Warm-up 3.2

Society oftentimes put constraints on us based on generalities of who we are—men, women, children, teenagers, young adults, elderly, sporty, academic, etc., what we have—money, possesions, family, friends, or where we came from—America, a 3rd world country, different regions of America, etc.

We are expected to look a certain way, behave a certain way, have a certain mindset.

Consider yourself. Based on who you are and your own personal background, what kind of “restraints” does society try to put on you? How do you respond?

The Secret Life Of Bees

Introduction

Setting: South Carolina, 1964

Lily, the main character, is a Caucasian 14 year old who lives with her father (T-Ray)

She is introduced in her bedroom where she’s listening to bees fly around in her room.

It is foreshadowed that her mother’s death had something to do with her in that scene

Protagonist and Antagonist

T-Ray: Lily’s abusive father

The Police: Racist, brutal men who almost beat Rosaleen to death

Lily: Determined teenager who wants her mother’s love

Rosaleen: Tough black woman, took care of Lily all her life

August Boatwright: Wise, hardworking black woman who took Lily and Rosaleen into her home

Central Conflict

Lily goes with Rosaleen when she tries to vote, but they are stopped by a group of racist white men and end up being arrested, Lily’s father takes her home but leaves Rosaleen

After T-Ray tells Lily that her mother was going to leave her, she runs away to look for someone who might have known her mother

She finds a picture of Black Mary in a box of her mother’s old things and decides to run away. While running away, she helps Rosaleen escape from a hospital and they make their way to Tiburon, South Carolina.

While there, she finds a store selling jars of honey with pictures of Black Mary on them and goes to August and her sisters’ house, where she and Rosaleen are invited to stay

Lily cannot decide whether or not to tell August about her mother

Minor Characters

Zachary Taylor: Lily’s crush, a black teenager who aspires to someday become a lawyer

June Boatwright: May and August’s sister, initially dislikes Lily (because of August’s ties with her mother,) but ends up becoming close with her. She plays cello for dying people in the hospital

May Boatwright: August and June’s sister. Mentally damaged after her twin committed suicide when they were children. She was extremely empathetic and would feel strong emotions whenever anything bad was mentioned. She drowned herself after Zach was arrested.

Setting

Summer, 1964 – outside Sylvan, South Carolina

Historical Context - Timeline

(August 28, 1963) The March on Washington and King’s speech are widely given credit for drumming up support for the important events that followed.

South Carolina, 1964 - A time of civil unrest (racial divides- painful reminders of the cruelty of racism)

The Civil Rights Act of 1964- Officially outlawed racial segregation in schools, public places and employment.

National Voting Rights Act of 1965 - Outlawed discriminatory voting practices that had been used to keep blacks from voting at certain booths in the South.

Focus Points for Our Unit

Allusions

a reference to a person, place, poem, book, event, etc., which is not part of the story, that the author expects the reader will recognize. (see handout)

historical, religious, cultural, literary

Example: “But of course my luck with this guy sucks. So he turns his head and sees me. And wolfsmiles, showing oh granny what big teeth you have” (Speak 97).

Allusion: Little Red Riding Hood

characters

Lily Owens: (protagonist) 14 years old

Rosaleen: nanny, care-taker

T. Ray Owens: Lily’s father

Deborah Owens: Lily’s mother

August Boatwright:

May Boatwright:

June Boatwright:

Zach Taylor:

Themes & MotifsThemes

• Coming of Age • Self Discovery, Maturity, Growing-up

• The Irrationality of Racism• irrational: without reason/logic or fairness

• The Power of Female Community

• The Importance of Storytelling• We learn from them

Motifs (re-occurring images/references)

• Bees

• Mothers

Bees in the NovelBees serve as Lily’s unspoken guides throughout the novel. In the

beginning, they come to her room to relay the message that she should head out on her own and leave T. Ray’s house. Likewise, Lily follows the trail of the honey label to Tiburon—and to the truth about her mother. In Tiburon, she lives in the honey house, and tending bees becomes her occupation. Early on, when August asks Lily what she loves, she lists bees near the top of her list. Bees suggest rebirth, exploration, and personal growth. They guide Lily, accompany her, and drive her forward. For every important action Lily takes in the novel, bees and their products play a role: from realizing she is in love with Zach (when she licks honey off his finger) to realizing she loves August (when she lets the bees rest on her body). Lily even finds the “secret life of bees” similar to her own life. Their industrious care for their mother, their continuous ability to keep going in work, and their ability to survive inspire Lily. Finally, their reliance on an all-female community resembles her own reliance, and the bees’ community helps Lily understand the power of the human community. For these reasons, bees are the central motif of The Secret Life of Bees.

Bees in the Novel: Summary

Biggest Theme: Secret Lives

The major theme of this novel is expressed in its title, which comes from a statement made by August: “Most people don’t have any idea about all the complicated life going on inside a hive. Bees have a secret life we don’t know anything about” (148). Throughout the novel, the reader learns how most characters are not what they seem on the surface. People’s lives are usually much more complex and complicated than they appear.

The Irrationality of Racism

The Secret Life of Bees demonstrates the irrationality of racism by not only portraying black and white characters with dignity and humanity but by also demonstrating how Lily struggles with—and ultimately overcomes—her own racism. Kidd moves beyond stereotypes to portray whites and blacks with the multifaceted personalities that we find in real life. Lily is not a racist in the same way that the group of men that harass Rosaleen are racist, but she does evidence some prejudice and stereotypes at the start of the novel. She assumes that all African Americans are like Rosaleen, an uneducated laborer-turned-housekeeper. Lily imagines that all African Americans are likewise coarse and uneducated. But when Lily encounters unique, educated, thoughtful August Boatwright, she must change her assumptions and combat her prejudice. At first, Lily feels shocked that a black person could be as smart, sensitive, and creative as August. Recognizing and combating her shock allows Lily to realize the truth about the arbitrariness and irrationality of racism. Like Lily, June must also learn to overcome racial stereotypes. As individuals, humans can display a complex array of personality traits and characteristics, regardless of skin color or ethnicity.

Racism Theme Summary

The Power of Female Community

Motherless Lily finds at the Boatwright house several surrogate mothers and learns the power of female community. At the beginning of The Secret Life of Bees, Lily longs for her mother and cherishes the few possessions Deborah left behind. She demonstrates an awareness of her femininity and laments that she has missed out on certain female lessons because her mother is dead. For example, she clings to a pair of white gloves that used to belong to Deborah. But although Lily lacks a mother, she does have female companionship. Rosaleen has raised Lily, and Lily looks to Rosaleen for love and support. Rosaleen’s arrest serves as a catalyst for Lily’s journey toward a much larger and more fulfilling female community: the one she finds at the Boatwright house. There, Lily sees how strong women support, tend to, comfort, encourage, and love one another by witnessing the bonds between the Daughters of Mary. Through their examples, and by being included in their group, Lily begins to feel empowered as a woman.

Female Community Summary

Symbols

Bees

Beehives

Photographs

The Black Mary

Calendar Months (May, June, April, August)

And more!

Coming of Age

a novel or other work of literature in which the main character or characters grow, mature, or understand the world in adult terms.

You’ll focus on how Lily matures throughout this novel.