The Secret Life of Bees Study Guide
How does August explain May's sadness and her wall?
. Everything is sad that happens it goes into her, well I have a barrier that can protect them from being sad She's been working on the wall for 10 years Wailing wall
The Mary statue in the Boatwrights' living room is actually...
A figurehead of an old ship
What does Lily find at the general store that inspires her? What does she learn about this item?
A jar of honey with the black Mary on it. The maker of the honey lives in Tiburon, August Boatwright
What is the story of Beatrix the nun? Why does August tell this story?
A nun got tired of doing her chores away from it then she was miserable and homeless. She came in disguise and she found out that Mary had gotten the way the whole time she was gone. She was talking about lily in a way
Chapter 4 To what/whom does Lily compare August Boatwright when she sees her for the first time?
African bride
According to August, why is it acceptable to be bad at something?
As long as you love it, it doesn't matter if you're bad at it
What does Rosaleen like to tell Lily she is doing while living with the Boatwrights?
Auditioning to be adopted by the calendar sisters and that she was living in a dream world
Name August's sisters and explain the origin of their names,
August June May April Their mother loved spring and summer
Where does the author reference the title of the novel in this chapter?
August and Lily are beekeeping and the bees are inside the hive cooling off the hive and the sound is harmonizing. No one sees this side of bees. They also each have their own role to play. Therefore, the secret life of bees. Lily is living a secret life too
Why does Lily now live alone in the honey house?
Because Rosaleen was now going to sleep with May because may gets scared at night by herself
Why is the Mary called "Our Lady of Chains?"
Because she broke chains, it is inspiring to African American women. It all started with the slaves
Why is Lily "a marvel?"
Because she caught on to all of the tasks so quickly. It's one of the only positive things she has heard from an adult.
Chapter 3 Why is Lily so intrigued with the Madonna (Mary)?
Because she wasn't Catholic and there was a wooden picture of Mary in her box.
Chapter 7 Why does Lily dread dinner time at the Boatwright home?
Because that's the time of day she has to be around June, who resents her
Chapter 1 What does Lily notice in her bedroom as she lies in bed at night? Why does she think they arrived that year?
Bees, that they were sat there like an angel to set all of the events in motions
What stands in the Boatwrights' living room? Describe this object.
Black mother Mary statue and they worship it every night. Partly Catholic and partly self invented
Lily composes an acrostic poem about her father. How does she describe him?
Despicable, Angry, Dud of a father, Disappointment, Yoke around my neck
What are August's life lessons relating to a bee yard?
Every little thing wants to be love-- theme of the whole novel, lily wants to be loved, even tho she was talking about bees
Lily implies that Zach, because he is Black, should be good at _________________, but he truly wants to be ________________________.
Football, lawyer
Why does Lily want to cry as she is talking to T. Ray?
He can't answer the question about what her favorite color is. Because she felt relief to get it out of her system but she lied ab it bringing her joy p. 162
What does Zach give Lily and what is his view of their friendship?
He got her a green notebook with rosebuds on the cover so she could start her writing. He likes her more than any other girl but he said people would kill him for just looking at a girl like her
Before she starts school, Lily has a serious conversation with her father. What does T. Ray tell her about December 3, 1954?
He told her about what happened and what she did just in case anyone asked about it
What is a spinner and how does it teach a lesson about life?
It is a honey machine that separates the good and bad stuff in the honey. In order to be happy you have to separate the bad and good things in your life.
What errand are August and Lily on and why?
It is scorching hot so they have to go water all of the bees
What items did Lily find inside the box that belonged to her mother? What does Lily do with the box?
It was a picture of her mom leaning against a car, a wooden picture of black Madonna and a pair of white gloves and she put them in the box and buried them in the ground so that T Ray wouldn't find them
What is the "initiation" Lily undergoes and what does it signify, according to August?
Lily gets stung and August says you can't be a true beekeeper without getting stung
What does Rosaleen intend to do on Lily's birthday?
Make a cake with candles and register for voting
What/who are the Daughters of Mary?
Old woman named Queenie and her daughter Violet-Lunelle, mabelee, Cressie A Special service in the pink house
Recount the basic elements of the story of Our Lady of Chains.
People went to praise House to sing and pray and someone would ask the lord to send rescue. A lady got washed to the shore to reserve them
Chapter 9 What does Lily learn from August as they listen to the news?
Ranger 7 finally hit the moon, police were looking for the bodies of three civil rights workers in Mississippi, and the terrible things that happens on the Gulf of Tonkin. August says that they can't fix the whole world
What does Lily as of Mary as she prays with her hand over her heart?
She asks her to fix her, help her know what to do, is her mother with God, don't let them find us, let them love her, p. 164
What is August's view of marriage?
She didn't want to marry. There was enough restrictions in her life without waiting on someone hand and foot. She isn't against it. She is just against how it is set up
What happened to Lily's mother?
She died
What does Lily find in the woods near the Boatwrights' home?
She found a knee high wall that went on for quite a bit and had hundred of little pieces of paper on them with things she did not know what it meant. She also found a small river
What is Lily's summer job? What rule of her father's must she follow while at work?
She has to sell the peaches that T Ray was growing. She could not read while she worked BC he hated reading
What is Lily's punishment for being out in the field after dark? What did Lily believe until this happened?
She is forced to kneel on a pile of grits for an hour and she believed that he had loved her and she realized she was wrong.
Chapter 8 Lily finds out that the Black Madonna is not unusual. What is August's explanation?
She learned from her mothers prayer cards that there are black Mary statutes and pictures all over Europe. The one on the honey is the black Madonna of breznichar
What does Lily like about the honey song?
She likes the silliness and it made her feel like a regular person because they sang it doing everything
Why does Lily go to the "wailing wall?"
She put her moms name on it
Chapter 5 Explain how life at August's is like a timeout during a sporting event for Lily.
She said it was relief and it was somebody dabbing mercy on her upbeat life
Why does Lily think she is attracted to Zach?
She thinks he's mysterious, gentle, soft hearted, his smile, and she gets this feeling around him
What does Lily realize she has developed after growing up in T. Ray's house? (see page 78)
She thought colored women could be smart, but not as smart as her because she is white.
How did April die? What was May's reaction?
She was in the ice cream store and the manager said soemthing racist and she got kicked out and her father told her that's just what happens when you're black. And she spiraled down from there. She got depressed and killed herself. A part of may died with April
Chapter 6 Name one reason June is hesitant to marry Neil.
She was supposed to get married to someone along time ago but the guy didn't show up to the wedding
Where does Lily find Rosaleen? Why is Rosaleen there?
She wasn't in jail BC the sheriff let the men back in to beat her up so now she is in the hospital and lily finds her and creates a distraction and let's her out
How does Rosaleen explain May's habit of humming "Oh! Susanna?"
Since it was a happy song, when people told her bad things she would start humming it to ward off crying
What does Lily steal from the general store and why?
Snuff (tobacco) for Rosaleen BC she's been through enough and deserves it
What is the setting of the novel?
Sylvan, North Carolina 1964
What lie does Lily tell August and her sisters?
That her fate died in a tractor accident
What does Lily think she hears when she has a "religious moment?" What does it cause her to do?
That her jar is open and she should leave and run away from T Ray like the bee flew away
Chapter 2 What does T. Ray claim is the truth about Lily's mother?
That she left lily and she ran away and she came back for her her items and things and not lily
Name the significant legislation that was signed in July of 1964.
The civil rights act was signed
What happens to Lily as she reaches to touch Mary's heart?
The music stopped and she ended up fainting
What crimes did Rosaleen (and Lily) supposedly commit on their way into town that same day? What is Rosaleen's "punishment" at the hands of three racist men?
The were accused wrongly for stealing fans from the church and writing their names in oil. She is beaten and arrested
Why do women make the best beekeepers?
They have a special ability built into them to love the creatures that sting. "It comes from years of loving children and husbands" p. 143
What revelation does Lily overhear when listening to June and August speak about her?
They know she's lying about the why she left. August said she felt like they were in some kind of trouble
How did the Boatwrights use honey?
They used it for everything. Eating, medicine, bathing, all things of life
Relate the events of December 3, 1954.
This was the day her mom died. Her mom and T Ray were fighting and she heard it. He had a gun and dropped it and lily picked it up and accidentally killed her mom. She was so young and didn't know
a) Describe T. Ray Owens. b) How does he treat Lily, his daughter?
a) he is an aggressive and mean father and doesn't show love for lily B) he treats her almost like a slave. Treats his dog better
