Evan Brauer

Wilson
HELA Block 2
12 May 2015
The Secret Life of Bees Assessment
1. How does the symbol of the queen bee teach a lesson/theme?
The queen bee teaches a lesson of having strong leadership within both society
and within oneself
2. How do Lilys thoughts on racism change or grow?
At first, Lily had racist views, yet she did not realize it. Later on, however, she
stopped using other peoples views as hers, and she developed her own views on
the subject.
3. How does opportunity present itself in Lilys new home with August?
Opportunity presents itself through Augusts kind-heartedness and from the fact
that she does not judge based on appearance.
4. What is the difference between Mays views and Lilys views?
May believes that every conflict in the world, no matter how small, is her conflict
as well, and it shows in her emotional breakdowns. Lily, however, tries to
separate herself from the conflicts of the world.
5. What are some similarities between the bee hive and Augusts home?
The bee hive and the home are run in an orderly fashion, where everyone has a
job around the hive. Another similarity between the two is that they each have
a mother figure or queen. The queen of the hive would be the actual queen bee,
while the queen of the home would be August because she keeps everyone going,
and she is the eldest of the home.
6. What are some obstacles Lily and Rosaleen faced?
At first, Lily and Rosaleen had to deal with racial prejudice and cruel treatment.
Lily also had to break Rosaleen out of jail, which was not an easy task for her.

They also had to find a home and a way to live with themselves and the mistakes
they made throughout the novel.
7. Do you know another instance when racist views determined someones judgment of
Lily?
Racist views determined the judgement of Lily in two notable instances. One was
when Lily overheard June and August talking about Lily, and June states, But
shes white, August. This was the first time Lily had ever heard racial
discrimination toward her own race. This shows June disliked Lily for the color of
her skin. The other instance was when Zach first met Lily, and was surprised that
she was white. This showed that he would never have expected a white person to
be living with August.
8. What would happen if Lily never got over the truth about her mother?
Had Lily never gotten over the truth about her mother, she very well could have
died, or worse. Her death would have come from suicide like May, or she would
end up in the hands of T. Ray. If she hadnt matured before T. Ray showed up, then
she would have been taken away by him and she would have been beaten severely
9.

by him, and possibly killed.

How can you apply the queen rule of Bee Yard Etiquette to the real world?
In a beehive, there can only be one queen, and there must always be a queen. If
there is no queen, the hive falls apart. In the real world, people need a leader to
follow, otherwise they will not perform well is specific tasks. Also, if there is more
than one person trying to fulfill the role of leadership, conflicts can arise, which

result in one prevailing over the other as the true leader.

10. What is the best solution to the conflict of racial discrimination?
The best solution to the conflict is to simply remove race from society all together.
Benefits or punishments cannot be provided to any one race, because all people

are human. To solve this conflict, people must not be considered white or black,
but they must be considered to be people.
11. Which theme teaches a better lesson to a 10th grader: appearances vs. reality or female
power?
Appearances vs. reality is a theme that teaches 10th graders a lot. Often times in
teenage life, someone will not be accepted due to their appearance. However, if
people were to look past that appearance and see the reality of who that person
truly is, better understanding can come.
12. Between Secret Life of Bees and Things Fall Apart, which story ends more happily ever
after? Why?
Secret Life of Bees has a much more happy ending to it compared to Things
Fall Apart. In the end of Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo had killed himself due to
the mistakes he made in his life. Meanwhile, at the end of Secret Life of Bees, Lily
got what she wished for, and she got to stay with August and the Daughters of
Mary.
13. Was the resolution of telling the truth to August better or worse than what Lily expected?
Why?
It was both better and worse that what Lily expected. It was better because
August had already known for the most part about Lilys past, and she was still
kind to her. It was worse, however, because she had learned the truth about her
mother, and she struggled to cope with it.
14. How would you feel if you were in the same situation as Rosaleen in the beginning of the
novel?
If I was in the same situation as Rosaleen, I would feel powerless and upset with
the way society was. I would see racial conflict as a much greater issue than I see
it now, and I would want to put an end to it. I feel that I would have acted
similarly to how Rosaleen did in the novel.