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Examples Of Discrimination In The Secret Life Of Bees

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In the novel ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ Sue Monk Kidd, presents the idea that racism and discrimination creates chaos in communities. This is relevant today as violent racism attacks are still present in America. Lily Owen’s is a white, 14 year old girl who lives in Sylvan, South Carolina in 1964. She lives with her father and her black maid and nanny, Rosaleen. Lily runs away with Rosaleen to find out about her mother’s past. She goes to live with the Boatwright Sisters, May, June and August, who are black. Lily feels like she is like she is at home with the Boatwright sisters and befriends a black boy called Zach.

In the novel there are three significant events which shows racism and discrimination as an important theme. The Secret Life of Bees is set just a few months after the Civil Rights Act was signed. During this time racial tension was high and white people refused to let the blacks to associate with them. In the novel Rosaleen gets arrested for trying to register to vote, and then the police let white men beat her up. June Boatwright is racist towards Lily, as Lily is a white girl going in to live with a household of blacks. May Boatwright kills herself from mental illness which was brought on from racism. Racism in today’s America is still prevalent, at …show more content…

June discriminates Lily for being white “But she’s white, August.” We find out later it is because August was Lily’s mother’s maid. June finds it difficult to accept Lily because her family has treated August as the help and Lily is meant to be welcomed as a guest. Lily faces discrimination from June, which is based on the different social status they belong to. June sees Lily being the white master and her sister, August, being the help. In Junes eyes the master and servant do not socially mix. This is relevant in to today’s society where for example in South Africa and Asia people still employ servants for menial

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