Racism in the Secret Life of Bees

568 Words3 Pages
Ryan Lowden MOD 9 November 5, 2014 Racism in the Secret Life of Bees Racism was, is, and always will be a part of our world. Whether we are aware of it or not. When we do become aware of it we can choose to accept it or not, it is your choice. Like it was Lily’s choice in Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees. Lily was unaware of the racism all around her until she goes to the Boatwright home. Through her experiences at the Boatwright home. Lily realizes the senselessness of racism. Lily experiences the opposite end of racism while at the Boatwright home. Lily says, "Mostly I felt resentment at June's attitude . . . There was no difference between my piss and June's. That's what I thought when I looked at the dark circle on the ground. Piss was piss."(88). Lily shows resentment toward the way June was treating her. June doesn't seem to like Lily because of the fact that she is white. Lily also says, "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."(78). This shows how much of an eye opener June's attitude toward her is. At the beginning of the novel Lily first experiences racism when Rosaleen and her are walking into town. Lily says, "What can they do to you with the policeman right here?’ That was when the dealer lifted the flashlight over his head, then down, smashing it into Rosaleen’s forehead."(35). This is a big moment for Lily because this is where she first sees racism happening. It is not directly happening to her, but she is experiencing it for the first time. Also Lily realizes here just how racist some people are, and that just because of a law that is passed people will not change their ways easily. At the end of the novel Lily shows that the race of a person does
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