Student Question
Who caused Rosaleen's head injury in The Secret Life of Bees and why?
Quick answer:
Rosaleen's head injury is caused by a white man who attacks her with a flashlight after she stands up to racial slurs by pouring snuff juice on their shoes. This occurs when Rosaleen and Lily are taken to the police station, highlighting the racial tensions and injustices of the time. The incident serves as a pivotal moment for Lily, who begins to understand the harsh realities of racial discrimination.
When Lily and Rosaleen arrive in Sylvan, they encounter some white men playing cards. When they yell racial slurs at Rosaleen, she stands up to them (pouring snuff juice across their shoes in decorative loops) and is arrested for assault, theft, and disturbing the peace.
Mr. Gatson takes Rosaleen and Lily to the police station, and when they arrive, he cuffs Rosaleen's hands behind her back. As she walks toward the station, she finds that the card players are there, too. She stops, and Lily doesn't understand why. In her innocence, Lily assumes that policemen will always protect the innocent.
However, Mr. Gatson threatens to "get out [his] gun" if Rosaleen doesn't keep walking toward them, and when she does, the card dealer lifts his flashlight over his head and brings it down hard on Rosaleen's head.
She drops to her knees, and Lily's screams are stifled by Mr. Gatson as the card dealer asks Rosaleen to apologize for what she has done to him.
This scene represents Lily's awakening to how differently Rosaleen is treated in a white world.
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