Name The Secret Life of Bees READING GUIDE
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Chapter 1
Prediction of title meaning? / X
Setting (time / place)
Rosaleen info
T.Ray info
Narrator’s mother
Lily’s dream of forgiveness
Swarm of bees / result
First and only memory of mother details
The gun
Charm school—reasons didn’t she get to go
Rosaleen / T.Ray. / the chick
Lily’s dream about Rosaleen / color
Wooden pictures of Mary, mother of Jesus / skin color
location written on back
Mrs. Henry’s inspiration
Conversation before 1st grade w/ T.Ray about Lily’s mother
Civil Rights Act / implication for Rosaleen
The bracelet request / T.Ray’s reaction?
The tree / T.Ray’s assumption
“I’ll find another roof”
Rosaleen’s practice—for what?
Stopping at the chuch—problem?
Rosaleen’s actions towards racist men
Result?
Chapter summary
Chap. 2
The men’s payback
T.Ray / Lily conversation about mother main pts
“Your jar is open” meaning?
14 yrs. old to 40—how?
Lily’s actions at the hospital
Why heading to Tiburon?
Rosaleen’s feelings about Lily’s motives to go to Tiburon
Both in river—symbolism of this in the journey?
Chapter summary
Chap. 3
The store / black Mary
August Boatwright
Chapter summary
Chap. 4
Lily’s story to the calendar sisters
August’s decision to let the stay or not
“She saw right through it.” Who saw through what?
“My skin never felt so white to me.” Why?
Discovery of her own prejudice
May’s wall description
Chapter summary
Chap. 5
May info
June info
Aug/ June conversation Lily overhears
June’s objection to Lily staying
Lily feels self conscious and ashamed—why?
“Stand in Mary” story
“bee yard etiquette” / life similarities: / -
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Why May gets upset, according to August
Chapter summary
Chap. 6
Daughters of Mary
The story of Our Lady in Chains
Purpose of “Our Lady” to the women
June’s gesture w/ Lily
(w/ Mary)
Ranger 7 / moon (August / Lily conversation)
Chapter summary
Chap. 7
Zach description / Lily’s reaction to him
Zach’s dream profession
“You gotta imagine what’s never been.”
Lily’s breakdown w/ Zach / cause?
June / Neil interaction
“impossibility”
What / why?
Chapter summary
Chap. 8
What Lily loves / -
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Big Mama/ Lady in Chains conversation
Why the house is pink
“They know what matters, but they don’t choose it”
(Explain meaning)
“I loved the idea of the bees having a secret life, just like the one I was living.”
(explain context + meaning of title) / Context:
Meaning of book title:
She was starting to come unglued—meaning?
Lily’s phone call / question
Lily’s letter / result (purpose?)
Chapter summary
Chap. 9
Lily’s passage to true beekeeper
May / Lily conversation about roaches
Deborah Fontanel
Zach makes a stand / result?
“I’ll write this down. I’ll put it in a story”
(who / context?)
May’s reaction to Zach’s situation
Chapter summary
Chap. 10
May’s fate
Officer questions Lily—not about May’s situation but about what?
Change in Zach
August / Zach conversation about May
May’s message to her sisters (last two sentences)
Change in Zach
Lily’s move / why?
Mary Day
Neil’s proposal / result this time? / why?
Fish necklace story
Lily’s connection between fish story to Zach
Chapter summary
Chap. 12
“You are the spitting image of her”
(context?)
Lily’s confession to August about mom’s death
Lily’s feelings about herself / August’s response
Lily’s mom’s reason for marrying T.Ray
Lily’s feelings after learning her mother left her behind
Deborah’s reason for leaving
Chapter summary
Chap. 13
The honey house mess
(inference about cause?)
Mother’s belongings / -
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The sign that Lily was loved
Chapter summary
Chap. 14
Forgive vs. die
Rosaleen’s decision w/ voter’s card
Zach / high school
“…let the puzzle of the human heart be what it is.”
(context / meaning?)
Our Lady/ own heart conversation
T.Ray’s visit / actions
Lily’s understanding of his feelings
Why doesn’t T.Ray really want Lily back?
The truth confirmed by T.Ray
“I have forgiven us both”
The Wall Keeper
Chapter summary