Christian Turiello

Ms. David
HELA 10
5/14/2016

In The secret Life of Bees, Lily transcends the time period by doing things that are not
considered social norms during the 1960s. In the novel, Lily transcends the time period by being
a white girl living in a house full of black women, having a relationship with a black boy, and
taking part in a religious sect which otherwise is seen as different in the south for the time.
In the story, Lily and Rosaleen make their way to the Boatwright house, which consists of
black sisters named May, August, and June. Lily, being white, would be seen as crazy or much
different than normal white southerner, but she is just way ahead of the social norms. She is
ahead because in todays time, people wouldnt see living with black women as odd, but in the
1960s, her living there would be considered unorthodox. When Lily walked into town with
Rosaleen, the men who beat her, criticized Lily for being around a black woman. Another
example is when the police show up after May commits suicide. The police question why a white
girl is living in a house full of black women. These events prove that Lily breaks the social
norms of her time period by living in the Boatwright house and being close to Rosaleen. The
events show how far ahead Lily is in dealing with black people compared to other white people
in the south during this time. When living in the Boatwright house, Lily starts to build a
relationship with a black boy named Zach.
Lily has a relationship with Zach, a black boy, and this transcends the time period. In the
story, Lily gets closer to a black boy, they kiss and he gives her his dog tags to make sure she
remembers him after he goes to school. Although Lily still believes in the stereotypes of black
boys, like when she guessed that he wanted to be a professional football player. She changes her
mind on this stereotype because he gets mad at her for guessing something that everything
guesses because he is black. This all shows that she is way past her time period because she
doesnt see color and still forms a love based relationship with him even though she is white
and he is black. In the 1960s, just as blacks were receiving more rights due to the civil rights
movement, it would still be against social norms for a black boy and white girl to be together,
even if they have the same rights legally. This proves that Lily doesnt care about what is seen as
normal, and overpasses these views by dating black a boy. Lily also transcends the time period
by taking part in rituals that are not normal for the time period.
During the 1960s in the south of the United States, there was really only one kind of
religion, or one denomination of Christianity. In the novel, Lily takes part in a sect of
Christianity which shows that she transcends the time period by taking part in a religion that is
different, showing the religious toleration that the US has today. One of the rituals Lily takes part
in is the Lady of chains celebration. In this celebration, the women pray to a black Mary,
which would be completely against the social norms in the racist south, and Lily feels her power,
leading her to converting to the Boatwrights own religious sect. This transcends the time period
because she is taking part in a religion that would be seen as sort of sacrilegious against the
present religion in the south, but would be seen as normal in todays religious toleration in the
US.

Christian Turiello
Ms. David
HELA 10
5/14/2016

Throughout the story, Lily transcends the time period by going against the social norms
such as living with black women, as a white girl, and dating a black boy. She also takes part in
the Boatwrights own religious sect. All of these events show that she overpasses the time period
by ignoring what she is told to be wrong.