In the bildungsroman, The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd shows the effects of racism: creating conflicts that separate and divide people, rather than bringing them together. The protagonist, Lily, learns first hand the effects of racism in her rural South Carolina town. The story is set in the 1960’s, and shows the progression of Lily’s growth from living in a racist community with her father and the notorious racists; to learning about racists views while living in the Calendar sister’s house; to eventually accepting all people, evidenced by her choosing to live with August and falling in love with Zach. The first time Lily experienced racism first hand is when her and Rosaleen both got arrested while in town. Rosaleen spilled her spit onto the racist man's shoe because he was making fun of her because she was colored but that got her sent to jail. On the way to the jail the racist man was …show more content…
“That’s when I knew I would never find a better friend than Zachary Taylor. I threw my arms around him and leaned into his chest”(Kidd 135) Lily starts to judge people for who they are not what they look like. She gets to know more people other than Dismissing them right away. “Lily, I like you better than any girl I have ever known, but you have to understand, there are people who would kill boys like me for even looking at girls like you.”(Kidd 135) Also Lily started to care for people no matter black or white. She Cared for her mom to the Calendar sisters, Lily did not just judge people she also cared for everyone she met in this story. “For days I carried the notebook everywhere. I wrote constantly. A made-up story about Rosaleen losing eighty-five pounds, looking so sleek nobody could pick her out of a police lineup”(Kidd 135). Lily would even make up stories for people in her notebook to entertain herself so she can see what it could be like if these surreal things she writes about becomes