Theme of The Secret Life of Bees

I think that the book teaches that you shouldn't discriminate even if all the people around you are judging by color or race. Lily is white and she never really paid much attention or thought much of black people other than Rosaleen. However, when the two of them run away together, she meets the Boatwright sisters and Zach (another worker at their farm) and becomes wonderful friends with the sisters and ends up falling in love with Zach. The horrible truth, however, is that her and Zach cannot be together because of the color of their skin, so they promise each other that some day they will meet up again when things have changed and be together again. The whole story revolves around the Civil Rights Movement and black and white racial boundaries.

Conflict of The Secret Life of Bees

The two major conflicts in this novel are person vs. person and person vs. society. Lily and her father, T-Ray, never get along because he tells her all the time how her mother left her and didn't even care about her and that she killed/shot her. Lily did accidentally kill her mother but she doesn't believe that her mother ever would have left her. T-Ray is harsh and controlling and she can't take it anymore. So, Lily and Rosaleen (thier housekeeper/orchird worker) run away to Tiburon and end up having to lie to August, June, and May. Rosaleen escaped from jail in order to run and overall, the two of them are in trouble. In the end, Lily calls her father Daddy without thinking and they kind of have a moment. She still lives with the Boatwright sisters, but this time, with his permission and she forgives him. I think that the conflict is absolutely believable because things like this happened all the time in the south and in the sixties I'm sure.

Setting of The Secret Life of Bees

The novel, The Secret Life of Bees, mainly takes place in Tiburon, South Carolina, on a Honey Farm belonging to The Boatright Sisters (August, June, and May). It all occurs in 1964 right as the Civil Rights Act was passed. The reason Lily and Rosaleen go to Tiburon in the first place is because Lily found a honey label with that city written on it, that belonged to her mother. Lily missed her mother tremendously and would do anything in order to know anything more about her. I think that if the book was set somewhere else, it wouldn't be the same. Being set on a honey farm is pretty much the main plot of the whole story, however if it was in a different city, still on a honey farm, I think it would have worked just fine.

Adrienne Willis

I am currently reading Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks, and it includes one of the two main characters, Adrienne Willis. Adrienne is a round, static character, although she thinks she is a flat character. There is so much to her but she thinks that she is just a boring single parent. However, when Paul arrives and they begin to fall in love, he makes her feel beautiful. Adrienne asks Paul, who is a plastic surgeon, if she had something done, what would he fix about her. He simply told her that he wouldn't change a thing. She was perfect. Overall, throughout the book, she develops more and more and they make each other better people.

Conflict of Nights in Rodanthe

There are many conflicts in this story, but the main ones are as follows. First, there are several person vs. self conflicts, including Adrienne dealing with the fact that even though she is upset and hurt that her husband, Jack, left her, she may be falling in love again with Paul. Also, Paul is hurt that his wife wanted a divorce. He thought that marriage was a life long commitment that should be honored and cherished. He is dealing with the same sort of problem that Adrienne is, but he is not fighting it like she is. There is also a person vs. person conflict in this novel. Robert Torrelson sued Paul because his wife died in surgery, due to reasons unknown. Mr Torrelson, however, blames her death on Dr. Flanner (Paul). The two are trying to make amends thoughout the story. I definitely look forward to reading the last half of this well written book.

Nights in Rodanthe

I chose to read the book Nights in Rodanthe because I am definitely a sucker for a good love story. I first saw the movie preview for the motion picture, and come to find out, it is based off of a Nicholas Sparks book. I immediately headed to the nearest Barnes and Noble to pick it up and start reading it. The story is about a woman whose husband leaves her for a younger man, and a man whose wife divorces him because he works too much and misses out on the good things in life. The two happen upon each other by chance at a bed and breakfast in Rodanthe, and the rest from there is a fairytale. I can't wait to finish this book.

The Value of Reading...

Reading is such an important skill in our world today. When you read, you are expanding your mind by using your imagination and obviously, comprehending the information you are absorbing. There are books out there for every subject and even some topics you would not think of. Different genres include fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, biographies, mysteries, and so much more. Practice really does make perfect in this sense. The more you read, the better of a reader and student you become. For example, you can learn simple things like vocabulary, while glancing at one of your favorite books, without even meaning to. By running across new, unfamiliar words, you can even use them in everyday conversations, making you sound a lot more intelligent. Also, reading can be a great way to make new friends. Book groups are formed just about everywhere that you can get involved with. There are people out there who enjoy reading the same exact kind of books as you do. Finally, books open up new worlds for the readers. You can put yourself in unimaginable places and situations that you could never really experience in your everyday life. Reading truly is a fabulous way to make yourself a better person.