A Secret Life Of Bees By Sue Monk Kidd

What is coming of age, you may ask? Coming of age is basically growing up and into adulthood. It’s that point in life when you have character building experiences that will change you forever. Two important elements relevant in the process of coming of age and forming your own identity are parents and loss. The book that I chose to read in Q4 was “A Secret Life of Bees” by Sue Monk Kidd. The main character in the book is named Lily and she is a 14 year old girl from South Carolina in 1964. She experiences major influence from her parents at her time of coming of age. The second book that I’ve chosen to use is “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding. In the book, the main character Ralph experiences loss, which changes and defines him. “A Secret

I remember thinking that he probably loved me in his own small way. He had forfeited me, hadn’t he? Kidd, 299. This evidence proves that Lily was heavily influenced by her parents because after she is rid of both of them, it’s one of the first times that she can feel very strong love. For her whole childhood, she felt comforted by the idea that her mom loved her, but her perspective changed after learning the truth. She never felt any love for or from her father, but she still wonders if he had any feelings of love towards her. Because of her screwed up relationship with her parents, she felt pretty unlovable but after being taken in by the Boatwright sisters and the Daughters of Mary, she realizes that true love can come in many different forms. This shows how parents can truly affect their children because if they grow up without true love, it’s hard for them to feel anything and recognize when they are cared for and loved. The concept of coming of age is shown in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding through the main character, Ralph, and how he experiences loss. The “Lord of the Flies” tells the story of a group of young boys who survive a plane crash on a deserted island and have to create civilization for