The Wailing Wall In Jerusalem

128 Words1 Pages
In Sue Monk Kidd’s novel The Secret Life of Bees, the author alludes to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem to illustrate the significance of a similar wall on August Boatwright’s property. August explains to Lily,“‘Wailing wall,’ she said again. ‘Like they have in Jerusalem. The Jewish people go there to mourn. It’s a way for them to deal with their suffering’”(97). August offered this description to help Lily understand May’s peculiar behavior. Both the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem and May’s wailing wall provided a physical method and place for seeking solace. Just as Jews were reminded of their past sufferings, May similarly was able to reminisce about her past sorrow. The wailing walls were healthy coping mechanisms and beared the pain to heavy