As I began to analyse the text of The Secret Life of Bees, there was one theme that stuck out to me the most. A constant reference to forgiveness was displayed throughout the novel. From Lily having to forgive others or forgive herself. It is clear that the author Sue Monk Kidd clearly wanted to show this message in the book.
In the very first chapter of The Secret Life of Bees, Lily describes her mother, beginning what will be an overall theme throughout the novel. Lily suffers tremendous guilt for killing her mother, and at night she dreams of dying, meeting her mother in heaven, and asking for her forgiveness. Lily has little doubt that her mother will kiss her and forgive her for 10,000 years.
Later in the novel, when August tells Lily
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She doesn't want to forgive her mother because Lily has been wallowing in her victimhood. She also doesn't want to let go of the romantic pictures she has created of her mother.
In Chapter 14, Lily is thinking over what August has told her about her mother. She keeps changing her mind between being angry at her mother for leaving on the one hand, and better understanding her mother's motives on the other. Lily ponders the idea of why it is so difficult for people to forgive.
There is someone else Lily must forgive: herself. Lily's first reaction, when August tells her Deborah married T. Ray because she was pregnant with Lily, is that it was all her fault that Deborah was burdened with such a terrible husband. Then, when Lily tells August her story about how she happened to come to the Boatright house, she explains with tears and misery that she hates herself and is a worthless person who isn't worthy of love. Before she can become whole and love herself, Lily must forgive herself for killing her mother, and she must understand that this was an accident that she can't go back and fix. She has to go on, realizing she is a human being worthy of