Secret Life Of Bees Representation Of Nature Essay

The Representation of Nature in The Secret Life Of Bees

Nature is known to be everywhere, whether it be leaking through a faulty roof, sprouting over an abandoned structure or seeping into every corner of every scene in The Secret Life of Bees, written by Sue Monk Kidd. The novel tells the story of Lily and Rosaleen, a fourteen year old girl and her nanny, in their journey which takes place in South Carolina, 1964. Escaping from prison and Lily’s abusive father, they take refuge in a bright pink house owned by three beekeeping sisters, August, May, and June, whose lives blend with the natural world. In The Secret Life of Bees, nature is incorporated into death, forgiveness, and new beginnings.

To begin, the environment represents loss. For

In the beginning of the book, June Boatwright, August’s sister, is very hostile towards Lily, partially because of her race and also because of her distaste of Lily’s mother, the latter of which is learned later in the novel. In one scene, for example, June and Lily have a trivial fight over a house, stemming from months of built-up resentment. When they realize the pettiness of their entire quarrel, they give up on the fight, an unspoken agreement to end their rivalry. They fall back into the grass, making depressions in the earth. Lily says, “I stepped over them with the utmost care, and, seeing how careful I was, June stepped over them, too, and then, to my shock, she hugged me” (170). The imprints on the grass represent the end of their hatred for each other, a new beginning. The first time they enjoy each other’s presence, Lily and June avoid stepping on the depressions, showing they wish to preserve and continue the peace they have just created between them. Another way fresh starts are represented is near the end of the book. Lily describes the outdoors, “In the autumn South Caroline changed her color to ruby red and wild shades of orange” (300). A time of change, Kidd’s decision to use autumn in this scene is not unintentional, as this is when Lily is beginning to heal from her trauma and has begun a new chapter in her life. It also represents Lily’s willingness to change or heal, as she talks in this scene in an optimistic tone. Thirdly is Lily’s reaction when she first leaves her father, her first taste of freedom. Perceptively, the first thing she notices is the beauty of nature. “A barge of mist floated along the water, and dragonflies, iridescent blue ones, darted back and forth like they were stitching up the air. Instead I was at Walden Pond” (57). She thinks, “Day one of a new life. That’s what this is” (57). This scene represents the feeling she is experiencing after running away from home, and