Summary: The Secret Life Of Bees

Prejudice is something everyone has inside themselves. It can be buried deep or right beneath the surface, intentional or unintentional, big or small. An individual’s surroundings are always factor in determining prejudice, but in the end, letting those preconceptions cloud their vision is up to them. The Secret Life of Bees delves deeper into this problem. The book takes place in the 1960’s, a time where racism against black men, women, and children runs rampant throughout America. The main character, Lily, is a young white girl who was raised in South Carolina. The book captures her journey of overcoming her own prejudices with the help of her friends and family. She was unknowingly bias due to growing up in a town where racism against blacks

After spending more time with August, Lily realizes “[she] had some prejudice buried in [her]” (Kidd 78). Lily acknowledges the fact that she’s prejudiced, and this is the beginning of her character arc. Although she was raised to think that colored people were inferior, she knew that beforehand that was wrong. As a result, she wants to change. Lily no longer differentiates people based on the color of their skin. She’s starting to see that everyone's the same, regardless of being white or black. She is learning about the prejudice that is both within her and in the world. Zach may be black, but that doesn't change her feelings towards him because it's only a color. When mulling over her longing for Zach, she figured “it was foolish to think some things were beyond happening, even being attracted to Negroes” (Kidd 125). In the South, society’s prejudices would not have allowed an interracial relationship, but Lily is learning that the South’s traditions aren’t correct. She condemns her earlier beliefs, knowing that it’s not some abnormality to be attracted to someone of a different race. She even thinks to herself that “it would have been better if God had deleted skin pigment altogether” (Kidd 155). Before her stay with the Boatwrights, her prejudice clouded her vision, whereas now she sees that skin just creates another wall that separates

She could finally accept Rosaleen’s personality and notably even “wanted to say, Rosaleen, you know what? I’m proud of you” (Kidd 282). She progressed from wishing that Rosaleen was completely different to being pleased with her. Her change in thought from the start of her journey highlights the defeat of her prejudices. Rosaleen is no longer someone to be ashamed of; she was someone to be proud of. She also embraces her feelings for Zach, regardless of him being a black boy. She wasn’t frantic when ‘he kissed [her] gently...and the rushing ways of love [took] over” (Kidd 230). She learned that race doesn’t matter and she can love a black boy. She’s accepted that black people aren’t different from white people, so why should skin be a factor in determining who she likes? The schoolchildren will bully her and Zach for even talking to each other, but she doesn’t mind what society will think, as seen by her blatant dismissal towards her “reputation as ‘nigger lovers’...big deal” (Kidd 301). Lily doesn’t mind what everyone thinks of her as long as she is satisfied with herself. She continues to fraternize with Zach, regardless of what others say. Their prejudices don’t matter to her, and this is certainly one of the biggest indicators of her change