"The Secret Life of Bees" shows the life of a black women in Sylvan, South Carolina 1964 after the of the Civil Rights Act of president Johnson. Rosaleen Daise, a housekeeper/nanny of Lily Owens, is very determined to take a stand for her rights as an American citizen and finds herself being beaten up and harassed by three white men. Through this analysis of the, "Secret Life of Bees", it has helped me further my knowledge towards the lingering racism of the 1960's. It is 1964 in Sylvan, South Carolina and Lily Owens, a fourteen year old girl lives on a peach farm with her father and housekeeper/nanny. Her father is abusive and neglectful so her nanny, Rosaleen Daise, has been caring for her since her mother passed ten years before. One day when Rosaleen is watching the…show more content… (civil rights act, history.com)" But what the book fails to mention is "Congress expanding the act and also passing additional legislation aimed at bringing equality to African Americans, like the the Voting Rights Act of 1965. (civil rights act, history.com)" In the book, real racial aspects were described visually creating realistic events that happened during this time. The existence of racism and unfairness still lingered towards African-Americans after the passed Civil Rights Act was passed, even in government officials like police officers who ere supposed to protect every U.S. citizen. Sue Monk Kidd best illustrates this problem by describing the excessive force toward African-Americans through law enforcement and the imperious manners of white citizens surrounding them. She creates pathos by incorporating the main characters into these problems, making the reader feel an attachment towards them and raise emotion towards the topic of
