The Secret Life Of Bees By Sue Monk Kidd: Exploration Of Cultural Diversity
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Exploration of Cultural Diversity
Tutu Wreh
Introduction to Social Work
University of Pittsburgh
Introduction I confess being a little hesitant going into The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. The novel is set in 1964 in Sylvan, South Caroline. The main character Lily Melissa Owens grows into a young women as she escaped her abusive father and search to uncover her deceased mother’s past. I am not much for spending time on fiction. I tend to not read for entertainment, but for information. However, for this paper requirement, it was necessary to read a different type of writing. While this novel is not perfect, I was completely hypnotized by the writing, the plot, and the careful observations. The novel did a fantastic job evoking the feelings of sweat, tears and anxiousness on each page. To me, the difference between a good and a great fiction is whether you have to suspend disbelief or whether you just believe. More defending, is the novel ability to question your personal beliefs or highlight issues you might not…show more content… She worries a lot about her mother and hates her father. Lily is very shy and lonely. She has not friends her own age and longs for some. Due to her mother’s death, she has grown up without maternal guidance: Rosaleen is the closest she has to a mother. In the beginning of the novel, Lily ability to do achieve anything outside her father’s control is limited. He teaches her to be a victim, which resulted in low self-esteem and for some time, Lily identifies with is she learned. She submits easily to his harsh punishments and accepts what he says about her mother. Mental, she is cannot develop as everything either relates to her relationship with her father or blurred memories of her mother. As she grows, her mother’s death spurs much of her experiences and her quest to find a mother and a family