Stephanie Post 1

The Secret Life of Bees takes place during the Civil Rights movement in the South. Rosaleen, Lily Owens’s black “stand-in-mother”, pours her snuff jug on three white men’s shoes. She feels the need to stand up for herself as a black women who is about to register to vote. She is feeling a bit arrogant at that moment, like no one can bring her down. The three men want to put a stop to her optimism, possibly because they feel threatened by it. During this scene, the white men are trying to hold onto the past, while Rosaleen is focusing on the future. The men want her to apologize and beg for forgiveness but she refuses, knowing that by refusing, she is keeping her dignity. This part of the story was important in displaying the tension between whites and blacks during this time.