Book Report Due Oct 3

The Secret Life of Bees

By Sue Monk Kidd

Main Events

The first important event that happens in chapters 9-11 is when The Boatwright sisters, Rosaleen and Lily is having a really hot day and a water war is initiated. During this event Lily leaves all of her sense and hoses June with water. They end up wrestling in the water over which of them that will have the sprinkler and in the end June hugs Lily. This is important due to the fact that Junes sort of dislike towards Lily now releases and they start a new way of connection.

"... June stepped over them, too, ant hen, to my shock, she hugged me. June Boatwright hugged me while our clothes made sweet, squishy sounds up and down our bodies." – Page 170

Next important event is when Zach is thrown into jail, for doing nothing than keeping silence when a friend of his throws a coke bottle on a white man, and the family's situation gets out of balance.

"I saw Jackson bite down, causing a tiny ripple across his jaw. I saw him raises his R.C. Cola bottle over his head. And throw it." – Page 178

Here, the first step of difficulties begins that will give ammunition to the next main event that happens in the book; May kills herself.

This event turns the family’s life upside down and gives away for a change that will result in several actions. May, who takes on pain that is not hers, feels that life's all problems and difficulties are too much for her and decides to end the pain. She kills herself by putting a rock on her chest while lying with her back in the river. On her note that she leaves behind to her sisters she writes that this is not the end, the opposite, this is the time for them to live. She couldn't live in this world but her sisters can, and they will. 

Due to this the unintended consequence is that June says yes when Neil propose, something she earlier said no to.

"Dear August and June,

I'm sorry to leave you like this. I hate you being sad, but think how happy I'll be with April, Mama, Papa and Big Mama. Picture us up there together, and that will help some. I'm tired of carrying around the weight of the world. I'm just going to lay it down now. It's my time to die, and it's your time to live. Don't mess it up.

Love May." – Page 210

Questions about the book

1. Why did June dislike Lily when she got there?

2. What was the problem with Zach getting in jail without doing anything?

3.If May hadn't answers the telephone and found out that Zach was in jail and if the suicide didn't happen, what might the ending been?

Words
Please see page Vocabulary (red words highlighted), at the right in the page archive.