I am currently reading "The Secret Life Of Bees," by Sue Monk Kidd. It's about a white girl named Lily in the 1960s who, along with her black housemaid, Rosaleen, in search of a connection to Lily's dead mother, travel to Tibourn, SC, where they end up living with three black beekeeping women. Lily is caught up in their culture, and often finds herself being judged for being white.
In the American 1960s, the civil rights acts were going on, and racism against those not white were often discriminated against. However, in her situation, Lily feels like the roles have been reversed. June Boatwright, one of the beekeepers, hates Lily because she is white. The first thing anyone on the farm says to Lily is a remark about how she was white. Lily wasn't allowed to take part in the weekly religious ceremony because of her color.
I think it is acceptable for the Boatwrights to be wary of Lily with what was going on in the world in that time period, but not acceptable for them to discriminate against her because of it.
Do you think Lily thinks more positive or negative of Rosaleen? Do you think Lily's role is a big or small role in the 60's? Great blog :)
ReplyDeleteHey Em :D
DeleteMy opinion is that Lily thinks of Rosaleen as the mother she never got to have, but lately she is feeling excluded.
Lily had no large impact on the 60s, she didn't change anything legally or for everyone in the time period.
<3