The Secret Life of Bees

1
The Secret Life of Bees

• Background information

2
Novel Background

• South Carolina, 1964
• Lives on peach farm
• Mother (Deborah) dead
• Raised by father (jerk) and
• Rosaleen (stand in mother) colored woman, the
  help

3
Civil Rights

• Minorities were denied basic human rights by
  (mainly) Whites
• JFKs assassination in 63 fueled fears that the
  civil rights work he had been doing would be lost
• CRA of 1964 provided protection for black men
  from discrimination based upon race
• Expanded to protect women from discrimination
• Whites were angered racial tension mounted