Journal #8 Rick Davidson Secret Life of Bees (racism)
Racism has been the weapon of choice in our readings for oppression. Finally in the Secret Life of Bees we have a glimpse of a two way street. We can easily see the racism toward Rosaline when T Ray flares out at Lily after being in jail “They’re going to go back and kill Her (for what she did)”. And again when Lily and Rosaline are walking to town to register Rosaline to vote the ignorant white guys insult her leading up to Rosaline spitting on their shoes. Racism is usually cast from white to black as is the Craft Narrative, Where’s the Voice Coming From, and as seen within The Secret Life of Bees. Even in the Sunflower, the powerful Nazis oppressed the Jews through force; usually if not cast from white to black in this genre racism is cast from powerful to helpless. (I guess in a way before the Emancipation Proclamation the whites did have the power.) Maybe this is why the Secret Life of Bees standouts to me.
I like the fact that racism is flipped and around and twisted to show racism toward being white. The inversion creates a closer understanding of racism or more closely segregation for me. Once you can identify with a group you can assume the identity of that group. I feel included within Lily’s group since I am white also. Once she becomes immersed within the Calendar Sisters’ family she feels like an outsider. She slowly gains confidence but she knows she is not fully accepted. She learns from the Calendar Sisters independence and resolution. T Ray has told a woman cannot learn a trade let alone a black woman. Lily finds herself in awe of August’s knowledge of the technicalities of honey, candle and wax creation. She shamefully admits her awe stems directly from her racist views; how can a nigroe woman be more intelligent and refined than a white girl?
` Rosaline easily conforms into the family but Lily has more trouble. Rosaline is chanting and gets to touch the Lady of Chain’s Heart. Lily fails on several attempts to come clean with August about their true story. She comes very close but seems to always go awry; how can Lily ever expect to become part of any unit without being truthful? The Calendar Sisters allow her to observe their own religion. This act in itself shows the trust and sincerity of the sisters. Their religion is very personal and close and Lily would give anything to become a participant. At one point her acceptance seems complete she is reaching out to touch the Heart of Our Lady in Chains and June quits playing music thereby freezing Lily’s outstretched hand. I know if Lily had touched the Heart her acceptance would have been complete.
June’s actions spoke so much louder than words. She alone (I feel) has not accepted Lily into the family. She creates a gap which Lily could not cross to get to the Lady of Chains. The open defiance infuriates August but August lets it stand. She could have tried to make June start playing again but she decides not to. This open defiance shocks Lily into an understanding: I am not one of Them. No matter how hard she tries or how badly she wants to be she feels she’ll never become a Sister.
I guess not only racism is inversed but also segregation and the feeling of loneliness. Lily observes a very close knit family unit and wants to become one with it. She feels inadequate since her own father treated her very poorly thus instilling a yearning to be a part of a loving family. She seems almost jealous of Rosaline because she easily molds into the family. I think this was done by the author to create segregation, loneliness, and yearning within Lily and within the reader.