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   tpisano Teacher
   Middle School

   eNotes Editor

   The Secret Life of Bees is a realistic fiction novel that is set in the Civil Rights Era. 

   Race becomes a major theme in this novel.  Much of the conflict in this novel begins when Rosaleen, Lily's caretaker, tries to register to vote.  She is harassed by a group of racists. Lily longs for a world that is not determined by race.

    The novel also focuses on loss.  Lily has lost her mother and is  desperate to learn more about her.  As she tries, she learns a lot about life and the importance of female compaionship. The community that she finds, including Rosaleen, help her to stand up against her father at the end of the novel.

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   http://www.enotes.com/secret-life-bees/plot-summary

   http://www.enotes.com/secret-life-bees/themes

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   Posted by tpisano on Sunday November 16, 2008 at 11:43 AM