The Secret Life of Bees
Bees are an important symbol in the novel. They serve as messengers and Lily’s unspoken
guides throughout the novel; driving her forward. For every important action Lily takes in the
novel, bees and their products play a role: from realizing she is in love with Zach (when she licks
honey off his fingers), to realizing she loves August (when she lets the bees rest on her body).
Lily even finds the “secret life of bees” similar to her own. Their reliance on the female
community resembles her own, their industrious care for their mother, their continuous ability
to keep working and their ability to survive all inspire Lily.
With this in mind, for each character below, identify 3 – 5 of their character traits and draw or
identify a symbol which you feel represents them based on your description.
Character Name
Lily Melissa Owens
Terrance Ray Owens
Deborah Fontanel
Rosaleen Daise
August Boatwright
June Boatwright
May Boatwright
Zachary Taylor
Character Traits
Example/Page
Symbol
Zachary Taylor
Neil
Clayton Forest
Franklin Posey