Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life Of Bees

Zach Taylor is a character in Sue Monk Kidds novel ‘The Secret Life of Bees’. He is a black boy living with the racist culture that is the norm in South Carolina in 1964. Zach’s story and the challenges that he faces show the reader the theme of discrimination, specifically race discrimination. This conveys to the reader the important message that you can succeed despite your circumstances, and that the colour of your skin does not define your worth.

Race discrimination was a prominent issue in the society of South Carolina, 1964 and continues to be an issue today. Kidd confronts this issue in her novel through the struggles that Zach faces. Zachary Taylor is a 14 year old, handsome boy with a one sided dimple. He has broad shoulders, a narrow waist and short-cropped hair. He is ambitious and open minded and his only
This trait not only helps the reader to admire him, but helps him succeed in the society he is living in. “I’ve just never heard of a Negro lawyer, that’s all. You’ve got to hear of these things before you can imagine them.” “Bullshit. You gotta imagine what’s never been.” This quote highlights that Zach is not afraid to challenge what people say about things people can and cannot do because of their race. When he says this, it causes Lily to rethink her preconceived notions and prejudices she had of Zach, and it causes the reader to question their predispositions concerning race as well. Refusing to accept racial discrimination is one thing, but ignoring it is another. The first quote shows that Zach does not accept race discrimination as just, but this quote shows that he does accept that is exists. "I don't know if I'll have much of a future either." "Why not? You're not an orphan." "No," he said. "I'm a Negro." This quote clearly demonstrates Zach's awareness of race discrimination, and Lily's lack of awareness. This ignorance and lack of awareness in the majority of people is what has let race