I truly enjoyed this book by Kidd. The life lessons she was able to incorporate in the story was great. Her ability to incorporate the life of Bee's to life situations seems to go hand in hand and made very simple.
This story takes place in the 60's when blacks were still considered slaves and not given any rights. To live during that time would have been interesting and scary at the same time. I beleive that all people should have the same rights until they do something to lose those rights no matter what color they are. This seemed to be Lily's philosophy as well. She saw people in a different light, she saw them for the person they were not what color their skin was. During this time, it was unthought of and caused many problems for those who believed this way.
Today we don't have to think about were we go, what we say, or to who we say those comments to. Back in the time this book is written, if you were black you had to think about that for your safety as well as your families. Even when the law said you could do something it took awhile to for people to change their way of thinking. Unfortunately we still see some of this going on today. We saw this when Rosalen went to vote and ended up in jail because three white guys started verbally harassing her causing her to rebel by dumping her spit juice on their shoes. They couldn't accept that she had the right to register to vote and were going to do what they could to stop her and the law allowed it to happen. Today we see some people use the prejuidice card but is it really discrimination or is it the fact that they still feel owed by something that happened many years ago. Yes it was horrible but are they doing something to help the situation and are they doing something to better themself. Lily took this discrimination and tried to better herself through the help of August and her lessons of Bee's. It helped that she had an inner strenght that she developed as a youngster when she was with T. Ray but her life is better with the Boatrights. Lily saw people for who they were and what they were like on the inside. They were people that she would die for and beleived in.
Society was telling her to do one thing and her heart was telling something different. T. Ray isolated Lily when she was with him making her work the stand and dress differently causing her peers to isolate her even more. They never invited her to any gatherings which caused her to feel unworthy. T. Ray used his power over Lily to controll her. It was this power that gave Lily the inner strength to escape and free the one person that showed her any love and to find the one person who knew her mother - the one person she so desparately wanted to know. This time with August allowed Lily to find a family that loved her for who she was no matter what color she was.
Twelve Sharp
17 years ago
2 comments:
I think you raise a very touchy and interesting topic. Some people I have met feel they are "owed" something, and are very protective of their race. I think it is also interesting that sometimes they seem to discriminate against others who are lighter skin. I saw that in college. I think it boils down to pride in their heritage. I also think the idea of everyone having the same rights is coming back into light, especially with the presidential election and the idea of immigrant and homosexual rights. I think those things will be up for debate sooner than we think.
It is interesting that you mention how different the world is today in regards to racism. I spent this weekend at a family reunion in central Kansas and was reminded of how much further we have to go with the issue of racism. I mention Central Kansas not because it is worse here but because I was with people who have known me all my life and are perfectly comfortable speaking freely in front of me. These are good people who I love and yet they make me furious. I was in an interracial relationship a few years ago that got very serious. Certain members of my family were never happy with that relationship but flat out told me that if I married him, they would not attend the wedding. I was so hurt by their stupidity.
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