The Secret Life of Bees 42-90

Summary:

Since Lily’s father always mistreats her, she decided to take matters into her own hands and run away. She hated being somewhere where no one appreciated her presence. So she decided to go to the jail where Rosaleen was. Rosaleen was in jail because of an incident that happened between her and some white men. When she and Lily left the church, Rosaleen stole some fans. When the white men saw her and asked her where she got it from she said that she stole it from the church. When they got angry and started shouting, she dumped spit that she had in a jar all over their shoes. They became furious and told her to clean it up and she refused. They started beating her and when the police man came he took her to jail. The sad part was when the policeman allowed the men to keep beating her just because she wouldn’t say sorry. Aren’t police men supposed to protect the people, but due to the fact that she is black, that probably doesn’t apply to her.

            After Lily went to the jail, she was told that Rosaleen was not there anymore and that she was at the hospital because of a minor concussion that she received from falling and hitting her head. Lily was not dumb; she knew that Rosaleen did not receive that concussion from falling. She then went to the hospital and rescued Rosaleen because she knew that if Rosaleen stayed there any longer those men would come back and finish what they started, which would be killing Rosaleen. Lily developed a plan and afterward the both ended up leaving the hospital without getting caught. They walked for miles, and ended up in Tibron, South Carolina with the help of a man that they received a ride from.

In the end after that long journey just to get away from her father, she ended up in this woman named August Boatwright house. August is a colored woman who lives with her sisters May and June. There named after months because their mom loved the spring and summer. But to get back to the point, August makes honey. She ended up in this house with the directions of a cashier at a store that she went to because she saw the honey jar near a black Mary, the same on that belonged to her mother. August welcomed Rosaleen and Lily into her home and allowed them to stay at her home. The only thing that they had to do was help around the house. This was very kind because it was dangerous for colored women to be seen with a young white girl.

Quote:

“But she’s white, August”(Kidd 87).

Reaction:

June Boatwright was against the whole idea of letting a young white girl stay over her house. The main reason was because of the color of her skin. It would not be ok if someone saw them together, especially during this time where segregation and prejudice was still very common. But August Boatwright did not care. She was determined to help this young girl because she knew that Lily would not be with her if she didn't need their help.

The Secret Life of Bees Pages 1-42

Summary:

The book I am reading is called The Secret Life of Bees by: Sue Monk Kidd. It is about Lily a young girl whose life started of in the most horrible disaster you could ever think of. She remembers when she was just four years old the horrific memory of her mother and father fighting and all of a sudden her mom dying from the accidental gun shot that Lily caused. It was the saddest thing, imagine killing your own mother? She had to live with this pain for the rest of her whole life.

Lily could not get over the fact that her mother died because of her. It was strange how every night in her room bees would swarm and fly around her bedroom. When she asked Rosaleen who was her “stand in mother” what it symbolized, she said “Bees swarm before death”. So very night after, Lily would lie in her bed and think about who would be the next person to die in her life. She wished that it would be her because she thought that she had nothing to live for. She believed that her father might not even care if something might have happened to her and she died. Lily felt that the best part of her dying would be that she would be able to spend some time with the mother that she was never able to bond with. Being with her mother Deborah would allow for her to say sorry for what she has done and telling her about how hard life was with her father whom she called T.Ray because she thought the word” father” didn’t fit him well.

            Her father was very cruel and had a lot of hatred toward her. She didn’t really know why, but he seemed to ignore her presentence even when she was talking to him. He also had some of the cruelest punishments, like making her get on her knees and kneel on top of grits. It was one of the punishments he gave her for doing the wrong thing.

            Rosaleen, Lily’s “stand in mother” was the only person that Lily felt really cared about her. That thought was proven to her when Rosaleen stood up to Lily’s father about letting Lily keep the chick that she had brought for her. This really meant a lot to Lily because the most difficult thing she thought could happen was standing up to T.Ray.

Quote:

“People who think dying is the worst things don’t know a thing about life” (Kidd 2).

Reaction:

 Lily’s life was very hard. Hard would not even be a good word to describe all of the hardships she had to face in her very young life. Her mother dying was just one of the things that contributed to the whole problem. This quote demonstrates the frustration she has with her life and how dying might not be so bad with all that she has to face.