Tuesday, April 26, 2011

WHY QUOTATIONS AND WHAT DO THEY MEAN?

Epigraphs (quotations) from a book about bees is given before each of the fourteen chapters in "The Secret Life of Bees." In this way, Sue Monk Kidd weaves together the chapters and relates them back to the bee motif. They are a preview of what the following chapter contains. The epigraph in Chapter One gives the reasons as to why the queen bee is so important to the hive. Chapter One then introduces us to Lily, who is a motherless girl who is needing a mother's love.
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2 comments:

  1. EmilyMay 1, 2011 at 11:49 AM

    I noticed this, too. I think the epigraphs bring connections to the story and help the reader get a better understanding of the way Lily thinks and feels about her life and surroundings. Good observation!

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  2. Maryssa ChaplinMay 2, 2011 at 9:55 PM

    I also think that the reason Sue Monk Kidd includes them is to create an almost parallel storyline. First is the storyline of Lily, a girl who is in search of a mother figure, unloved by an abusive father, and trying to find love in unlikely places. Second is the story of the bees, as read in the epigraphs. I think all along, the epigraphs about the bees, Kidd uses as symbolism to show what is going on in the story about Lily.

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