Stephanie Post 2

I chose the quote at the beginning of Chapter 6: “The queen must produce some substance that attracts the workers and that can be obtained from her only by direct contact. This substance evidently stimulates the normal working behavior in the hive. This chemical messenger has been called “queen substance.” Experiments have shown that the bees obtain it directly from the body of the queen.”
This quote was at the beginning of this chapter because the story of Our Lady of Chains was told at the Daughters of Mary church service. The queen bee in the quote represents the statue of Our Lady of Chains. The Daughters touch the heart of the statue to give them strength just as the slaves in Charleston did. The women (and Otis) need the strength and hope to keep fighting for their rights. They look for the “queen substance” in Our Lady of Chains because the statue is known for “breaking chains” and these women look at the Civil Rights Movement as their turn to break chains and make a difference in society.