Lily's New world

Passage #1 pg 141-142
"I had never thought about like that, it gave me a shoked feeling, like maybe I had no idea what kind of world I was actually living in...."

Responce to passage #1
Lily sad these word after the conversation with August about Black Marys' spirit being everywhere. This conversation had a great impact on Lily, she had a feeling that she didn't even know in what kind of world she was living. Her teachers were telling about completely different world and now August was saying opposite. Lily was fourteen years old girl whos' world was rocking and shaking.

May's Note

"I am sorry to leave you like this. I hate you being sad but think how haoppy I"ll be with April, Mamma, Pappa and Big Mamma...." p. 210

First when I read this suicide note from May, I was sad and surprised. After thinking about it, I realized that she didn't exactly seem to belong on the Earth. She seemed to belong in heaven with her sister, April. For a while I thought she was getting better at not crying at everything and seemed to be going in the direction of dealing with life. Her death symbolized the fact that someone can never really get over something as traumatic as a death of someone that close.

I have never experienced the death of someone really close, only the deaths of pets. My dog Sheiva had really bad arthritits and for a while we were keeping her alive on pills and stuff. Eventually we let her go. It was good but at the same time it was hard, especially because I was not there to say goodbye. I can only imagine how August and June felt to have their sister die without being able to say goodbye.

Phoebe
Has anyone else had this type of experience of having to loose someone important?

Just Forgive

p. 264
"I heard the better tone in my voice, and it came to me how I could lock that tone into my voice forever. From now on. every time I thought of my mother I could, so easy, slep off into a cold place where meaness took over."
Lily is so bitter in this moment while she is talking to Rosaleen. Instead of trying to figure out why her mother was so sad, sad enough to leave a daughter that she loved for three months, she just went straight to being bitter. I find myself in this place sometimes. When am so wrapped up in my thoughts I don't stop to find out the other side of the story. Does anyone else get this way time to time? Do you think it is selfish of someone to feel this way? Or is it just another human trait?
-Hannah V-C

I posted the "suicide influence." I forgot to put question to respond to. Here are a some.

Are you glad August said that to June? Did she need it?

Is there anything in your life that you try to remember when you are feeling down? Any little reminders that you use?

finial questions

1. T-Ray came and tried to bring Lily home with him, but she put up and argument. “I’m staying here.” I said. “I’m not leaving. August was willing to let her live there. She went to school with Zach and kept helping with the bees. June Married Neil and went off to live with him. Lily moved into Junes’ room in the Pink House. Every day she visits the black Mary and thinks about the day when T-Ray came to try and take her back.

2. I think the “Queen Bee” is August because it’s like she is kind of in charge. When Lily showed up she let her stay and said she could stay for as long as she needed, even though June did not want here to at first. All through the book August is saying she is always there if Lily needs to talk. In the end August says she can stay when T-Ray was there.

3. I agree with the quote, “All sorrows can be borne if we put them into a story or tell a story about them.” I think if you are able to express your sorrows it can help support you. May expresses her sorrows by going to the Wailing Wall and righting what is bothering her on a slip of paper and putting it in the wall. I think T-Ray lets his build into anger and then takes it out on Lily. Lily doesn’t really tell anyone except Rosaleen at first, but in the end she tells everything to August.

Hannah Anderson

Revelament of the Mother, Secret Life of Bees

P. 243
"After a few minutes, August said, "How did you know to come here? I pulled the picture of Black Mary from my pocket and showed it to her. It belonged to my mother. I found it in the attic at the same time I found her photograph...."

Lilly found her mother's picture of Black Mary and a Photograph, the only things she had of her mother. This made her feel really close to her. I do not have anything that came from my biological mother, no memories, no stories. I wish that I had a picture of her so I know how Lilly feels by having at least one thing of her mother's.

Does anyone else have something really special that they have from one of their parents?

Suicide influence

pg. 211
paragraph 2

This is a very powerful passage. May's suicide note is what inspired August to say this, and I am so glad that she did. June really needed a push. I agree that she has only been living halfway or maybe a quarter of the way. August goes on to say that in June's life this means that she should marry Neil. I have a quote in my house from the Dalai Lama that is very similar to this. I read it often. It is very helpful reminder to me, and it seems like it will be a very helpful reminder to everyone in this book.

Lily Changing?

On p. 218, Lily tells Rosaleen that she wants to move into the Honey House by herself. Rosaleen teases her, but then goes about helping her move right away.

Seems to be that this is a significant move. Lily is separating herself, but in a positive, independent way. And yet, at this same moment, she also decides that she will tell August the truth about her mother, and "this time tomorrow the truth would be out,[and] everything would change" (219). She starts to plan ot go elsewhere--Florida, perhaps. She seems to assume that she will be rejected when she tells the truth. Then, when she goes to sleep, she is scared: "It was fear all night long. I would've given anything to be back in Amy's room, listening to Rosaleen snore" (219).

Is Lily changing? Is she still led by fear, and her need to hide? What do you think?

Poster by Julia

Secret Life Of Bees Response

This passage is when Lily is talking with August about Lily's Mother.
"You think you want to know something, and then once you do, all you can think about is erasing it from your mind. From know on when people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I planned to say, Amnesiac." pg 249
I can really identify with this statement. I can be really curious about things, ask a question and then get an answer that I didn't want to know. Can anyone else idenfiy with this? I think that Lily has many moments like this in the book, like when she finds out from T-Ray that she shot her mother. I think that it really shows how determined and courageous she is as a character to keep trying to find out things and continue to be curious when she knows the answers will be hard to take.
I want to hear what you guys think about it.
Sooo...yeah.
That's all.
Sara L.

Relationship between T-Ray and Lily

"I'm staying here," I said. "I'm not leaving." The words hung there, hard and gleaming. Like pearls I'd been fashioning down inside my belly for weeks.
"What did you say?"
"I said I'm not leaving."
"You think I'm gonna walk out of here and leave you? I don't even know these damn people." He struggled to make his words forceful enough. The anger has been washed out of him when he'd dropped the knife.
"I know them." I said. "August Boatwright is a good person."
pg 296

T-Ray had found where Lily was staying and he came to try and take her. Lily was alone in the house when he came and he started getting really angry and yelling at her and then he slapped her across the face. He said he was taking her home. I think this passage is important because Lily is able to stand of for herself against T-Ray. I think she finially feels like she has a place where she feels safe and she is loved. Her father says he doesn't know them, but instead of just giving in Lily stands up for them and herself. She doesn't care that she is staying with colored people. I think she just wants to be happy, she doesn't want to have to keep pleasing T-Ray, who she feels like doesn't love her. What do you think about T-Rays' relationship with Lily? Do you think he loves her?

Hannah Anderson