Novel 2009

The importance of mothers in The secret life of bees

In the novel “the secret life of bees” by Sue Monk Kidd, Lily is searching for her dead mother. She feels lost without a mother to lead her step by step through life. Because Lily’s mother is dead, the black house keeper Rosaleen has basically raised Lily up. She is the mother figure for Lily in the book. As the book goes on the bond between them grows stronger.

I think a mother is the most important person in someone’s life. And this is true also for Lily; the book has a really nice way of describing Lily’s longing for a mother and a mother's love. It also talks about, how little things can be so important for a child. For example the smell of your mother is something you will never forget. That is only one of a million things that makes a mother special, and that the relationship between a mother and child is so unique. “I raise my arms to her, and she picked me up, saying I was way to big a girl to hold like this, but holding me anyway". The moment she lifted me, I was wrapped in her smell”. Lily is feeling Deborah's warm and familier arms holding her, showing her a kind of love that I think only a mother is able to give her child

Lily shows a big need for a mother figure to guide her on her way through life, someone to trust, and share a secret with or just a shoulder to cry on. Describing some situations where most people would need their mother. ”The oddest thing caused me to miss her, like training bras, who was I going to ask about that? The day I was twelve and woke up with the rose-petal stain on my panties. I was so proud of that flower and I didn’t have a soul to show it to expect Rosaleen”. These are situations where it would be nice to have a mother, but still Lily is not alone. Rosaleen might not be the most supporting soul, but she does have this motherly unconditional love for Lily. Maybe Lily doesn’t realise how much of a mother Rosaleen is for her. And that is the exact reason why I think Rosaleen and Lily have this strong bond between them, they don’t know how much they really mean to each other.

” Mothers have instincts and hormones that prevent them leaving their babies.” A quoting from the book is Lily’s way of assuring that her mother would never leave her, Lily know that her mother wouldn't just leave her beliving a mother would never do such a horrible thing.

Lily and Rosaleen do not tell how much they love each other everyday, they show it through actions. And the reader can understand that Rosaleen really cares about Lily as her child. Lily gets to know this and it satifies her in a way, but still she is longing for her biological mother. She stared at the bee and shook her head “ If you get stun , don’t come whining to me “ she said, “cause I ain’t gonna care” That was a lie. I was the only one who knew that despite her sharp ways. Her heart was more tender then a flower skin and she loved me beyond reason. Lily is well aware that Rosaleen cares for her, but I t don’t think Lily knows that she love her like a mother would loves her Daughter.

The importance of a mother in "The Secret Life of Bees" is very strong for fourteen year old Lily, she is growing up without a mother and that impacts her life pretty strongly. Longing for her mothers love and to have someone there to tell her “I love you” is important for her. And more than ever she needs a mother figure to guide her through life. Although she might think she is left alone in the big world without anyone to care for her or love her, I don’t think she is right. Rosaleen enters the role as a mother figure early in Lily’s life and care for her just as much as her real mother would have done. Lily knows that Rosaleen cares for her, but it’s not enough for Lily. every girl needs a mother.