Secret ballot

Imagine how it would be like running away from home as a fugitive? Lily Owens, the main character in Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, experiences this when she runs away from her abusive father with her maid Rosaleen. They make their way to Tilburon, South Carolina in search of the truth about lily’s mother. Leading to the truth about her mother, she also discovers how powerful love can excel through the Boatwright’s household with such strong female independency, overcoming racism and life…

Lens Analysis: Literature Interpretation Literature can be viewed through various lenses as a way to see writing through a different viewpoint. The new historical lens is used to view writing through another time period while comparing it to the period the book was written. This lens can be interpreted as a way to “think about the retelling of history itself” (Brizee). It focuses on aspects like what language or events in the writing reflect the time period of the author (Brizee). The new…

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is a novel takes place in 1964 down in South Carolina. A teenage white girl, Lily Owens, and the black woman who raised her, Rosaleen, broke out of jail and fled to Tiburon, South Carolina to escape her past. Throughout the book there are events that shape her: Lily lying about her identity, when she finds out about her mother, and when her father finds Lily. Lily and Rosaleen arrive in Tiburon after running from the police because of a situation that…

Sue Monk Kidd adopts many themes and uses many symbols throughout the book "The Secret Life of Bees." The book takes place in the 1960 's. During this time, the fight for Civil Rights was taking place, so racism played a role in the book. The main themes that developed were female power, prejudice, and forgiveness. The main symbols used were the bees, the black Mary, and the whale pin along with the photograph. During this time period, women did not have a say in much at all. Female power was…

Sue Monk Kidd's first novel The Secret Life of Bees belongs to the bildungsroman genre of literature that portrays the journey of its young protagonist, Lily Owens to selfhood in the company of her black caregiver Rosaleen. Kidd through her narrative piece, reveals the power of black women, not only Rosaleen but also a group of beekeeping sisters and a Black Mary to construct a safe haven where Lily can survive amidst her crumbled life, eventually developing psychologically into a self…

Darkwinter saw Emeraldblossom stop and look towards her best friend, who also happened to be their stepsister, Sandblossom. Sandblossom was pinned by a large DragonClan cat and he was slowly raking his claws down her belly. If we don’t save her, she’ll die! But we have to stop Hawkspots! Darkwinter frantically looked at her sister, who was already tearing across the slick, wet, battlefield towards Sandblossom. “Emeraldblossom! No! I can’t fight Hawkspots on my own! You’ll never get there in…

The Secret Life of Bees is an intense novel following the life of a young girl named Lily Owens. The suspenseful events throughout push the story to a dramatic yet expected ending. It includes a series of important characters, symbols and motifs, themes, and conflicts. Lily Owens is the protagonist and narrator of the novel. She lives a troubled life but views it blindly as decent living. She lost her mother at a young age and she now lives with her father, T. Ray, and nanny, Rosaleen. Lily…

The Secret Life of Bees and The Fault in Our Stars are both “coming-of-age” novels. In the Secret Life of Bees, the main character Lily, a fourteen year old girl with a devastating past. In The Fault in Our Stars, the main character Hazel, a 16 year old girl fighting cancer. Lily and Hazel both share similar “coming-of-age” experiences. They both share innocence at the beginning and maturation by the end, face test and challenges throughout the novels, and have mentors that help and guide…

Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees is an exemplary novel which reveals the racism, sexism, and overall discrimination that unfolded in the south. The Secret Life of Bees transports the reader to the year of 1964 in South Carolina, where racial tensions were almost as high as the temperatures and people were surrounded by oppression. During this humid summer a young girl named Lily Owens runs away from her abusive father T. Ray, in search of her mother's past and the truth behind her tragic…

The moon has always been a strong symbol throughout human culture, representing mystery and time and, throughout many cultures, femininity. In The Secret Life of Bees, the moon makes many appearances, from the space program to Lily’s dreams to it’s typical position in the sky. The author uses the moon to tie the whole story together through repeated symbolism and themes, serving as one of the many motifs of the book. One of the first major uses of the Moon comes from a dream Lily has after she…