Specific Roles of Characters Depicted in Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees

First of all, The Secret Life of Bees is a 1960’s novel based on a child named Lily, who was bossed around and treated unfairly by her dad T-Ray, which he himself had a black maid named Rosaleen working for him since before Lily was born. Lily and Rosaleen had a very special relationship that had loyalty, trust,

People make decisions everyday from simple things like whether or not to eat breakfast or larger decisions like whether or not to take the new promotion at work. These decisions are usually dawned upon us suddenly and we look to others to help decipher which decision is the ideal decision. In The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, Lily Melissa Owens is actuated by a variety of characters to make both ambiguous and venerable judgments throughout the novel. She did not do this on her own for she had people in her life communicating with her to finalize the verdicts on her decisions. Some of the persuaders were T. Ray, May, June, August, Zach, the Daughters of Mary, and even her mother, Deborah Fontanel Owens. Saying that, they all

“To know that a hive without a queen bee was a death sentence for the bees. They would stop work and go around completely demoralized”(kidd 286). In the quote stated above Sue Monk Kidd states that bees are solemnly attached to their queen. If she dies they feel a lack of guidance. Similarly in her book The Secret Life of Bee, Lily Owens has to live her life without a mother figure that can guide her through life. Because of an abusive father lily had no other option than leave the house and find a place where someone cared about her.in the novel secret life of bees author sue monk kidd uses the bee hive without a queen bee to portray how an individual's life is without the presence of a mother figure to provide guidance, love, and acceptance.

The Secret Life of Bees is full of many magnificent characters who went through hard times together and united despite their different backgrounds. Sue Monk Kidd, the author, makes me particularly admire August Boatwright. August Boatwright is a beekeeper in Tiburon, South Carolina who lives with her two younger sisters, June and May Boatwright, in a pink house. August is my favorite character because she is kindhearted, hardworking and teaches good life lessons.

This quote shows that… EXPLANATION. Furthermore, this shows that throughout this book August Boatwright represents the best motherly figure. August exhibits multiple motherly traits such as caring for Lily, being a mentor for Lily, and always accepting Lily for who she is.

“Every person on the face of the earth makes mistakes, Lily. Every last one. We’re all so human. Your mother made a terrible mistake, but she tried to fix it.” The quote just before came from the character August Boatwright, an African American woman who lives in Tiburon, South Carolina with her sisters May and June Boatwright. There are many characters in the book of The Secret Life of Bees that have this unique personality which brings many life to the story but August mainly struck my eye compared to the rest of them. She has this personality that shows her intelligence and warmhearted person that brought me to admire her.

Rasmussen 1 McKinley Rasmussen Mrs. Thomsen English 9- F Block 3 September 2015 The People In Lily's Life THESIS: In The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd, August instills good religious values in Lily whereas T. Ray does not. August is a fantastic role model for Lily, inspiring her with stories of Our Lady of Chains, and because of her faith, she exemplifies a compassionate personality. As soon as Lily and Rosaleen arrive at the Boatwright sisters’ front door, they are warmly welcomed by August Boatwright who offers for them to stay at her house.

“People can start out one way, and by the time life gets through with them they end up completely different.” Sue Monk Kidd, the author of The Secret Life of Bees, highlights this theme in her work. In the novel, The Secret Life of Bees, the horrendous events that Lily Owens encounters in her young life are necessary in her journey to adulthood as she develops into a strong, resilient, loving, forgiving young woman. The result of Lily’s mom dying when Lily was only four years old, T. Ray abusing Lily day in and day out, and Lily experiencing racism first hand, have all been a big part of Lily’s young life and have shaped her into the person she is today.

There are 7.323 billion people in this world- 3.2 billion men, 3.1 billion women, and one billion children. Each and every one of those people contribute to society either in a positive or negative way. No matter how they add to the world, they all have a role to play that allows society to succeed. In The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd, the reader is taken through a flurry of emotions as we go along with Lily Owens through her journey of finding happiness.

In the novel, “The Secret Life of Bees”, by Sue Monk Kidd are several characters to admire according to their actions, beliefs and feelings. There might be some to admire more than others depending on what you feel or think about them. For instance, August Boatwright, a black woman that lives in the South with her two sisters, runs a successful honey business and is educated. Some reasons to admire August Boatwright is she has earned an education from attending college, owns a successful honey business, and is an understanding, caring and supportive person. Not only is August supportive, but she is a brave woman that is not afraid.

The setting of this novel is the south in the 1960s. This was a racially charged time particularly in the south. African Americans were making substantial progress fighting for their rights. Everyone should be educated about momentous historical events. Two significant events in the novel were the Jim Crow Laws and the Civil Rights Act, which both provide ample opportunity for a history lesson. The novel also educates students about different cultures. Lily lived with an African American family in the south, and the novel details many aspects of southern culture. This is a beneficial lesson because it can teach students about life outside of their own and allow them to feel and understand what may go on in someone else’s life. Because The Secret Life of Bees portrays a different time period, culture, and family life than tenth graders at Magnificat, it can be extremely

One instance in which the bees symbolize Lily is how bees don’t know what to do without their queen, and for Lily, the queen is her mother. When the queen bee dies, or goes missing, the other bees try to go find her or go out and find another hive or queen. Just like when Lily’s mother dies, she runs away

Even though June has a significant other in her life, she multiple times rejects her boyfriend’s hand in marriage, Neil. May throughout the story has panic attacks and starts to cry but with the help of her sisters, she is able to calm down. August is happy without having a male in her life, enjoying her time with her sisters and the bees. August shows Lily that the bees and her sisters make her happy and that she does not need another person in her life in order to be happy. With the Boatwright sisters, even though one of them has a boyfriend, with the power of love in the

The novel The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, is about a teenage girl named Lily who lives in South Carolina during the 1960s. Throughout the story, Lily struggles with the guilt of killing her mother Deborah as a child. This guilt leads Lily to run away from her father and go looking for any information she can find about her mother. She comes across the Boatwrights who know about Deborah and tell Lily about her life. August steps in as the mother figure in her life and helps her blossom into a bright young woman. Much of this information is a surprise to Lily. Lily goes through changes mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Sue Monk Kidd uses literary devices to show the guilt Lily feels. Kidd uses the techniques of simile, imagery,

Jim made his first jar of honey as a 10 year old and he’s been the bee man for 50 years.