content…
(SS) When August reunited her family and community they improved their selves through the love of the Black Madonna, the love of Agaṕe and Philia. (SS) They feel love because in Agaṕe they perceive the Black Madonna’s love through worshipping her; while in Philia, they sense the love for each other by being loyal to each other. (SS) The Boatwright’s enhanced their life by being able to relate to the Black Mary since they needed a God who looked like them to acknowledge how they worshipped her. They used her as a way to feel better for their being even though people were hatred toward the fact that they worshipped a black Mary. (PS) Similar to the way they improved their lives, they were also able to find healing and therapy through the faith in the Black Madonna. (SS) A way Lily found healing was through her mother’s old items since they reminded her of Mary and how she felt more connected to her through her belongings. (SS) The Boatwright’s and the Daughters of Mary recall preserving themselves through