The Secret Life of Bees, The Color Purple, and The Bell Jar Finding Yourself The Secret Life of Bees, The Color Purple, and The Bell Jar

Sue Monk Kidd Born in Sylvester, Georgia, in 1948 Majored in nursing Inspired by Thoureau’s Walden and Kate Chopin’s The Awakening Enrolled in a writing class after she was married Started out as a non-fiction writer but changed to fiction when she wrote The Secret Life of Bees in 2002 Used the power and spirituality of women in many of her novels

The Secret Life of Bees 14 year old, Lilly Owens, goes on a search to find out about her mother and in reality herself Themes Feminine power is represented by four black women: Rosealeen Daise August Boatwright June Boatwright May Boatwright Controversy of black and white Dates someone of a different race Maturity Stands up to her father Grows mature enough to forgive her mother

Events Lilly runs away to find out about her mother Gains courage and independence Symbols Use bee keeping as an example to teach Lilly about love, sisterhood, and independence ''Let's imagine for the moment that we are tiny enough to follow a bee into a hive. Usually the first thing we would have to get used to is the darkness... -Exploring the World of Social Insects

Sunflower and Bees Ginette Fine Art LLC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vig6vCfXM3k

Alice Walker Born in Eatonton, Georgia in 1944 Youngest of eight children Parents believed education was very important; went to school and college Worked as a teacher, social worker, and lecturer An accomplished poet and essayist but best known for her novels Won the Pulitzer prize for The Color Purple “Don't wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get you've got to make yourself.” – Alice Walker

The Color Purple Celie is abused and undermined by her stepfather and husband Epistolary novel Dear God Letters to Nettie in Africa Themes The effect of rape and abuse “Dear God, I am fourteen years old. I have always been a good girl. Maybe you can give me a sign letting me know what is happening to me” – Celie "You better not tell nobody but God. It'd kill your mammy" - Alphonso Strong Women Shug Sofia

The letters from Nettie is what keeps her alive and her hopes up Events Celie has to find the courage to stand up to her stepfather and husband Celie takes what she learns about independence and passes it on to Squeak Symbols The letters from Nettie is what keeps her alive and her hopes up Celie making pants Form of independence

By Golden Pear Art http://thegoldenpear.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsoHqApn_4E

Sylvia Plath Born in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, in 1932 Was a perfect student and won a scholarship to Smith College and internship to work in New York Wrote 400 poems while at Smith Wrote an autobiography of her life, The Bell Jar, in 1963 Committed suicide at the age of thirty

The Bell Jar Esther Greenwood is a unhappy young women “living the life” during the 1950s Themes The uncertainty of what her life is and what it should be drives her crazy Misconception Esther seems to have everything Men push her further away Buddy Willard Doctor Gordon Events Wants to become writer Doesn’t achieve the goal of finding herself Tries to commit suicide many times Lives in a mental home…

Symbols The bell jar Perfection Represents the minuteness of her life Feels like she’s trapped inside “sour air” Perfection Envies Doreen for being perfect

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Finding Themselves The Secret Life of Bees The Color Purple Lilly runs away to find out about her mother Uses the strong, feminine power of the Boatwright sisters to gain independence The Color Purple Abused and undermined by her step father and Mr. ____ Shug is the role model that encourages Celie Celie in return helps Squeak The Bell Jar Didn’t achieve the goal of finding yourself The searching drove her insane

Similarities and Differences The protagonist of Secret Life and Color Purple both accomplish their goal They both use the feminine power around them The Bell Jar doesn’t accomplish this goal The first two characters come from abused families and Esther comes from a good family

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