Secret Life of Bees
Written by Sue Monk Kidd the novel "The Secret Life of Bees" traces the life of a 14 year old girl searching for love and care. The story begins in a peach farm in Sylvan, South Carolina but travels toward and ends in Tiburon, South Carolina. The city of Tiburon unleashes many truths that lily has wondered throughout her life. The town brings her what she has been longing for since she was a child. Fourteen year old Lily Owens lives with her cruel father who has piled her with the guilt and responsibility of her mothers' death when she was a young child. After her stand in mother Rosaleen arrested and sent to the hospital for insulting three of the towns biggest racists, they flee to Tiburon, South Caroline in search of information about...show more content...
I believe that Sue Monk Kidd wanted people to realize how terrible we treated people back when racism occurred. Just because of the color of people's skin we considered them to be lower than us. I also believe that she wanted to get across the idea of forgiveness and getting past the bad things about people and seeing the good such as Lily being able to forgive her father for the way he treated her and believe that he loved her. In my personal opinion this was a phenomenal book and I would recommend it to not only students but adults also. It teaches you many lessons about life. I can't imagine that anyone would read this book and be able to say they did not like it. It includes lessons about faith, love, humor, success, failure, coming of age, and the overcoming of hate and guilt. This is an excellent book and I would recommend it to every
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd Essay
Racism: Then and Now. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is a book discussing the internal strife of a young white girl, in a very racist 1960's south. The main character, Lily Owens, faces many problems she must overcome, including her personal dilemma of killing her own mother in an accident. Sue Monk Kidd accurately displays the irrationality of racism in the South during mid– 1960's not only by using beautiful language, but very thoroughly developed plot and character development. Kidd shows the irrationality of racism through the characters in her book, The Secret Life of Bees and shows that even during that time period, some unique people, were able to see beyond the heavy curtain of racism that separated people from each...show more content...
Lily shows her non–racist side in the very beginning of the book, after Rosaleen has been put in jail for spitting on a very racist white man's shoe. She willingly sneaks into jail and attempts to free Rosaleen, but gets sent home with the racist and mean father, T. Ray. She once again tries to free Rosaleen, and this time sneaks into a hospital to free her. Lily is successful this time, and runs away with Rosaleen. Many quotes from the Secret Life of Bees express the views of different characters on racism. " She was black as could be, twisted like driftwood from being out in the weather, her face a map of all the storms and journeys she'd been through. Her right arm was raised as if she was pointing the way, except her fingers were closed in a fist. It gave her a serious look, like she could straighten you out if necessary." In this quote, Lily describes the Black Virgin Mary, the lord of the Sisters of Mary, and later learns the significance of this statue, which is to look within yourself to find your true, hidden self. When Lily has her earlier conversations with Zach, she has a slight edge of racism in her voice. When Zach tells Lily that he want to be a lawyer, she says: "I've just never heard of a Negro lawyer, that's all. You've got to hear of these things before you can imagine them." However, despite this fact, she supports Zach's
The Secret Life Of Bees Essay
The book by the name of The Secret Life of Bees written by Sue Monk Kidd is about a white girl named Lily Owens who goes on a journey to find more about her dead mother who passed away when she was young. She finds herself in the Boatwright's house (home of the honey makers) that is strictly for African–American women because she believes that her mother spent much of her life there. Lily finds herself dealing with frequent racial issues as the story takes place in Southern Carolina during the Civil Rights Movement. By the end of this book, I can say that I enjoyed the novel because of the themes the author includes. First off, it shows the progression in Lily's ignorance in terms of being more educated. In the beginning of the book, she thinks...show more content...
After a few hours, or even less, they show unmistakable signs of queenlessness" (Kidd 1). I did not know the symbol of bees could relate to this story in the way that it did. Bees plays a significant symbols because of the fact that the ruler of the hives is ruled by a single Queen Bee. Similar to August as she is the Virgin Mary and the other members are called the Daughters of Mary. Also, beehives are very protected in the manner of the not clearly knowing what is going on inside. However, we know that there is a system and own ways to care for their homes. Just like the boathouse, they have their rituals such as praying, collecting honey and celebrations. As well as making sure that the system runs smoothly as everyone has a significant job and making sure that one another is safe in the home. This reminds me of the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel. More specifically when Pi is stranded on an island with a tiger, Pi is completely exposed to a new environment and has to adapt to all changes. At first, he dislikes the tiger, but soon his interpretations of him as he gets to know and bond with
Character Analysis: The Secret Life Of Bees
I personally don't relate to The Secret Life of Bees it was a story that didn't have characters with whom I could connect.
Forgiveness is the major theme in the book. The main character Lily had to forgive herself for the accidental death of her mother. Lilly's father T.Ray kept her isolated from others and blamed Lily for her mother's death. Eventually Lilly feels forced for run away. Lilly needed a community help her heal. She found it in the three Boatwright sisters May, August, and June. These three black women opened up her eyes to what it is like to have family and caring people around you. Each sister influenced Lily's growth.
August was the wise old women who c looked after Lily's mother before she was a bee keeper. A caring woman
What Is The Meaning Of The Secret Life Of Bees
In The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd creates an allusion to the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, to illustrate the impact of the Ku Klux Klan's scheme to terrorize social activists, on Lily. In order to protest integration, the Ku Klux Klan planted dynamite underneath the girl's bathroom in the Baptist church, which resulted in a tragedy that stole the lives of four innocent children. Throughout the course of the plot, while exploring the wailing wall and the slips of paper placed into the wall, Lily finds a slip which expresses, "Birmingham, Sept 15, four little angels dead" (98). The phrase "four little angels" displays that the slip of paper refers to children. Therefore, the date on the slip of paper, September
The Secret Life of Bees
Kathy Holcomb
Prof. Robert Weber
English 112
April 14, 2009
The Secret Life of Bees Critical Essay Sue Monk Kidd has carefully crafted a book rich in symbolism with special emphasis on bees. Each section's heading features the inner workings of this communal society (Emanuel, Catherine, B. 3). An epigraph at the beginning relating to bees sets the tone for the each chapter. The first chapter epigraph states: The Queen, for her part, is the unifying force of the community; if she is removed from the hive, the workers very quickly sense her absence. After a few hours, or even less, they show unmistakable signs of queenlessness." Man and Insects.
The Queen bee is the novel's symbol of a mother figure and is used throughout Lily's...show more content...
Bees live in social units comprised of a queen bee and her sterile daughters. These female bees need male bees only rarely. This statement captures the strong female presence of the Boatwright residence. The Boatwright sisters live together and do not require men to help them survive. The sisters are very successful and have a nice house on a large plot of land. (The Best Notes, Chapter 4).
Suffice it to say, when Lily and Rosaleen follow their yellow brick road to the idiosyncratic compound of three black women bee–keepers, May, June and August, they come upon a trio that embodies every form of maternal nurturance and emotional education Lily needs, and a comfortable nest for Rosaleen as well. In the Boatwright sisters, for whom the black Madonna is queen, Kidd has created a wonderful fantasy, a sort of beloved community, part Oz, part ashram, part center for racial reconciliation (Brown 1).
They live in a bright pink house, a very feminine color. The woman in the household have names pertaining to seasons. "These names span a time frame of both sowing and reaping, spring to late summer." (Emanual, Catherine B. 2). Appropriately, August (a mature season) champions and befriends Lily providing the wisdom and security she so desperately needs. She gently guides Lily but allows her to find her own way. Under Augusts' wing, Lily finally finds a place to nest. She
The Secret Life Of Bees Essay
The Secret Life Of Bees – Set 2
Question 1– Kidd's decision to write The Secret Life of Bees in the perspective of young Lily Owens allow the reader to deeply understand the internal struggles that have faced her from a young age. Through out the novel Lily is looking for acceptance, understanding, and love, all things that she hasn't felt for as long as she can remember. These feelings, or lack there of stem from the mystery and guilt surrounding the death of Deborah Owens, Lily's mother. A young three year old Lily is presumably the cause of Deborah's accidental death, and it's something she's never been able to get over. "This is what I know about myself. She was all I wanted. And I took her away" (Kidd 8). The direct look into the heart and mind of Miss. Owens allows the reader to become connected and invested into the story. This being said if her...show more content...
Whith out this faact Rosaleen never would have went to register and ran into the men that had beat her. Which inturn would mean that Lily probably never would have it to the Boatwright's house where she finally learned about her mother. This point in history was a hard time for the African American society and setting the book then aloows kidd to include their hardships. This is also a time when NASA was begining to try to land a man on the moon, a task that no one thought possible. While the country wanted to beat the Russians, August wasn't ready for the mystery to be over. "'Look at her good Lily,' she said, ''cause your seeing the end of something'" (Kidd 113). Including this historical event lets the reader see deeper into August. The author was able to show just how connected and wise August really is. She isn't ready for that mystery of a beautiful object so far away to end. August knows that beauty untouched is somehow more
The Secret Life Of Bees Research Paper
The mothers, the Boatwright sisters and the Daughters of Mary, help Lily to grow as a person and as a young lady. Without the queens in her life, Lily would forever be lost on who she is and her outlook on the future would be dull as she would have no purpose to move on in life. The women help Lily to realize that regret and the past should not hold you back from your future. Like bees, Lily needed a queen or multiple to guide her in life; The Secret Life Of Bees teaches one that the love and affection from an adult figure can help a person to grow and learn who he/she truly is. Leaving T. Ray ultimately gives Lily mothers who will always be there to catch her when she falls and who will love her unconditionally.
The Secret Life Of Bees Essay
The Secret Life Of Bees – Set 2
Question 1– Kidd's decision to write The Secret Life of Bees in the perspective of young Lily Owens allow the reader to deeply understand the internal struggles that have faced her from a young age. Through out the novel, Lily is looking for acceptance, understanding, and love, all things that she hasn't felt for as long as she can remember. These feelings, or lack there of stem from the mystery and guilt surrounding the death of Deborah Owens, Lily's mother. A young three year old Lily is presumably the cause of Deborah's accidental death, and it's something she's never been able to get over. "This is what I know about myself. She was all I wanted. And I took her away" (Kidd 8). The direct look into the heart and mind of Miss. Owens allows the reader to become connected and invested into the story. This being said if her...show more content...
Without this fact Rosaleen never would have went to register and ran into the men that had beat her. Which in turn would mean that Lily probably never would have it to the Boatwright's house where she finally learned about her mother. This point in history was a hard time for the African American society and setting the book then allows Kidd to include their hardships. This is also a time when NASA was beginning to try to land a man on the moon, a task that no one thought possible. While the country wanted to beat the Russians, August wasn't ready for the mystery to be over. "'Look at her good Lily,' she said, ''cause you're seeing the end of something'" (Kidd 113). Including this historical event lets the reader see deeper into August. The author was able to show just how connected and wise August really is. She isn't ready for that mystery of a beautiful object so far away to end. August knows that beauty untouched is somehow more
The Secret Life Of Bees Essay
The Secret Life of Bees
Not everyone in the world has a perfect family and may experience certain events in childhood that can affect the way they see and how they display themselves. Motherless Lily lives unhappily with her emotionally detached father, who claims that as a child, Lily accidently killed her mother. "It was you who did it, Lily. You didn't mean it, but it was you" (299). After hearing this and helping break her only friend and black caretaker, Rosaleen out of jail, the two runaway to a place where Lily suspects her mother once spent time. While on this journey, Lily must find out the truth and come to terms of who her mother really was, and to help understand her own life. While on their way to uncovering more and more
Essay On The Secret Life Of Bees
I chose to read The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd because when I read the back of the book, it seemed to portray an interesting plot. When reading it, I knew I was right. I feel that certain people could relate to this and I know that situations like these are happening all around us even as we speak. When reading the book, I knew who my favorite character and least favorite character were right away. My favorite character was Lily. she is a very relatable character who goes against all odds to try to find out what happened to her mother. My least favorite character was T. Ray. He was a lazy and abusive excuse for a parent who should be put in jail for what he's done to Lily.
Besides the main characters of this book, I could point...show more content...
This shows you what life was like in the south in the 60's through the eyes of a teenager who is around those of a different race. I would say the title The Secret Life Of Bees partly makes sense because a majority of the book implements the topic of bees and the setting is often somehow related to bees and honey farming. One book that I can see would be similar to The Secret Life Of Bees would have to be Maniac Magee. Maniac Magee and The Secret Life Of Bees are similar in the fact that they both have to do with racism and individuals overcoming racial barriers to make true friendships. The most important part of The Secret Life Of Bees was at the end when T. Ray tried to take Lily back and everyone at the honey farm and all of the Daughters Of Mary refused to let Lily go because they considered her family. I feel this is the most important part of the book because it showed that Lily's relationships with people she is not related to by blood(and are not the same race) are stronger than the one she has with her own father. I would like to read other books by Sue Monk Kidd. I think she did a wonderful job writing this book and would expect her other books to be just as
The Secret Life of Bees Essay
The Secret Life of Bees A family is a basic social unit consisting of parents and children. It is considered a group of people where one can look to for acceptance, safety, happiness and love. Families are the foundation to a human beings life because it is where one can be welcomes into the society. Individuals are nurtured and given tools so they are capable of learning and experiencing the world. Living in an unhealthy environment may impact the way someone thinks and acts physically and emotionally, in the novel The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, Lily Owens, a young fourteen year old girl who lives in South Carolina, loses her mother at the age of four because of a devastating tragedy leading to her...show more content...
In a matter of seconds, I knew exactly what I had to do– leave" (Kidd, 41) When Lily can no longer handle her harsh, unyielding father she decides to run away. T.Ray and Lily have a fight and T.Ray bluntly tells Lily, "The truth is, your sorry mother ran off and left you. The day she dies, she'd come back to get her things, that's all." (Kidd, 39) In that moment it causes Lily to be very confused and makes her feel unimportant and unloved. "Some things were not possible in this world. Children did not have two parents who refused to love them. One, maybe, but for pity's sake, not two." (Kidd, 41) When Lily hears the truth about her mother did, she is outraged by this statement and she runs away. Lily writes a note to T.ray telling him not to bother looking for her. She decides to sneak Rosaleen out of the hospital before she returns to the jail and they run off to Tiburon, South Carolina. Lily hates her father and with the choices she makes, in a matter of time, Lily is forced to be responsible for herself and Rosaleen, she must learn how to be independent. Lily and Rosaleen will take a journey that will change their lives and shape their future forever. Lily who loses her mother at a very young age of four shapes her life around the indistinctive memory of her mother's death. Lily has been profoundly affected by her own mother's death; she believes that living with someone else's death can be more painful than dying.
Secret Life Of Bees
"Most people don't have any idea about all the complicated life going on inside a hive. Bees have a secret life we just don't know anything about". Bee's have what we call; Secret lives. Not only do bees have secret lives but humans also. Developing this metaphor that the hive is society and bees are human, it shows that people are typically much more complex and complicated than they appear on the surface. You never know how a person feels on the inside, unless the tell you of course, you never know what someone is going through, how they're thinking or what they're thinking, you never know what someones life is like, unless they tell you. We only see pretty faces, shining white teeth, beautiful smiles, glistening eyes, and glowing skin
The Secret Life Of Bees Analysis
The sun shimmered brightly in the morning sky, sending rays of warmth on to the land below it. Birds started to chirp and the bees started to buzz. The bees began their work in the golden, honey–filled hive. Most of them flew out, wandering around looking for blooming flowers, to get sweet nectar. Other bees nursed the young, took part in the building the impressive hive piece by piece, or guarded their home. Everyday, the bees are making their colony stronger...but what does this mean? Each bee has a significant role in the hive, and a bee does its job so every bee in the hive survives. In other words, a beehive would not exist if the bees did not work together as a whole. The way a community of bees works is not only fascinating, but also similar to the human world. Sue Monk Kidd incorporates various concepts in The Secret Life of Bees, and uses bees to develop the significance of those concepts. Kidd makes connections between bees and how they represent...show more content...
In the book, we see that one challenge bees face is surviving on a hot day. The bees themselves aren't capable of doing anything about the uncontrollable weather and we know this when the author writes, "'When it gets over a hundred,' she said, 'the flowers dry up and there's no food for the bees. They stay in the hives fanning themselves. Sometimes they just roast.'" Because it is harder for bees to survive by themselves, another society helps them. August and Lily make sure the bees in their area can survive by taking sugar water for the bees. This connects to our world because smaller communities help each other when needed. For example, the United States provides foreign aid to help other countries develop. As well as that, we have a myriad of organizations like the Red Cross that support and provide help to other people when needed. While the concept of societies helping each other seems simple, it would be difficult to maintain if nobody was leading
Secret Life Of Bees Essay
If I were to recommend one of the books that I read this summer to a friend, it would be The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. This book is not just about one girl's journey about rising above her abusive father and standing up for herself, but it proves that family is not determined by blood. Although her father is the only family she has following her mother's death, she can't even bear the thought of calling him "daddy." Her only friend is Rosalyn, the black maid, who takes on the role of her mother. Lily's love for Rosalyn is what prompts her to start her journey to Ti born, South Carolina. Throughout her journey, she finds out who is really there for her when she needs it the most. I would like to believe that this is a life lesson that everyone will learn at some point in their life....show more content...
This summer, I worked at a summer camp for eight weeks and met some of the most amazing and altruistic people. Although I was three years younger than them, they took me in and some of them even "adopted" me as their younger sister. They looked out for me and taught me that family is something that you can find anywhere, even miles away from home. They are the people that you would drive four hours to see for one. Family are the people that you go to when you have a bad day. They are the people that you know you can always rely on. Family are the ones that treat you like family.
Of course, you always have your real family that will love you unconditionally no matter what, sometimes circumstances draw families apart. The way I see it is, if someone wants to be a part of your family, they will be no matter what. They will find a way to be in your life, because there is always room for family. This is why there is such a thing as those family friends that show up to your house on thanksgiving with a smile on their face. It doesn't matter if they are family or not because they are family in your
Secret Life Of Bees Essay
I'm not sure how Kim choose The Secret Life of Bees for her students. I've never read the book, but I've seen the movie. The book/movie definitely addresses the topics on the role of women, along with the issues of racism and faith. The book is set in 1964 in South Carolina at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Jim Crow Laws existed and 'separate but equal' plus the struggle for equal voting rights. These can and are sensitive and hard topics to address, but worthy.
We are reminded in The Rationale for Differentiated Instruction in Mixed–Ability Classrooms, that learners need to find meaning in what is trying to teach. They need to relate to the characters in the novel. Kim needs to help her students identify these connections with the characters in the novel. There needs to be buy in for her students, I would also suggest she be cautious, but the fact that the class is culturally diverse she used be thankful and celebrate, embrace, support, and encourage open expression. She needs to build a classroom community of trust and respect prior to this assignment. It is actually one of the first things as a teacher we need to do to ensure a successful school year. Students must feel safe and supported. Kim needs to be have a conversation prior to the reading and let them know that some difficult topics and feelings are going to arise throughout the reading....show more content...
By allowing her students to study other literary texts it would provide the students a chance to compare other novels to The Secret Life of Bees. In addition, giving them background knowledge. The assignment could also be varied allowing students to write from the various points of view or to compare the
The Secret Life Of Bees Themes Essay
The Civil Right Act occurred in 1960 which allowed African–Americans more rights. In the novel The Secret Life of Bees many characters challenges and uncover the meaning of accepting taboo ideas. Set in 1964, Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees suggests that accepting taboo actions does not necessarily compromises a person's moral compass and can lead to an awareness and understanding of the world. Kidds foster the idea that racism is to be acknowledged. In the first couple of chapters of the novel the reader sees Roseleen, an African–American nanny to Lily Owens standing up to a group of white guys. "Rosaleen lifted her snuff which was filled with black spot, and calmly poured it across the shoes of the men's shoes moving her hand...show more content...
Emanuel agrees in her paper "The archetypal mother: the Black Madonna in Sue Monk Kidd 's The Secret Life of Bees" saying that "[Kidd] speaks at length about a woman's plight in both conventional society,"(Catherine B. Emanuel). August understands this progress of injustice. While talking to Lily about her life, August confesses that she did love a man. "I loved him enough. I just loved my freedom more"(146). This shows that August had to decide whether she wanted to have her freedom or to be married. Kidd writing about a black woman that choose a career over the traditional lifestyle of a women reinforce the notice that anyone can improve and innovate the world as much as white man. In the novel, August shows Lily that a woman can do anything a man can do by breaking from conventional ideas that a women can live a successful life without a man is normal. Laurie Grobman agreed in her essay in "Teaching Cross–Racial Texts: Cultural Theft in 'The Secret Life of Bees" by saying that "August fits Levy's description of the 'model of female creativity, the repository of women 's history and the provider of mother enduring care,"(21). August is a role model to encourage women to break the mold of what a woman is supposed to be.
Kidd use the non–traditional religious practices to show the healing and understanding that come from the practice. August has an informal Christian religious group called the Daughter of Mary. The Daughter of Mary prays every Sunday
The Secret Life Of Bees Essay
Journal #1: The Secret Life of Bees
I am at the halfway point in the novel The Secret Life of Bees. Written by Sue Monk Kidd, the story is extraordinary so far as it instantly had me with the setting, Southern Carolina in 1964, I knew I would be interested. The story is written in first person by the main character, Lily Owens. It is almost like her own written story as she mentions she would like to go to school to be a writer. This is shown in her narrative when it almost seems like she is trying to address the reader as she is telling the story to us. She says a lot before thinking it through. She writes it as it just came to her mind. From her bluntness, you can still tell she has a good sense of humour.
Despite that I do admire the storyline, if I were to...show more content...
He always has a new story to tell about his past life or his history learnings on the war. Both of them speak with emphasis and are extremely wise about their knowledge. It made me think of other ways that those two could be similar. They both had a tough childhood, but it influenced them to be the great people they end up being. When I find a good book, I am unable to stop reading it, spending hours and hours at one time reading it. I connected myself to Lily in this way when she thought that book have meant something to her during her times of stress. Just like her, books bring me into a fantasy world.
After being only halfway through the book, I am excited to continue to read the rest of The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd as her book is adequate for what I look for to read. I predict by the end of the book, it will be praiseworthy for the reason that I can connect already in many
The Secret Life Of Bees Message Essay
As the years pass many things get old and lose worth, like books, but what can never get old or lose value is the message each book holds with it forever. In the very beginning of the book, "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd, the understanding of the message delivered is that Lily's mother died while she was very young, and she does not know what happened. Even though this book takes place in the early sixties and moves forward to almost early seventies, but no matter what time period of the events taking place or the circumstances, the challenges Lily faces in Secret Life Of Bee's are still relevant even today.
Seeing things from an adult point of view showed and taught Lily how things worked in the real world, no matter it being right or wrong. In the very beginning of the book Lily states "People who think dying is the worst thing don't know a thing about life." (pg. 2) this being her looking back into her own past from an older perspective and it efficiently disproves many people's viewpoints about life. Dealing with a loss of a loved one and missing the said individual, can be more harmful to the people around you more than death itself. It's a prolonged torture that can never really be stopped, only something that you find out how to live with and deal with. The loss of her mother seems to loom over her for her entire life, a feeling which she could not shake until she found solace in the honey barn, which felt like more of a home to her...show more content...
In The Secret Life of Bees there are many new and old ideas that can and will always be applied in one way or another. Facing hardships at a young age and using that experience to make smarter choices and having better outcomes is a part of life, and this novel showed that. So of course, this book will always be required to be read by people everywhere because the content it holds will always keep the same effect throughout the
A Secret Life Of Bees Comparison Essay
"Every little thing just wants to be loved..." (Sue Monk Kidd). In the novel and film, A Secret Life of Bees, Lily Owens loses her mother at a very young age to a egregious accident. She grows up to be a wonderful young lady, but she is missing something from her life. She wants someone to love her as much as her mother did. A motherly figure like the bees have in her walls at her house, when they go home they have someone to go home to, a queen bee, that loves them. The bees have someone to love them, all million of them. Everything needs someone to love them. A Secret Life of Bees author and the director of the film, both had the same creative intention wanted to have Lily missing someone important in her life. She is missing a motherly figure like the one she lost when she was very young."I can't think of anything I'd rather have more than somebody lovin' me."(Kidd 146). As Lily grows and learns, she realizes that she wants to have someone to love and nurture her. So, she sets off, in both the film and the novel, to find out about not...show more content...
Bees have a secret life we don't know anything about." (Kidd 148). In the book August told Lily about how bees live and how the queen bee lays eggs that become worker bees later on. This made Lily think about herself and her life living without a mother. She realized that the queen bee is like a mother to all the thousands of worker bees in the hive. This realization makes Lily understand that even though she didn't grow up with her mother, doesn't mean that she could not have a motherly figure to love her and take care of her like her mother would have. Along with the queen bee becoming a symbol of her mother, later in the story, Lily understands that the statue of Mary in the sisters home, also symbolizes a mother to thousands. Understanding this helps Lily accept and deal with the trauma of her mother's death and heal her unhealed