Secret Life of Bees
Socratic Seminar
Directions: Take good notes that will move your discussion forward. Note page
numbers and quotes that could help add to the discussion. What questions can you
ask the group about some of the bigger ideas in the novel? Come up with your own
questions to add to the ones below.
1. Do you see any kind of progression in the novel’s treatment of death? If so
where/how?
2. The novel suggests the importance of remembering/mourning those who are gone,
but it also presents characters for whom memories of the dead become tremendous
burdens. What do you make of this divide in the novel’s presentation of death?
3. Does the novel present suffering or death as the greater evil?
4. While the topics of slavery, bigotry, and discrimination are threaded throughout
Lily’s story, the book is still truly Lily’s story. Does that reality take away from the
novel’s attempts to deal with these topics?
5. What do you make of Lily’s evolving awareness of/sensitivity to racial issues? Do
you think she “gets” the historical and political dynamics that are shaping the world
around her? How do we know?
6. The romance between Lily and Zach is over before it starts because both parties
realize the danger the relationship would pose for them (Zach in particular). Do you
think the novel’s treatment of this relationship is realistic? Problematic? Why or
why not?
7. What do you make of the fact that the novel frequently treats femininity and
maternity as interchangeable? Do you think that weakens the “girl power” message
that the novel seems to offer? Why or why not?
8. Our Lady of Chains is at once a very powerful and yet, maternal figure. What makes
her so powerful exactly?
9. For all the novel’s emphasis on mothers, the vast majority of the strong female
characters are childless, including August, who is arguably the most maternal figure
in the book. What do you make of that?
10. How are the themes of lies/deceit and storytelling linked?
11. Do you think the way Lily thinks about secrecy evolves throughout the course of the
novel? Why or why not?
12. Do you think that Lily has finally gotten the whole story about her mother’s death
when the novel ends? Why or why not?
13. The novel portrays oe as a pretty powerful force – August even seems to think that
it can fend off agitated bees. Does love allwot the characters to combat some of the
novel’s larger ills – for example, violence and racism?
14. What kinds of different loves are represented in the novel?
15. T. Ray’s love for Deborah ultimately turned into bitterness/animosity when she left
him, leaving him incapable of showing any kind of affection for his own child. How
is his love for Deborah different from other kinds of that are represented in the
novel? Why does the distinction matter?
16. At the beginning of the novel, Kidd draws an analogy between Lily’s metaphorical
imprisonment with Rosaleen’s literal one. Do you find the association problematic?
17. Deborah seemed to be suffering her own kind of imprisonment (i.e. her marriage).
How is what she experienced different from/similar to the forms of imprisonment
experienced by other characters? How do we know?
18. Why do you think Lily gets so upset when she sees Our Lady of Chains all chained
up during the Mary Day Celebrations?
Guidelines for Participants in a Socratic Seminar
1. Refer to the text when needed during the discussion. A seminar is not a test of
memory. Your goal is to understand the ideas, issues, and values reflected in the
text.
2. Do not stay confused; ask for clarification.
3. Stick to the point currently under discussion; make notes about ideas you want
to come back to.
4. Don't raise hands; take turns speaking.
5. Listen carefully.
6. Speak up so that all can hear you.
7. Talk to each other, not just to the leader or teacher.
8. Know that you are responsible for the quality of the seminar.