What is wrong with May in The Secret Life of Bees?

What is wrong with May in The Secret Life of Bees?

May was one of a set of twins, and her twin sister April committed suicide long before Lily came to the Boatright house. May also suffers from depression, and because of this, her sisters, June and August, keep an eye on her.

Why did may drown herself in The Secret Life of Bees?

In addition to being enormously sensitive, May is highly observant. In the end, she commits suicide by drowning herself in a nearby stream, unable to cope with Zach’s arrest and imprisonment. Her suicide could be said to represent the psychological toll that racism has taken on the black community in America.

What is the message of The Secret Life of Bees?

The Secret Life of Bees demonstrates the irrationality of racism by not only portraying black and white characters with dignity and humanity but by also demonstrating how Lily struggles with—and ultimately overcomes—her own racism.

What is May’s wall in The Secret Life of Bees?

Summary: In Sue Monk Kidd’s story The Secret Life of Bees, the wailing wall symbolizes suffering and death. May used the wailing wall to release some of the pain she felt over the loss of her twin sister April, so much so that the wall foreshadowed May’s own death.

Why does Zach feel responsible for Mays death?

May died and Zach feels partially responsible, He isn’t justified in feeling this way because their was no way of knowing May would die from him going to jail. What changed June and Lily’s relationship? May died so June wanted to live her life to the fullest.

Does may commit suicide in Secret life of bees?

She is not by the wailing wall. They call the police, but, before the police arrive, they find May’s body drowned in the river. She has committed suicide. When the police come, they interrogate Lily and tell her that living with black women is beneath her dignity.

What is the result of Lily and June’s fighting over the water sprinkler?

What is the result of Lily and June’s fighting over the water sprinkler? They both end up laughing, and June hugs Lily.

What do the bees in The Secret Life of Bees symbolize?

Throughout the novel, Kidd builds on the hive and bees as a metaphor of life. Bees represent people working together in a society, which is represented by the hive. The hive is presided over by the queen, or mother-figure.

What does the black Mary symbolize in The Secret Life of Bees?

The Black Mary As the picture, it symbolizes mothers and mother surrogates. Lily carries around a wooden picture of the black Mary, which she found among some objects that once belonged to her mother.

Does may commit suicide in Secret Life of bees?

Why does may hum Oh Susanna?

Why does May begin to sing, “Oh, Susana!”? she is feeling overwhelmed when her sister April was mentioned who died when they were little. Singing it is therapeutic or cathartic.

How did May’s death affect Lily?

Although May’s suicide is violent and sad, her death leads Lily to some positive realizations.

What happens to May after she goes to the Wailing Wall for the last time?

What happens to May after she goes to the wailing wall for the last time? She commits suicide by rolling a large rock onto her body in the river.

What does the honey jar represent in The Secret Life of Bees?

Lily first begins to recognize her power when she hears the voice of her mother saying “her jar is open.” Later, she comes to realize that this is not her mother, but the voice of self-confidence within her. August defines it as the voice of Mary that is inside everyone.

What does the pink house symbolize in The Secret Life of Bees?

In the book The Secret Life of Bees, beehives are one major symbol. The pink house is symbolized by a beehive. Every person in the house represents a bee in that hive (more on that below). All bees in a hive have a job, and if all bees do not do their job, all bees die.

What does the stone wall symbolize in The Secret Life of Bees?

It’s clear that the stone wall symbolizes the slow, sad accumulation of pain in May’s mind, and indeed the potential for suffering to build up in anyone’s psychology.

How is may like Lily’s mother in regards to bugs?

How is May like Lily’s mother in regards to bugs? May doesn’t like to kill bugs and she puts them outside.

What does the lady of chains symbolize?

Our Lady of Chains Statue On another lever, this statue (or Mary) represents all women’s need for a mother–or for guidance and strength. Our Lady of Chains is mother and queen to the women in the novel. Mary is frequently called “The Queen of Heaven” and as their “queen,” Mary provides a guiding force for the women.