I have just finished the 3rd quarter of the book The Secret Life of Bees. This section had so much drama as Lily struggles to tell August about her mother, learns her mother was there and bonds with June. Yet those are only the tip of the iceberg, since in the chapter we also have Zach thrown in jail, which later leads to May's suicide.
I will admit reading of May's suicide made me tear up. I could tell it was coming from the foreshadowing shown in the line, "To this day August and June wonder how our lives would have been different if one of them had answered the phone instead of May." (Page 185) I knew what was happening and found it horrible that as a reader, there was nothing I could do to stop it. I find that a character's death in a book is always symbolic, and meaningful. As I try to find one for May's, firstly there is the obvious one, written in her suicide note, that it was here time to die, and theirs (August and June's) to live. May was obviously miserable in her life, and could no longer find joy. It was bringing down the people around her and just wasn't good. With her note, she encouraged that now her sisters can live, which they intend to follow through with, making June finally agree to marry Neil. I think it also is giving Lily a bit of a push to live her life and share the truth of her being there, with August.
For a deeper purpose of the death of May, we could bring up how Lily has truly become accustomed to her life with August and misses the routine. She has found comfort in her new home and has become a family. It is shown through the section that although August and June lost a sister, they have gained another one, by showing their love towards Rosaleen. Although it is not as much stated as Rosaleen's acceptance into the family, we see that Lily is considered also as family, through the affection of August when Lily hadn't returned when Zach got sent to jail, and June's hug towards Lily after the day with the sprinkler.
A last thing that May's death showed us is the depth of racial judgement and Lily's development. Lily has been becoming more accepting, yet when being questioned about May's death, the police officer shows his discontentment of Lily living with four, now three, black women. He says that she is making herself less valid of a person by staying with black women. Lily is shocked by this statement, which shows us her growth and how she truly isn't as prejudice as others.
No matter how horrible May's death is, it definitely is important to the story in giving us some lessons, and showing that Lily and Rosaleen truly have found a new home, which is much more loving than the house of T. Ray.
Sarah S
May 25th, 2014
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