Secret Life Of Bees Essay
The Secret Life of Bees should be included in the high school curriculum because it educates students on different cultural aspects that are still prevalent in America’s 21st century.
Every culture has its own significant history and The Secret Life of Bees highlights one of the most influential time periods in African American history. This allows students to analyze the presence of racial discrimination between the inferior African American population and the superior White community during the 1960s. One reoccurring — in the book involves the presence of discrimination in the criminal justice system. An example of this is found when Rosaleen, a black care taker for Lily (the main character), attempts to register to vote. After being provoked …show more content…
The book includes many examples of how race and culture specifically affect relationships, whether it be platonic or romantic. One example in The Secret Life of Bees, is when Lily is introduced to Zachary Taylor, a junior at the local black high school, who soon becomes her close friend and love interest. This is ironic because the book takes place in South Carolina during the early 1960s, an era driven by civil rights protests and movements. In fact, up until June of 1967, a white person and a black person could not legally get married due to the miscegenation laws. The supreme court nullified the laws on account of them being unconstitutional. However, “…it took time for the changes to be enforced. South Carolina did not officially amend its state constitution to remove miscegenation laws until 1998, and Alabama’s laws stayed on the books until 2000” (Warnes 1). Exposing students to similar social rebellion that would occur in that time period provides an educational understanding of or on how society’s approach on culture has changed over the past 50 years. One can observe this societal change
In The Secret Life of Bees, Lily is immersed in a culture almost completely different than the one she was raised in. After running away with her black caretaker, she moves into a house with three other black women who have close connections to the surrounding black community in the
Every culture has its own significant history and The Secret Life of Bees highlights one of the most influential time periods in African American history. This allows students to analyze the presence of racial discrimination between the inferior African American population and the superior White community during the 1960s. One reoccurring — in the book involves the presence of discrimination in the criminal justice system. An example of this is found when Rosaleen, a black care taker for Lily (the main character), attempts to register to vote. After being provoked …show more content…
The book includes many examples of how race and culture specifically affect relationships, whether it be platonic or romantic. One example in The Secret Life of Bees, is when Lily is introduced to Zachary Taylor, a junior at the local black high school, who soon becomes her close friend and love interest. This is ironic because the book takes place in South Carolina during the early 1960s, an era driven by civil rights protests and movements. In fact, up until June of 1967, a white person and a black person could not legally get married due to the miscegenation laws. The supreme court nullified the laws on account of them being unconstitutional. However, “…it took time for the changes to be enforced. South Carolina did not officially amend its state constitution to remove miscegenation laws until 1998, and Alabama’s laws stayed on the books until 2000” (Warnes 1). Exposing students to similar social rebellion that would occur in that time period provides an educational understanding of or on how society’s approach on culture has changed over the past 50 years. One can observe this societal change
In The Secret Life of Bees, Lily is immersed in a culture almost completely different than the one she was raised in. After running away with her black caretaker, she moves into a house with three other black women who have close connections to the surrounding black community in the