As we read farther into The Secret Life of Bees more racism plays out. Surprisingly, it's not the typical stereotype people may think when they hear "racism" In the novel, the blacks are mistreated and are dealing with racism, but then the tables slightly turn onto Lily. She is a little shocked that there is some racism against her. She understands that she's white and never thought that she would actually have to deal with something like prejudice, she had always assumed that it was something that only black people had to deal with.
Lily was shocked when she overhead Augest and June talking. June has some problems with Lily and they have to do with her raced. June says ,"But she's white, Augest" (87). Lily didn't understand or accept that people could be rejected for being white. This is like a role reversal in many ways. She then understood what it felt like to be a black person and dealing with the prejudices that they dealt with every day. I believe that if many white people were able to understand what Lily felt, then maybe they'd be more accepting to African Americans instead of just putting them down with cruel segregation laws.
This role reversal is a huge connection in terms of the racism against the African American culture in America. I believe that maybe if whites were able to share the feelings that Lily did, and experience the anger that she felt, that she wasn't accepted, maybe Martin Luther King Jr., wouldn've have been thrown into jail countless times, and James Meredith could've gotten the education that he deservered at the University of Mississippi. The the great figures of the Civil Right's Movement had something called "Rightous indignation" (87) just like Lily had when hearing June, They stood up for the right's they knew they deserved but didn't have. If white's during the Civil Rights Movement took a minute and maybe put theirself in a black person's shoe dealing with racism, it may have been possible that many of the cruel crimes and violations maybe would never of happened, and black's could've segregated and lived a normal life quicker and easier, like they deserved.
Lindsey, I love the fact that you brought up the way Lily is feeling left out. I noticed this in the book too. I feel like how Lily feels is how a lot of people today feel. I find that--and I don't mean to sound stereotypical, this is merely from personal experiance--that it is okay for someone to make a racial slur and get away with it but when it is a white person, it is seen as out of line. I have been shouted at in malls and such by many ethnic groups and no one seemed to take notice. Now imagine if it was I doing the shouting at them, then i would be seen as racist. It's all such a blurry topic to me.
ReplyDeleteHow do you feel about racism and its double standards?
Everyone deals with prejudice somewhere in their lives. Some is just a lot different than others and we never really know how one feels until we are put into their shoes. Do you think that maybe most black people were racist against whites yet didn't say anything because they didn't want to start an all out war throughout racist cities?
ReplyDeletemy question is like bre's, why is it ok for dffernt races to use racial slurs towards eachther but not ok for whites to use them? no one should use them period!
ReplyDeleteyou made many good points in this blog, how lily is dealing with racial prejudice because she is the only white. it makes you think how theyfeel when the rolls are reversed.
When I found out that June was racist against white that was a real eye opener. This made me think of how racism is usually portrayed as a black person getting slurs from someone of another race. The side of white people getting slurs is not represented by the general public. This makes me think of what would Martin Luther King Jr. do he heard of white people being slured?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bree about bringing up Lily's feelings about being judged for being white. Its somewhat astonishing to me that Lily is shocked for being judged because she's white. Afterall, she is staying in a home with 3 other black women, it must be uncomfortable for both demographics. Do you think stereotyping and judging of a person for whatever reasons had become a issue in today's stociety?
ReplyDeleteI agree with your points about how if people would take the time to consider other things would be much better. But I feel like it's a little to hopeful since a sudden change in heart only occurs when the a person is emotionally hurt. And don't you think the part about the quote is that they are worried that they will be hurt not that they hate whites.
ReplyDelete