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Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life Of Bees

1067 Words5 Pages

What does it take to unlock a heart of stone? A pink house, hundreds of bees, and three unique beekeepers. These things are what turned fourteen year-old Lily’s heart of stone to a heart of pure gold. Set in the 1960s, Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees introduces Lily, a typical teenager with a troubled past, who bases her life around an image of her mother, a pair of white gloves, and a picture of a African-American Mary with an address. As Lily and Rosaleen run away from her father and the law, they are taken away to a whirling world of bees and three ladies who open Lily’s eyes to a new world of forgiveness and what it means to have unconditional love. Sue Monk Kidd’s heroine Lily Owens undergoes a transformation from being a …show more content…

Tired of lying to August, Lily decides to tell the truth to her, and find out about her mother, Deborah, hoping to hear exactly what she had pictured. As Lily unfolds the truth about her mother’s past, she becomes frustrated learning that she wasn’t up to her expectations. Lily wishes that her mother had “been smart enough, or loving enough, to realize everybody has burdens that crush them, only they don't give up their children” (278). Furious, she believes her mother is a blind and foolish person who doesn't know what love is. Hurt by the truth, Lily realizes that “once you know the truth, you can't ever go back and pick up your suitcase of lies. Heavier or not, the truth is yours now” (255). Disappointed, Lily’s image of her perfect and loving mother fades away. August then states that Deborah came back for Lily, hoping to take her away from her father. Knowing this, Lily then understands, and forgives her, with some troubles. She chooses to “forgive us both, although sometimes in the night my dreams will take me back to the sadness, and I have to wake up and forgive us again” (301). By forgiving, Lily understands that everyone is human, and even though her mother isn’t in her presence, she will always love her. By telling the truth to August and opening up about her emotions, Lily Owens proves to mature from a hesitant, questioning teen to an understanding young

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