The Secret
Life of Bees
By Sue Monk Kidd
Test &
Answer
Key
The Secret Life of Bees Test
Multiple Choice
Directions: Mark the best answer on your answer sheet.
(2 points each)
1. The setting of the novel is
A. Eatonville, Florida
B. Atlanta, Georgia
C. Long Island, NY
D. Tiburon, South Carolina
2. The denouement or resolution of the novel is when
A. Lily and Zach meet.
B. T. Ray drags Lily home with him.
C. Lily remains with the Daughters of Mary.
D. Lily meets the Daughters of Mary.
3. What type of character is Neil?
A. flat, static
B. flat, dynamic
C. round, static
D. round, dynamic
4. Deborah Fontanel is described as
A. so pretty.
B. from Virginia.
C. being pregnant when she married.
D. All of the above
5. T. Ray’s main character flaw is
A. pride
B. cowardice
C. uncertainty
D. dishonesty
6. Which of the following is not a conflict in the novel?
A. isolation vs. belonging B. love vs. hate
C. man vs. nature
D. blacks vs. whites
7. What is the point of view of the narrator?
A. first person
B. third person omniscient C. third person limited
8. Which of the following adjectives does not describe Rosaleen?
A. capable B. outspoken
C. proud
D. sentimental
9. Which of the following is not a “wounded” character?
A. Clayton
B. Lily
C. May
D. T. Ray
10. At first, Zach is hesitant to kiss Lily because
A. she is white.
B. he thinks of her as a sister.
C. he does not want to have to answer to the Daughters of Mary.
D. he is too shy.
11. T. Ray treats Lily badly because
A. he blames her for her mother’s death.
B. she reminds him of Deborah.
C. he was born with a mean disposition.
D. he disapproves of her relationship with blacks.
12. “The night seemed like an inkblot I had to figure out.” What literary device is being
used in this line?
A. simile
B. onomatopoeia
C. personification
D. repetition
13. “We stayed like that while bees swirled around our heads with a sound like sizzling
bacon...” What literary device is being used in this line?
A. simile
B. onomatopoeia
C. personification
D. repetition
14. Deborah fell out of love with T. Ray
A. when she noticed the dirt under his fingernails.
B. when he stopped worshipping her.
C. when she became pregnant and had to deal with motherhood.
D. when she realized that he was not the star quarterback of the football team.
15. What type of character is April?
A. flat, static
B. flat, dynamic
C. round, static
D. round, dynamic
16. The making of honey symbolizes
A. love
B. friendship
C. growing up
D. catharsis
17. Which of the following characters represents the queen bee?
A. Rosaleen
B. August
C. May
D. June
18. Why is May unable to cope with stress in her life?
A. She suffers from physical abuse from her husband.
B. She has been sheltered from life by her parents.
C. She cannot cope with the death of her twin sister.
D. All of the above
19. “She was tall, dressed in white, wearing a pith helmet with veils that floated across
her face, settled around her shoulders, and trailed down her back. She looked like
an African bride.” Who is “she”?
A. Rosaleen
B. August
C. May
D. June
20. “I decided I would take four or five centuries to tell her about the special misery of
living with T. Ray.” This is an example of what literary device?
A. metaphor
B. hyperbole
C. flashback
D. personification
21. Which of the following statements is not true about Lily?
A. Her mother died when she was four.
B. She falls in love with someone of another race.
C. She wants to be a writer.
D. She wants to be a beekeeper.
22. By the end of the novel, Lily’s tone is
A. sarcastic
B. optimistic
C. disillusioned
D. pessimistic
Choose the letter of the person who said the quote.
A. August
B. Rosaleen
C. T. Ray
D. Lily
23. “Deborah...You’re not leaving me again.”
24. “I have more mothers than any eight girls off the street. They are the moons shining
over me.”
25. “You see, everybody needs a God who looks like them, Lily.”
Essay
Directions: Write a multi-paragraph response to one of the following questions. Support
your response with evidence from the text.
26. The novel is bildungsroman, a story about growing up. What is the most important
way that Lily grows up? What brings about this change?
27. What is the novel’s central conflict? Is the conflict resolved? Explain why or why
not.
The Secret Life of Bees Test
Multiple Choice
Directions: Mark the best answer on your answer sheet.
(2 points each)
1. The setting of the novel is
A. Eatonville, Florida
B. Atlanta, Georgia
C. Long Island, NY
D. Tiburon, South Carolina
2. The denouement or resolution of the novel is when
A. Lily and Zach meet.
B. T. Ray drags Lily home with him.
C. Lily remains with the Daughters of Mary.
D. Lily meets the Daughters of Mary.
3. What type of character is Neil?
A. flat, static
B. flat, dynamic
C. round, static
D. round, dynamic
4. Deborah Fontanel is described as
A. so pretty.
B. from Virginia.
C. being pregnant when she married.
D. All of the above
5. T. Ray’s main character flaw is
A. pride
B. cowardice
C. uncertainty
D. dishonesty
6. Which of the following is not a conflict in the novel?
A. isolation vs. belonging B. love vs. hate
C. man vs. nature
D. blacks vs. whites
7. What is the point of view of the narrator?
A. first person
B. third person omniscient C. third person limited
8. Which of the following adjectives does not describe Rosaleen?
A. capable B. outspoken
C. proud
D. sentimental
9. Which of the following is not a “wounded” character?
A. Clayton
B. Lily
C. May
D. T. Ray
10. At first, Zach is hesitant to kiss Lily because
A. she is white.
B. he thinks of her as a sister.
C. he does not want to have to answer to the Daughters of Mary.
D. he is too shy.
11. T. Ray treats Lily badly because
A. he blames her for her mother’s death.
B. she reminds him of Deborah.
C. he was born with a mean disposition.
D. he disapproves of her relationship with blacks.
12. “The night seemed like an inkblot I had to figure out.” What literary device is being
used in this line?
A. simile
B. onomatopoeia
C. personification
D. repetition
13. “We stayed like that while bees swirled around our heads with a sound like sizzling
bacon...” What literary device is being used in this line?
A. simile
B. metonomy C. personification
D. repetition
14. Deborah fell out of love with T. Ray
A. when she noticed the dirt under his fingernails.
B. when he stopped worshipping her.
C. when she became pregnant and had to deal with motherhood.
D. when she realized that he was not the star quarterback of the football team.
15. What type of character is April?
A. flat, static
B. flat, dynamic
C. round, static
D. round, dynamic
16. The making of honey symbolizes
A. love
B. friendship
C. growing up
D. catharsis
17. Which of the following characters represents the queen bee?
A. Rosaleen
B. August
C. May
D. June
18. Why is May unable to cope with stress in her life?
A. She suffers from physical abuse from her husband.
B. She has been sheltered from life by her parents.
C. She cannot cope with the death of her twin sister.
D. All of the above
19. “She was tall, dressed in white, wearing a pith helmet with veils that floated across
her face, settled around her shoulders, and trailed down her back. She looked like
an African bride.” Who is “she”?
A. Rosaleen
B. August
C. May
D. June
20. “I decided I would take four or five centuries to tell her about the special misery of
living with T. Ray.” This is an example of what literary device?
A. metaphor
B. hyperbole
C. flashback
D. personification
21. Which of the following statements is not true about Lily?
A. Her mother died when she was four.
B. She falls in love with someone of another race.
C. She wants to be a writer.
D. She wants to be a beekeeper.
22. By the end of the novel, Lily’s tone is
A. sarcastic
B. optimistic
C. disillusioned
D. pessimistic
Choose the letter of the person who said the quote.
A. August
B. Rosaleen
C. T. Ray
D. Lily
23. “Deborah...You’re not leaving me again.” C
24. “I have more mothers than any eight girls off the street. They are the moons shining
over me.” D
25. “You see, everybody needs a God who looks like them, Lily.” A
Essay
Directions: Write a multi-paragraph response to one of the following questions. Support
your response with evidence from the text.
26. The novel is bildungsroman, a story about growing up. What is the most important
way that Lily grows up? What brings about this change?
Possible responses: falls in love, becomes independent, stops longing for her
mother
27. What is the novel’s central conflict? Is the conflict resolved? Explain why or why
not.
Possible responses: T. Ray vs. Lily, blacks vs. whites, young vs. old, loneliness
vs. belonging