The narrative delves into the life of Lily, a young girl navigating through racial tensions and personal growth in the South. The setting plays a crucial role in highlighting the prevalent racism and segregation, which is central to the story.
"Good riddance,' he said, and moved toward the door. We had to open up our little wall of women to let him through"
Beekeeping had traditionally been thought of as a profession for men, Big Mama believed that women were more naturally suited for it. And as I read the book I realized that Kidd uses bees or bee imagery to suggest the power of mostly or entirely female group.When T. Ray comes to get Lily, she and August convince him to let her stay there. Because August had called the Daughters to serve as backup in case T. Ray presented a problem, T. Ray has to break through this "wall of women" to get out the door. Again, this is important because it conveys the strength and power that a group of women can have if they stick together.
Quotes (supporting themes)
"It's funny how you forget the rules. She was not supposed to be inside here. Every time a rumor got going about a group of Negroes coming to worship with us on Sunday morning, the deacons stood locked-arms across the church stems to turn them away. We loved them in the Lord, Brother Gerald said, but they had their own places."
"T. Ray did not think colored women were smart. Since I want to tell the whole truth, which means the worst parts, I thought they could be smart, but not as smart as me, me being white. Lying on the cot in the honey house, though, all I could think was August is so intelligent, so cultured, and I was surprised by this. That's what let me know I had some prejudice buried inside me."
Analysis
Lily sheds light on her and T.Ray's ingrained prejudice. They think that a high level of intelligence can only be found in white people. Because of this mentality, Lily was shocked to see how smart August is. It is also very hypocritical of the pastor to say that he loves African-Americans in the Lord but doesn't accept him as an individual. This pastor demonstrates one of the themes that prejudice is birthed my ignorance and this is evident because he doesn't show any willingness to get to know and accept black people
. . . "Big Mama kept bees, too, right out there in the same spot they're in today. Nobody around here had ever seen a lady beekeeper till her. She liked to tell everybody that women made the best beekeepers, 'cause they have a special ability built into them to love creatures that sting. 'It comes from years of loving children and husbands,' she'd say."
The Secret Life of Bees
Literary Devices
Setting
Lily's description of setting here provides additional evidence that there was a lot of racial tension and segregation. The theme revolves around racism and discrimination and the setting Kidd chose is relevant because it helps to bring out the point she is trying to convey further. Most discriminatory events took place in the South, hence the place. The author also takes inspiration from the sorts of things she saw when growing up.
Symbolism
The queen bee symbolizes the mother Lily searches for and eventually finds. The beehive, as a community, symbolizes the community Lily finds at the Boatwrights' home. The intricacies of bee life and beekeeping mirror human relationships, life, death.
Themes
Prejudice birthed by ignorance is detrimental to
communities
The novel demonstrates two encounters between whites and blacks in which the black person is treated unjustly. The two major examples of this were Rosaleen And Zach. Lily struggles with and eventually overcomes her own racism. When she started to develop feelings for Zach, she couldn't wrap her head around the fact that she liked someone who is colored.
Mother figures are backbones to strong,
powerful women.
Lily longs to know about her mother. In the process, she
meets the Boatwright sisters who become her source of motherly wisdom and feminine guidance showing the importance and power of female community. Because of the Boatwright sisters, especially August, Lily and Rosaleen were able to gain knowledge and to become better versions of themselves while strengthening each other.
