Analysis Of The Secret Life Of Bees

The Secret Life of Bees: A tale of what the true meaning of family is, and the unsuspecting places we find love.

“Every little thing just wants to be loved.” Love all around is the main idea of The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Mink Kidd published by the Penguin Group. The Secret Life of Bees has sold over 6 million copies, been recognized by New York Times, Good Morning America, and various other orginizations, and has been published in at least 35 countries. Fried Green Tomatoes at The Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg can be compared to The Secret Life of Bees because they both take place in a time multiple decades ago, have African-American freedom rights as subject matter, and focus on a younger girl and a middle aged to elderly woman.
Her abusive father blames Lily for the death of her mother, not that he seems to care much about it, just enough to point fingers. After an incident involving her African-American care-taker forces Lily to run, she searches for any little traces of her mother she can possibly find. Her search brings her to the Boatright sisters, where she finds a home, answers, and more of motherly figures then she would have if her mother hadn't died.The Secret Life of Bees is a coming of age fiction novel written by Sue Monk Kidd. The story is set in the early to mid 1960s where plaid mid thigh kilts and cashmere twinsets were in style, not that Lily Owens had ever been able to experience this fashion statement due to her fathers strict ways. Lily starts in Sylvan, South Carolina, but in her search for her mother she moves the story along to Tiburon, South Carolina. The books mood is serious, due to death, injury, and other hard circumstances. Lily fights through these rough circumstances making the mood of the book also inspirational. The main lesson learned is said by a character named August whom employs Lily “Most people don't have any idea about all the complicated life going on inside hive. Bees have a secret life we don't know anything about.” This goes along with the famous quote “don’t judge a book by its cover”, because you cant always see whats going on inside a persons
She gave the book a feel of being inspirational in they way she used vocabulary. “This is the autumn of wonders” the way Kidd uses the word autumn and wonders gives the sentence a wistful feel. “glided past T. Ray’s room in silence, sliding my arms and legs like a skater on ice.” Kidd uses a simile and many other literary devices to make her style and craft something to strive for. The quality of her writing is good, but I would say it seems aimed for a younger audience in the way its worded. Which seems strange because some of the content doesn't suggest its aimed for a younger audience. The pacing was efficient. It wasn't anything to marvel over, because in the middle the pace was very slow and in some parts painful to keep reading during. The theme is very strong and is one of my favorite parts of the story. The theme is almost hidden inside a single quote said by a character, but if you are looking for it the theme is clear as day. I think Kidd did an amazing job with creating a flawless theme in her