This quotation is significant because, developing the metaphor of society as hive and bee as human, it shows that people are typically much more complicated that then appear on the surface. 9. “Putting black cloths on the hives is for us.
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES BY SUE MONK KIDD. 1. “People who think dying is the worst thing don’t know a thing about life.”. Lily, p.2. Lily says this in the beginning of the novel during the exposition. This is an important quote because Lily’s life has been profoundly affected by her mother’s death. This statement suggests ...
5. “Well if you have a queen and a group of independent-minded bees that split off from the rest of the hive and look for another place to live, then you’ve got a swarm.” -August, p. 93
The first instance is the way that May’s death propels June to marry Neil, thus establishing their new life together. The second time is when Lily finally reconciles with her mother’s death and is set free to truly begin her own life. 10. “It was you who did it, Lily. You didn’t mean it, but it was you.”.
Chapter 7 “You gotta imagine what’s never been.” Zach, p. -Lily never heard of a black lawyer before, and there weren’t any during this time. But Zach told her to imagine what’s never been, and to think outside the box for once and stop following the ways of segregation.
Chapter 4 “Lily Owens, I know you down to the core.” Rosaleen, p. -Rosaleen didn’t directly say this to Lily, but Lily knew it was what she was thinking. Growing up raising Lily gave her the opportunity to study her and know her and what troubles her and what’s best for her.
Chapter 13 “I sat there with my shoulders slumped, staring at the floor. I would not think the word unwanted.” Lily, p. -After everything she been through with her mother and running away, she is upset tremendously. She doesn’t want the feeling of un-wanted-ness so she denies it.
Chapter 14 “Regrets don’t help anything, you know that.” August, p. -When May died, June broke down because May always wanted June and Neil to get married. Now she’s dead, June regrets not getting married. To help her move on from this, she says regrets don’t help anything. Which in real life today, it doesn’t.
Chapter 6 “Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die we can’t remember who we are, or why we’re here” August -Stories can be passed down from generation to generation. And without these stories, it can break the chain and disrupt it. To keep them going, you must repeat them to people. They tell who you are and when you lose them you lose yourself.
The Secret Life of Bees. “Hold on now, Franklin,” said Mr. Gaston, moving us toward the door. “Now’s not the time.”. Mr. Gaston, the policeman who arrests Lily and Rosaleen after their confrontation with a group of racist white men, tells Franklin, one of the white aggressors, that now is not the time, implying that he accepts Franklin’s behavior.
Gaston’s comment demonstrates a sort of passive racism prevalent in the South during the civil rights era. Mr. Gaston represents one of the text’s more stereotypical racists, a character whose actions and words play against other characters who exhibit a more complex racism.
While on their escape, Lily plans to rent a motel room for them, and Rosaleen stops her to explain why that might not be possible , since Rosaleen is black. Lily’s racial naiveté stems from her young age and lack of experience. Over the course of the novel, Lily’s experiences will deepen her understanding of race and develop her maturity as ...