Mother Figures in The Secret Life of Bees Summer Kapanka 10th Grade

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is an intriguing novel written in the perspective of young Lily Owens. Lily’s story begins while she is at her home with T Ray, her evil father who despises her. She runs away with her nanny, Rosaleen, after a short scuffle with the law. She and Rosaleen hitchhike their way to Tiburon, South Carolina where they meet the Boatwright sisters who will change their lives for the better. These women take them in and treat them as if they are family even though they have just met. The women in the novel portray considerable amounts of sympathy to Rosaline and Lilly. Through the characters of June, Rosaleen, and August, Lily’s quest for maternal values is fulfilled when she finds out that these personas portray the motherly qualities of forgiveness, caring, and wisdom.

In the novel, June’s character fluctuates from the initial idea of hatred of Lily to when she loves her, which unveils the nurturing quality of forgiveness that is within her. In the beginning chapters of the book, June has a kind of hostility towards Lily that is uneasily overlooked; however, Lily soon figures out that June actually loves her. During the water fight scene, Lily is walking over the ladies and...