The Irrationality and Prejudice of Racism in The Secret Life Of Bees Essay Example

We know that we shouldn’t judge a person of their skin colour; as it doesn’t define them as a person. In the novel, The Secret Life Of Bees, the author Sue Monk Kidd, develops the idea of how irrational racism is and how common it is in society that they can easily criticize and discourage a person by their race. As we journey along, Lily Mellisa Owens, we’ve seen how she struggled with her own racism, June overcoming her racial stereotype towards white people, and how this affected Rosaleen and Zach because of people like Eddie Hazelwurst, who has a prejudice against coloured people.

Lily struggled with her own racism and prejudice about coloured people, in general. She never thought that a coloured woman such as August Boatwright could be so well-spoken and well-mannered, unlike Rosaleen who’s the exact opposite of that, however, when she stayed with the sisters she realized that all her life she had this built up image of coloured people as uncultured, uneducated and ill-mannered. “T.Ray did not think coloured women were smart. Since I want to tell the whole truth, which means the whole parts, I thought that they could be smart, but not as smart as me, me being white”(78). She had these stereotypical assumptions about coloured people since her whole life was built on this narrative that they couldn’t be on the same level as white people. For the first time in her life, she never felt so disparate since she never imagined that she would come to a point where she would eventually stay in a coloured person’s house. She said,” Staying in a coloured house with coloured women, eating off their dishes, lying on their sheets-it was not something I was against, but I was brand-new to it, and my skin has never felt so white to me”(78). Subsequently, there was a part in the novel where the Daughters of Mary came into their house to practice their belief in the Black Madonna, along with August, May, and June. June stopped playing the cello when Lily was just about to touch the Black Mary’s heart, and then because of that, she came to a realization that she was the odd one there and she passed out because of that. The conflicts that Lily felt about being white and the stereotypes she had known her whole life against coloured people, were not accurately right. This changed her dramatically as a character in the novel and the dynamic of her emotions showed through here, in that, we get to know her more as a character.

Lily wasn’t the only character in the novel that has her own racism, June also placed a racial stereotype against white people, for the reason that, her sister worked as a caregiver in a house that was owned by white people and she doesn’t agree with it, she channelled her anger and frustrations towards Lily because she was white and different from them.  June was against letting Lily stay in their house, as a result, June and August had a heated conversation about it. “Why don’t you just ask her point-blank what kind of trouble she’s in?” June said. “Everything’s in time,” August said. “ The last I want is to scare her off with a lot of questions. She’ll tell us when she’s ready. Let’s be patient.” June contradicted her and said, “But she’s white, August.” It’s clear how June is also racist in a way that she’ll only offer help to people she thinks are right for society to be with. On the other hand, Franklin Posey who was known to be the meanest nigger-hater in Sylvan wanted to punish Rosaleen for allegedly disrespecting him causing Rosaleen to be assaulted and be put in jail. This evidence can be supported by this quote, “You black ass is gonna apologize for one way or another”(36). This point portrayed the perspective of June Boatwright, a coloured woman and Franklin Posey, a white man being racist to the people they considered different from them. 

Society often puts stereotypes against different people of a different race, it’s deeply rooted in the prejudice and conflicts they’ve encountered with them. The most tragic thing is it never really goes away. For example, Zach and Lily couldn’t foster their newfound relationship with each other because of their differences and society would be against it. “We can’t be together, Lily, but one day, after I’ve gone away and become somebody, I’m gonna find you, and we’ll be together then”(231). In addition, after Zach spent his time in jail, it changed him drastically and it only made him more willing to achieve his goals in life, in doing so, he enrolled himself in an all-white high school. He faced endless racism there, but he still persevered and never backed down. “Becca and I watch for Zach in the lunchroom and sit with him every chance we get. We have reputations as “nigger lovers,” which is how it was put to us, and when the ignoramuses ball up their notebook paper and throw it at Zach in the hallway, which seems to be a favourite pastime between classes, Becca and I are just as likely to get popped in the head as he is. Zach says we should walk on the other side of the hall from him. We say,” Balled-up notebook paper - big deal”(301). In the same way, the policeman named Eddie Hazelwurst asked Lily why she was staying at a coloured woman’s house. “Take my advice and call your aunt and tell her to come on and get you, even if she isn’t a hundred percent well. These are coloured people here. Do you understand what I’m saying?”(198) and “I’m just saying that it’s not natural, that you shouldn’t be… well lowering yourself”(198). Eddie thought that it’s very peculiar for a white person to stay with coloured people and he has this built-up thought that coloured people are always a level below white people. Racism during that time was so severe that they can easily put labels and judgements on other people, consequently, it caused a rift between them that eventually led to more injustices in the future.

Putting racial stereotypes on individuals with such prejudice may be offensive to some people. In doing that you’re devaluing a person’s ability which discourages them. Each character in the novel overcomes their own racism towards other people and it also shows how society can inflict it on certain individuals. Sue Monk Kidd, the author portrayed both white and coloured characters in the most subtle way that you can easily disintegrate the conflicts that they have within themselves and with their environment. In conclusion, racism produces irrational and ignorant people; it fractures the unity that every racially different people built for a peaceful world and tragically, it never really goes away.