Secret Life of Bees (Chpts. 12-14)

Pages: 232-302

Summary
When s Lily finally is able to talk to August about her mother pieces of the puzzle come together. August had been Deborah’s nanny when she was younger. June didn’t like Deborah either because August had to wait on her so she didn’t like Lily either. T. Ray had loved her mother but she didn’t feel as strongly for him as he did for her. After becoming pregnant with T. Ray she gets bored with her life there and hits depression. She decides to go visit August for a while leaving Lily behind which angered Lily when she found this out. Doctors suggested that she went to a mental institution but she started to get better while she was away. Deborah then decides to go back for Lily and leave T. Ray to go live with August because she couldn’t take it anymore and that’s when the accident happens. After knowing about all of this Lily hates her mother and takes a while to reflect over things. When she gets back to her old self T. Ray finds her in August’s house while August was out in the bee house. Lily told T. Ray what she knew about her mother and for a while he starts speaking to Lily as if she were Deborah. When August comes in the house with backup T. Ray lets Lily stay and he leaves.

Quote
“They are the moons shinning over me” (Kidd 302).

Reaction
This is in the end when Lily is talking about Mary. I think this part shows how she has found herself. This is when she finally feels loved because she talks about having more mothers than any other girl. I think this also when she realizes that Mary is something that’s inside of you and that there’s a Mary inside of everyone.