Your question relates to the importance of bees in the
novel and the way that they act as as incredibly powerful motif, in particular in
relation to the character of Lily. Let us remember that throughout the novel the bees
serve as Lily's silent mentor and guide. It is from them that she "hears" the message
that she should run away and leave T. Ray's house. Likewise, it is following the trail
of the bees and the Black Madonna that leads her to August's house and the eventual
truth about her mother. When she reaches Tiburon, she lives in the honey house and takes
up beekeeping as an occupation.
If we consider bees for one
moment, they seem to function in the novel as a symbol of sexual maturity, personal
growth and exploration, which of course parallels with the way in which Lily herself
experiences these aspects of life. What is important to note is the way that bees are
involved in every important action Lily makes in the novel, especially with regard to
her emotions. For example, when she realises that she loves August, bees rest on her
body. When she realises that she has fallen in love with Zach, she licks honey off of
his finger:
He dipped his finger into the comb and, lifting
my veil, brought it close to my lips. I opened my mouth, let his finger slide in,
sucking it clean. The sheerest smile brushed his lips, and heat rushed up my body. He
bent toward me. I wanted him to life backmy veil and kiss me, and I knew he wanted to do
it, too, by the way he fixed his eyes on mine. We stayed like that while bees swirled
around our heads with a sound like sizzling bacon a sound that no longer registered as
danger.
The secret life of
bees and the way they operate and work together likewise is something that Lily
discovers has many parallels with her own life. Their diligence and hardworking nature,
the way that they survive and care for their mother inspire Lily and the all-female
community and the way that they care for each other again parallels her own reliance and
living situation.
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