1. Who Is Lily? How Old Is She?

Name______Mrs. Carbone and Mrs. Miller LA8 Period ______Date:______

Directions: As you read The Secret Life of Bees complete the following study guide questions.. These questions will help you remember and reflect on important plot elements from your reading. They will also help you on the reading checks and tests. Anytime you are assigned a reading, it is expected that you will complete these questions as well.

Chapter 1 1. Who is Lily? How old is she?

2. Who is Rosaleen?

3. Lily wakes up T. Ray in the middle of the night to show him something. What does she want to show him? Why?

4. What happened to Lily's mother?

5. What does Lily think will give her a "real chance" to learn how to be a beautiful, fashionable girl? Why can’t she attend this?

6. How did Lily discover Rosaleen loved her "beyond reason"?

8. What daydreams did Lily have about Rosaleen? What does this show about Lily?

1 9. Identify Deborah and tell three "scraps of information" Lily knows about her.

11. What did Lily want to be when she grew up? What did Mrs. Henry believe Lily could be?

*****12. What major event on television captures Rosaleen's total attention?*****

14. When Lily asks for the silver charm bracelet for her birthday, T. Ray just looks at her and then keeps on eating. What does this mean?

15. What did TJ assume happened when Lily slept in the orchard?

16. Why does T. Ray make Lily kneel down on the Martha White grits?

17. Why does Rosaleen want to go to town?

18. For what is Rosaleen arrested?

2 Chapter 2 1. When the dealer hits Rosaleen on the head with a flashlight and Lily screams, what is Mr. Avery Gaston's response?

2. After T. Ray gets Lily out of jail, they have a fight. What does T. Ray say to Lily that "would sink [her] forever"?

3. Where does Lily go first when she leaves home, and how does she get there?

4. Why isn't Rosaleen at the jail when Lily goes back to see her?

5. How does Lily get Rosaleen out of the hospital? (pg 19)

7. Where do Lily and Rosaleen go after they escape from the hospital? How do they get there?

8. After Lily and Rosaleen are dropped off outside of Tiburon, they have a fight and part ways for a short while. How and where do they get back together?

3 Chapter 3: 1. Lily sees something in the Frogmore Stew General Store and Restaurant that shocks her. What is this? And how does Lily react?

2. How did the storekeeper help Lily?

Chapter 4 1. When Lily first arrives at the Boatwrights' house, she looks around and comes upon the black Madonna. How does the black Madonna make Lily feel?

2A. Describe June

B. Describe May

C. Describe August

3. Lily knows her mother was from Virginia and tells August that she and Rosaleen are headed to Virginia to find her aunt there. What does August say that shocks Lily?

4. What first lets Lily know she has some prejudice buried inside herself?

4 5. What is odd about the stone wall Lily comes upon in the woods?

Chapter 5 6A. What does May do when an unpleasant topic is brought up?

6B. What is the only thing that seems to help her get over it? (where does she go?)

7. How do June and August feel about Lily and Rosaleen staying?

June August

8. For what special help did Lily pray to Mary?

9. Name the rules for "bee yard etiquette."

10. August tells Lily how May is special. Explain May’s difference in your own words.

11. Who was April, and what happened to her?

12. Describe the "wailing wall"? What is its purpose in the book?

5 13. What does Lily do at the wailing wall? Chapter 6 1. Who is Neil?

2. Why doesn’t June want to marry Neil?

3. Who are The Daughters of Mary and why do they come to the Boatwright’s house?

4. Briefly re-tell the story of Our Lady of Chains. 

5. Why does Lily faint when she goes to touch the heart of Our Lady of Chains?

6 6. Would you have tried to touch the heart? Why or why not?

Chapter 7 1. What is Lily's first impression of Zach?

2. What surprises Zach about Lily?

3. Lily tells Zach, "You've got to hear of these things before you can imagine them." What is Zach's response?

4. What feelings does Lily discover when she and Zach go into the country to harvest honey?

5. When Zach stops at a stop sign next to the Dixie Cafe, Lily declares she "will never throw rose petals to anybody." What happens next?

6. How does Lily feel about Rosaleen's moving to May's room?

7. What happens when Neil and June are picking tomatoes?

7 8. Do you think Neil responded appropriately? What would you have done?

Chapter 8 1. What does Lily learn from August while they are pasting labels on the jars of honey?

2. According to August, what is the whole problem with people?

3. Describe the relationship of the queen bee to all the other bees in the hive.

4. How does Lily feel when she and August go to collect honey, and the bees come out and fly around her? Cite the line to show this.

How she feels Cite the line (MLA)

5. Retell the news that Zach brings on the lunch feast day.

6. Who does Lily call from Mr. Forrest's office? Why?

8 7. Lily writes a letter to T. Ray then tears it up. That night, what did Lily do in the parlor?

Chapter 9 1. What is the result of Lily and June's fighting over the water sprinkler?

2. What does Lily say about people having steel plates in their heads?

3. Why is it odd that May is luring roaches out of the house with graham cracker and marshmallow crumbs?

4. According to May, who was “the sweetest thing”?

5. Explain why Zach was arrested (you can bullet point the chain of events)

6. What happens to May when she finds out about Zach's being arrested?

9 Chapter 10 1. How did May react to Zach’s arrest after she goes to the wailing wall for the last time?

2. What messages does Lily have for May during the vigil?

3. How does Zach get out of jail?

4. How does August reply when Lily asks if she believes putting black cloths over the hives will help May get to heaven?

5. Why is Lily so glad while the Daughters of Mary are holding vigil for May? (hint: Sugar-Girl says something)

6. Write the important message in May's note to August and June

10 7. What is August's advice to June after reading May's note?

Chapter 11 1. Describe “Mary Day”

2. What big event happens on the first morning of Mary Day?

3. Why does Lily leave the honey house while everyone seems to be meditating with Our Lady in Chains?

4. What promise does Zach make to Lily?

5. Do you believe Zach? Why/Why not?

11 Chapter 12 1. When Lily looks into the book called Mary Through The Ages in August's room, what most shocks her?

2. According to August, why didn’t she tell Lilly sooner about her mother?

3. Why did June treat Lily so badly when she first came to the Boatwrights' house?

4. Why did Deborah Fontanel come to Sylvan?

5. Why did Deborah marry T. Ray?

6. Why does Lily say, "I hate her" when talking about her mom?

7. What has August had to live without knowing all these years?

12 8. What are August's parting words to Lily as she stands in the doorway after putting her to bed on the night of their big conversation?

Chapter 13 1. How does Lily react when August leaves her in the honey house after their talk?

2. How does Rosaleen respond when Lily asks why she never told her about her mother?

3. Why do the Daughters of Mary rub honey all over Our Lady?

4. What does the hat box August brings to Lily in the honey house contain?

5. Why is the photograph in the hat box so important?

Chapter 14 1. How does having her mother's things and knowing the whole story affect Lily? What does she do?

13 2. Where does Rosaleen go in her new red dress with big white flowers?

3. After talking with Zach on the telephone, Lily thinks, "Both of us, it seemed like, were doomed to misery." What does she mean?

4. Lily sees August and June hugging on the floor. What does August say to June that she intends also for Lily?

5. What does August take Lily out to see first thing in the morning?

6. What happens to the bees when the queen dies?

7. What does August tell Lilly about “Our Lady” that she always wants Lily to remember?

8. How does T. Ray find Lily?

14 9. What happens in the afternoon after August had taken Lily to see the queenless colony? 10. How does T. Ray react when he finds out that Deborah had been at the Boatwrights' home when she left him?

11. T. Ray confuses Deborah and Lily. Why do you think this is?

11. What brings T. Ray back to his senses?

12. What declaration does Lily make to T. Ray?

13. Who comes to help Lily in her struggle against T. Ray?

14. How does August diffuse the situation between T. Ray and Lily?

15 15. Lily runs after T. Ray as he leaves, yelling for him to stop. What does she ask him, and what is his response?

16. Who is Becca?

17. What are Becca and Lily called at school? Why?

18. What is the closing image of the novel?

Whole Book: 1. Into which genre does this book fall and why?

2. Which historical events are the most important to know to understand the story?

3. Why do you think the book is entitled The Secret Life of Bees? Which literary element is this?