The Secret Life Of Bees Author's Purpose Essay

What is the author’s purpose?
The purpose of The Secret Life of Bees was to tell a story of racism from a different perspective. Most stories known today, are those of colored people who were subject to discrimination from the white people of the past. In this novel by Kidd, she tells the story of a white girl, experiencing prejudices from those of color. The primary reason for this is to share with the world the idea that though racism primarily was concentrated on the colored population, the discrimination was given both ways. In addition to this, Kidd touches on the effect of growing up without knowing the truth about your past.
What is the author’s style? Find a way to describe it
The Secret Life of Bees is narrated by Lily Owens; a 14 year old girl originally from South Carolina. This novel is written in a Southern dialect with hints of slang incorporated to emphasis certain aspects. The voice throughout the story seems very prominent which allowed me to create a clear image in my head of Lily speaking to each character. As

At this time in history, the treatment of white and blacks varied drastically. With some of the background knowledge from my history classes, I was able to more easily create a societal image described in the book. Since this story is told from a white person's perspective, it was interesting to see how certain stereotypes played a role in her image from other's view point. For example, when Lily and Rosaleen initially began working at the honey farm, some other workers were confused as to why a white person was working amongst the colored. Though to a much lesser degree, I have experienced some discrimination or stereotypes casted upon me. Due to my asian descent, many expect academic excellence or that my family is supposed to be very strict. With this experience, I can understand how others expectations of you can cause you to alter the way you act around