Essays on The Secret Life Of Bees

The Secret Life Of Bees
Original title The Secret Life Of Bees
Author Sue Monk Kidd
Genre Historical Fiction
Language English
Characters Lily Owens, August Boatwright, Rosaleen Daise, May Boatwright, June Boatwright, Zachary Taylor, T Ray Owens, Deborah, Martha, Nathan ...
Published November 8, 2001
ISBN 978-0142001745
Book Summary
Essay Examples

Table of Contents

About the Secret Life of Bees       

The Secret Life of Bees is a fictional masterpiece by Sue Monk Kidd, an American author. It narrates a coming-of-age story about loss, the interracial landscape of civil rights, and betrayal. Set in 1964, it depicts the story of Lily, a young teenager whose life was centered around the vague memory of her mother’s death.

The book received critical acclaim and was a New York Times bestseller when it was published in 2001. The Secret Life of Bees won the 2004 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards. It was also nominated for the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction. Since its publishing, the novel has been a good material for fictional studies.

The Secret Life of Bees Summary

The Secret Life of Bees book talks about Lily Melissa Owens, a 14-year-old girl whose life has been shaped around the memory of the day her mother was murdered.

The story depicts Lily’s life after her mother’s death in the fictitious town of Sylvan, South Carolina, in 1964. She lives on a peach farm with her neglectful and abusive father, T. Ray. They have a maid, Rosaleen, who is a mother figure for her.

Lying in bed in her room at night, Lily is often visited by bees that seem to live in her bedroom walls and fly around most nights. Lily recalls her last memory of her mother, Deborah, who died when she was a small child. She believes she shot and killed her.

The vague memory of that day continues to haunt her, and throughout the book, she seeks to know more about her mother.

The Secret Life of Bees Quotes

There are some interesting quotes in Secret Life of Bees. Here are some of the memorable words from the book:

 

  •   August Boatwright – “Well, if you have a queen and a group of independent-minded bees that split off from the rest of the hive and look for another place to live, then you’ve got a swarm.”
  •       Lily Melissa Owens – “Someone who thinks death is the scariest thing doesn’t know a thing about life.”
  •       August Boatwright – “Putting black cloths on the hives is for us. I do it to remind us that life gives way into death, and then death turns around and gives way into life.”
  •       Lily Melissa Owens – “This was a great revelation—not that I was white, but that it seemed like June might not want me here because of my skin color. I hadn’t known this was possible—to reject people for being white.”

Essay Structure on The Secret Life of Bees

An essay is an academic text that often requires the ability to analyze, read, evaluate information, and present it intelligently. As a college student, you must know how to write an essay to accomplish any number of specific objectives.

To write an essay on the Secret Life of Bees, you must understand the plot and themes. This will help you generate ideas and write a compelling essay.

Below is an essay structure you can follow when writing your papers:

Introduction 

The introduction is more than just the first part of your essay; it is what prompts your audience to continue reading. To create a high level of intrigue and engagement, your Secret Life of Bees essay has to begin with a bang!

You should begin your introduction by inserting a hook from the narrator’s themes, facts, or popular quotes. You can start with a phrase from the book or an instance that depicts Lily’s memory of her mother’s death.

Also, you must include a thesis statement towards the end of the introductory paragraph.

The Body Paragraphs

This is where you expatiate all your ideas. Your belief and your thesis statement will serve as a guide to the body paragraphs. A good body paragraph should contain points divided into sections that contain your ideas in sequential order. You can discuss the author’s idea about what the novel symbolizes and the value of the paperwork. It is the most important part of your write-up; ensure to research all your points carefully.

Conclusion

Regardless of the topic you are working on, your essay should always have a compelling closure. You don’t want your readers wondering, what’s more? You can start the conclusion with some questions your essay has answered. Go on to restate the thesis statement with the answer you’ve provided.

You can also include a moral or personalized thought in this paragraph to give your work a reflective ending.

Tips to Consider While Writing an Essay About the Secret Life of Bees

As with other literary writing, an essay is an academic work that simply informs the reader about a particular idea. Essay writing is one of the most difficult academic works, as most students detest writing. There is hardly a one-strategy-fits-all when writing a bespoke essay.

To convince the reader, some important components and steps must be considered. The tips below will guide your steps to writing a remarkable essay.

Read the Book Thoroughly

Writing an essay on the Secret Life of Bees would involve some storytelling and explaining some integral concepts to the reader. There is no way you will script a good essay without a proper understanding of the novel.

This is not only about reading the summaries and internet reviews but reading the entire book from cover to cover. Analyze every page and chapter of the book, and understand each character and role. This will help you establish a clear understanding and convince the reader about your point of view.

Find a compelling topic

Writing an essay can be a bit of a job, but a compelling topic will not serve as motivation; it will also summarize your ideas to the readers. As an integral part of your write-up, you must select your title based on the aspect you want to focus on.

There are many aspects of the protagonist’s life that the author narrates. You can generate a topic based on Lilly’s memory of her mother’s death or her relationship with the Boatwright family. Make a list of titles and select the one that best conveys your ideas.

Create the Outline

This is a sequential arrangement of your work in order of importance. Generating an outline for your Secret Life of Bees essay is essential for compelling work. It would help you arrange your ideas in an organized manner in order of introduction, body, and conclusion. 

Your outline must include the sub-topics of your paragraphs and how you want them to narrate the author’s message.

Write the Thesis Statement

This is the statement that reveals the main idea of your essay. It consists of the topic of the essay and the points that will be argued throughout the essay. It usually appears at the end of the introduction and gives the examiner an idea of what to expect. It links together the body of your work and the introduction paragraph together.

Include A Lesson or Moral

Do you want to leave the reader with your perspective of the book? A moral will help you do that. In your Secret Life of Bees essay, use instances like quotes to reveal the emotional part of the novel. You could mention how badly Lilly is treated by her father and how she gets better treatment from Rosaleen Daise and the Boatwright sisters. A good understanding of the book will help pick a lesson or moral to support your opinions.

Conclusion: Proofread Your Work 

It is a relief to finish writing your essay. At the end of everything, take time to look at it again. Correct punctuation, spelling, grammatical, and other errors in your text. Ensure it aligns with the instructions stated in the prompt and that your points are in line with the topic.

While doing all these may seem too difficult, you can reach out to us for a profound Secret Life of Bees essay. You will get it at a low price and deliver it without delay!

FAQs

What is the Secret Life of bees summary?

The summary of Secret Life of bees is the story of a 14-year-old girl named Lilly who was haunted by the memory of the afternoon of her mother’s death. She believes she shot and killed her mother.

What is the moral of The Secret Life of Bees?

The Secret Life of Bees not only demonstrates how Lily struggles and overcomes her racism, but it also illustrates the irrationality of racism by portraying black and white characters with dignity and humanity

Does The Secret Life of Bees have a happy ending?

In the end, Lily Owen stays at August’s house, goes to school with Zach, and remains a part of the Boatwright family. She forgives her mother and realizes that she has gained many mothers in the Daughters of Mary and the Boatwright sisters.

Is The Secret Life of Bees easy to read?

Yes, it is. Although there was a bit of mystery regarding Lily’s and her mother’s pasts, the characters and the prose made it easy to read. The author uses a modern style of writing. Reading The Secret Life of Bees is a pleasure.

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