Lily thinks that she is the cause of her mother’s death. T Ray tells Lily that nothing happened. He says her mom tried to run away from her and T Ray and that she didn’t love Lily. This lie shocks Lily and ignites her fury against T Ray. She decides to once and for all run away from this terrible home and find out the truth behind her mother. I think that Lily will find out a lot more about her mother than intended. Even though she might be the cause of her death, I believe that she will stop feeling guilty and mature as a independent woman who knows how to appreciate herself.
The title, Secret Life of Bees carries a number of different meanings during the course of the work. The habits of the bees mirror the behavior of the characters. The bees work together to survive every day in their hives, just like Lily and the Boatwright sisters. The bees are a main part of the story which connects the characters closely. Lily and August become close friends because of the love of beekeeping.
The bees lead Lily to the truth, and send her on a path of self-discovery. In the beginning of the book, the bees in her room foreshadow the departure of Lily from T Ray’s house. The Black Madonna honey label leads her to find August Boatwright in Tiburon, South Carolina. There she discovers the truth about her mother and learns that she has people who care for and love her for who she is.
The Secret Life of Bees shows the change in Lily’s perspective of society. She used to think that family did not mean much. But through the Boatwright sisters she learns the true meaning of family. In the beginning of the book, Lily has a certain view of African Americans. She still has her prejudice about them. But towards the end of the book, she falls in love with Zach and realizes that the color of skin only matters so much. She doesn’t care what other people think about her living with four black women in the same house. Later in the book, she and her friend go to the same school...