The Secret Life of Bees, Chapters 9, 10, and 11 (Third Post)
Please respond to 3 out of the 8 prompts. In total, your responses should be 300–400 words.
Your comments should be posted by Tuesday night, November 10th, at 8:00 p.m.
1. On page 170, Lily thinks: “Every human being on the face of the earth has a steel plate in his head, but if you lie down now and then and get still as you can, it will slide open like elevator doors, letting in all the secret thoughts that have been standing around so patiently, pushing the button for a ride to the top. The real troubles in life happen when those hidden doors stay closed for too long.” What does Lily mean? What is she referring to in her life? How can students connect this quote to their own lives?
2. On page 173, Lily asks May if she ever knew a Deborah Fontanel (Lily’s mother). How is May’s response a turning point in the story? How does Lily react to her answer? Why does May suddenly need to go to her wailing wall?
3. Why do they eat seeds during the vigil? (207) What can seeds be a symbol of?
4. On page 209 Lily decides “everybody being colorless” would be better than trying to have whites get along with blacks.” Do you agree or disagree? Why? At what age do children become aware of differences? Of racial differences?
5. How is Zach changing? Why is he changing? (216)
6. Lily’s and August’s favorite dessert is peanuts in a Coke bottle. Write about your favorite dessert, or try peanuts in a Coke bottle (I have) and write about it.
7. What is Mary Day? (220) How do the Boatwright sisters celebrate it and what is its significance in the novel?
8. Explain what Zach means when he tells Lily: “That jail cell is gonna make me earn grades higher than I ever got” (230).
Prompt 4:
ReplyDeleteI do not agree with Lily. While I do think that everyone being colourless is better than racism should we fail, I also think that as a species we should learn how to fix it. If we learn how to with racism we will theoretically be able to apply what we learned to other things, including sexism and discrimination by beliefs. In an ideal world, we would fight through racism and anything else needed, getting progressively easier. We do not live in an ideal world, however, which means I have some doubt about the possibility of that. In the real world, Lily’s idea might work best. As to when children become aware of differences, it varies. I don’t think I’m wholly aware of what is going on. When children start to become aware, though, is when they start to experience it or hear about it. This could be anytime from kindergarten to 5th grade or later. It depends.
Prompt 8:
When Zach goes to jail he realizes life in prison is not what he wants. While he never particularly wanted to be a criminal, going to jail solidified his resolution. It will make him try that much harder to get better grades. Staying out of jail, especially as a black person, is very important. It will turn everyone against even more than they are, and it will be even worse because he is black. It would be best for him to get amazing grades and a decent job, just for the safety of his life.
Prompt 6:
I don’t know what my favourite dessert is. I say sugar is sugar. Having said that, I do enjoy ice cream and peanut butter squares. Food isn’t really my thing, and I don’t go searching for the tastiest thing in the world.
Sugar is sugar! Good line.
Delete1. I think what Lily means in her quote about metal plates in people’s heads is that many people often hide away their true thoughts and feelings. When they do this, the thoughts fester and become more intense until they burst out and you are forced to think about them whether you want to or not. In her case, what she has hid away behind her metal plate is her mother. She refuses to acknowledge or deeply think about her mother. She just keeps the thoughts locked away. Later in the story, she attempts to think about her mother, but she ends up locking her thoughts away once more. I feel like us students tend to stow away our thoughts and emotions more than adults or children. We are in an awkward, in-between period where we have started growing up but aren’t quite there yet. Many people around my age deal with insecurity and unwanted self-discovery, so I can imagine that many of us lock everything.
ReplyDelete2. May’s response to Lily’s question about Deborah Fontanel (Lily’s mother) is a major turning point in the story because the only reason Lily went to live with the Boatwright sisters is because of her mother. With the revelation that her mother used to stay there as well, Lily is one small step closer to figuring out her mother’s past and her connection to the Boatwright’s. Lily reacts to this knowledge with shock. Despite the fact she suspected that her mother had a connection to the three sisters, she was not prepared for the confirmation that her mother used to live with them. The fact that May goes to the wailing wall tells me that she associates Lily’s mother with something upsetting. This could mean that she knows about her death, or that she knows something Lily doesn’t.
4. I personally think that breaking down racial divisions is a good idea. We shouldn’t call people black or white, we should just call them people because that’s what they are. The only reason we mention is because of that division between people. If we viewed all people as colorless I think that it would be beneficial.
I think that children see differences at a fairly young age, especially visual differences. I think that visual racial differences will obviously be noticed at the same time, but the child will probably not care, especially if they grow up in a racially diverse community. I think the age that children see societal racial differences vary. If they are growing up in a racially diverse area, they might not notice any difference until they are a bit older. If they live in a largely mono-racial area, they might notice them sooner, or later. I think the race of the child in question also plays a large role. I would say that a black child in America is more likely to notice racial differences earlier than a white child because of the social climate and the way each race often lives and is treated.
2: Up until this point in the story, Lily didn’t say anything about her mother for fear of her true story coming out. She created a false identity so that the Boatwright sisters wouldn’t suspect anything, and she and Rosaleen wouldn’t be turned over to the police (although I think August was suspicious the whole time). When Lily asks May if she knew a Deborah Fontanel, and May says yes, Lily realizes that she wasn’t making up the connection she feels to Tiburon. Her mother was actually there, a long time ago. This interaction with May gives Lily hope, since it gets her a step closer to finding out the truth about her mother. But since May has to go to her wailing wall, there is clearly something very sad about Deborah Fontanel’s story. I’m excited to find out what happened to Lily’s mother. I think there may be some kind of connection between Deborah Fontanel and May, since just hearing the name was a trigger for May. It seems like Lily’s story is interconnected with the Boatwright sisters’ story more than she might think.
ReplyDelete6: For the past few years, for my birthday, I have made a chocolate cake with caramel cream cheese frosting. My parents think it’s a weird combination, but it’s actually really good. I love chocolate, salted caramel, and cream cheese frosting. All three of them combined is amazing. When I was little, my flavor combinations were very strange. I once had a chocolate cake with marshmallows, caramel, strawberries, coconut, gummy bears, and whipped cream. To my family’s relief, my taste has evolved into something less cloyingly sweet. My family is on the unconventional side, so we don’t have many traditions. Celebrating my birthday with the same dessert is one of the few things that stays the same every year.
8: When Zach was arrested, it gave him motivation to prove people wrong. He was disrespected because of his skin color, which made him want to show everyone that he is capable of being just as intelligent as them. He wants to be a lawyer, which was incredibly rare for a Black person in the 1960’s. He will probably have to work twice as hard as any given white person to achieve that goal, simply because he doesn’t have the same support as they would. Being in jail also made him realize that he doesn’t want to end up there ever again. It was a traumatizing experience, which I think made him afraid and also even more driven. He knows that he has to work really hard to defy the stereotype of Black people. The fear of being arrested again has made him willing to do anything he can to avoid it.
I think that dessert sounds pretty darn amazing, Ceci.
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ReplyDeletePrompt 1: I think that Lily’s analogy is something that we all feel and can relate to. With such busy lives and with everything going on. Sometimes we can get caught up in it and not think about these other “secret thoughts”. But these thoughts can be very important they are often things that you know deep down but do not want to admit. They can be thoughts that help guide you in later situations. Lily is having her own “secret thoughts” right now. She still wants her mother but she has noticed that the want is not as tense as it used to be and that the gloves that used to be her mothers are now getting too small for her. I think that Lily needs to think more about her mother. I do not think that she is letting her thoughts get as deep as they need to be. Once she allows them to get to that level she will come to a conclusion and feel much better about her whole situation.
ReplyDeletePrompt 4: I agree to a certain extent with Lily that if we viewed everyone as colorless it would be easier to make everyone get along. However, I also feel that your skin color is an important part of you. It does not make you less than anyone else but it shows your heritage. As civilized people, we should be able to see these differences, know that there, and still get along with one another.
Prompt 8: Zach says that the jail cell will make him earn the highest grades he’s ever had. I think that the jail cell will provide Zach with constant motivation. He was thrown in jail because of his skin color and this gives him the desire to prove everyone wrong. He will strive so hard to not only prove people wrong but also to stay out of jail and the best way to do this is through schooling. To get the best schooling he needs to get good grades. Zach is at a point where he is realizing the impact school can have on his life.
Nice responses here! I think you're right about Lily repressing her thoughts about her mother right now.
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DeleteI think you brought a great perspective to all of these responses, Mason. I really enjoyed reading your response to prompt one because I thought about the “metal plate” analogy slightly differently than you did. I agree that Lily doesn’t feel that need for her mother as strongly as before, but she doesn’t want to admit that to herself. I also agree that Lily could benefit from thinking more about her mother and acknowledging her emotions. If Lily bottles her emotions up for too long, it could affect her negatively in the future. I also really like what you said in your response to prompt 4. I think it would help some people get along with others if we could see everyone as “colorless,” but skin color is definitely a big part of culture as well and it can unite people. I especially love the last sentence of this prompt where you said that we should be able to look past physical differences and see everyone for who they truly are because we are “civilized people.” I think there would be a lot of benefits if everyone could act a little more “civilized.” I wasn’t sure at first what Zach meant when he said that being in jail would make him earn higher grades than ever, but I really like the way you explained it. I agree that Zach will definitely be more motivated to make a good image for himself after being in jail, and one of the best ways he can do that is by earning good grades. Overall, I think all 3 of your responses were insightful and thought-provoking.
DeleteI really like Mason’s response, she expresses that lily needs to go more into the situation. Lily needs to learn more because she doesn't know everything about it yet and it will help her feel better if she does. Lily already knows she just needs to stop deny those “secret thoughts”. Lily has many clues that her mom lived there previously, all the clues are there waiting for Lily to put them together. I also agree with Mason that to a certain extent living colorless would be easier, but like Mason stated very well, differences are a good thing and they show heritage and culture. That everyone should be treated the same but the differences about us encouraged and welcomed. The differences are what make life not boring and we can learn new things and learn about different things around the world from just talking to people. Zach uses his experience in the cell to encourage him to do more and to want more and to try hard. He got empowered by it because he realized how important his schooling and grades are. He wanted to show them wrong. Zach knew he was capable of more and wanted to do know. His experience fueled him to do that.
Delete~Mary Veracka
I really like how you worded this Mary, and the sentiment that goes with it: The differences are what make life not boring and we can learn new things and learn about different things around the world from just talking to people.
DeleteWell done.
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ReplyDeletePrompt 2:I think that in this part of the story, Lily didn’t say anything about her mother because she doesn't want anyone to know/suspect anything. She even created a different identity so that the Boatwright sisters wouldn’t figure anything out. So Rosaleen and her wouldn’t get ratted out to the police. I think when Lily asked May if she had ever heard the name “Debra Fontanel” she just wanted to know if she could talk to May and get some hope and some knowledge to figure out why her mother did what she did. In the book it says that she goes to her wailing wall. I also got the sense that she needed to go there when she heard that name. I think there must be something that May knows if she had to go to the wall. I just wonder if it's something that would help Lily.
DeletePrompt 4: I think that I agree with Lily when she says we should view people colorless and how we might get along with them better if we did. I also think that we shouldn’t because then everyone would be the same and that is so boring. Honestly I wish that this economy would allow us to just act human and not think about the color of people's skin.
Prompt 6. Lily’s and August’s favorite dessert is peanuts in a Coke bottle. Write about your favorite dessert, or try peanuts in a Coke bottle (I have) and write about it.
I don’t really have a favorite dessert but if I had to choose it would be a cake my family friends make. IT’S SO GOOD, anyway when I think of peanuts and coke I'm kind of thrown off because it just sounds gross. I am willing to try but I'm worried that it won’t be good at all and it will make me not like either of the items.
I think you made some great points in your response to prompt two. I also agree with you that it's hard to decide whether we should view people as "colorless" or not because our different backgrounds make the world more interesting and unique.
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DeleteI like Kelsey's points and question about Lily talking to May about her mother. Lily didn't want them to know about where she had come from but wanted to know about her mother. Lily had many clues that her mother lived there and had something to do with her wailing wall. Lily had many clues telling her that her mother had been there, they were staring her in the face. I really like Kelsey's views about being colorless. I think it would be better if the color didn't matter at all and we just accept differences and embrace them instead of discriminating between them. Color shouldn’t be viewed as something to discriminate on it should be used to inspire and educate. Having different cultures and beliefs and ethnicity is one thing that makes people different and it should be embraced instead of denied and used to discriminate. Coke and peanuts sound like a very interesting dessert. I agree though that peanuts and coke don’t sound good to me. It doesn’t sound good to me because I don't drink or like coke. For people that do like coke, I could see it being interesting and exciting. I wonder how that dessert mix came to be?
Delete~Mary Veracka
Mary, I like this line a lot: Color shouldn’t be viewed as something to discriminate on it should be used to inspire and educate.
DeleteWell done.
2. Throughout the story, Lily never knew much about her mother. She really only has one memory of her, from the day she died. Her father never talked about Deborah, so Lily made up certain things to make her feel closer to her. When she ran away, she decided to go to Tiburon, which was written on one of Deborah’s things. After connecting May’s method of getting bugs out of the house, with the same thing that her own mother used, she asked May if she knew a Deborah Fontanel. Because May says yes, Lily was shocked and did not know how to react. Lily did not want to tell August about her past yet, but now that she knows that her mother knew August, May, and June, she wants to know more. After talking, May goes to her wailing wall all of a sudden, and I am guessing that something bad happened when Deborah lived there. I believe that Deborah was also close to the Boatwright sisters, but something happened long ago that caused her to have to leave.
ReplyDelete4. I agree and disagree with Lily. I agree that people might be able to get along better, but also the color of someone’s skin should not make people dislike or like them. It is important for POC to be able to embrace and express their culture, and it is important to be able to remember all the hardships that they went through. White people should also get along with POC, for who they are and not only if everyone is colorless. I think that children become aware of differences at different times. For me, I think I started to become aware at maybe age 4 or 5. I do have a memory of when I was 4 or 5, asking a mother at preschool if her son was adopted because she was white and he was black. She explained to me that no, her husband was black. This helped me become more aware that people do not have to look like each other to be related. Dolls were a big part of my childhood, and I also noticed that they all generally looked like me. This made me realize that some people might not have dolls that have the same skin color as themselves. In general, I do think that children become aware of racial differences, from 4 to even 7.
6. I tried Coke with peanuts this weekend. Although it was not my favorite thing in the world, I did enjoy it. I am not a huge salty/sweet person, but I can see why Lily and August enjoy it. I shared a bottle of coke with Annie, so we poured it into a glass and added the salted peanuts in. The crunch was nice, but it was hard to swallow the soda while trying not to choke on the peanuts. I learned that taking a large sip of coke to go with the peanuts tasted better than all peanuts and little coke. Overall, I will probably not eat it again, but I did not hate it. My favorite desserts would probably be rice pudding, ice cream, and brownies. I have a large sweet tooth, but those are my all-time favorite. My mom makes really good rice pudding, and I love to eat it with vanilla ice cream. I also love ice cream, especially Ben and Jerry’s. They have great flavors, and my life goal is to try all of them. Brownies are also amazing. They are a classic, and the batter as well as it cooked is delicious. However, the only downside is that I cannot eat many of them in one sitting without feeling sick.
I love that you tried the peanuts and Coke. I personally really enjoy it. Well done.
DeletePrompt 6:
ReplyDeleteI think I have had peanuts in a coke bottle, I remember me being really young when I had eaten it , drank it ? though. I can totally understand why people like it, because it is sweet and salty. One of my favorite kinds of weird dessert creations is whipped cream, cut up strawberries, and chocolate chips. When you think of it, it sounds really good, but no one really thinks of it. I discovered it on vacation in Maine a few years back, and I was really happy when I did because it is so good together, but the chocolate chips have to be frozen. Another weird food combo that I love is cottage cheese, mini pickles, and goldfish. This to about half the population would find this nasty because of cottage cheese, and pickles, but to me it is so good. I think that it will not catch on as quickly as coke and peanuts, but it is still good.
Prompt 1:
I think that when Lily says this quote she really means and is referring to her life. She is saying that if you think about it, everyone has stuff that they keep secret and there are people out there who just never say anything, and never open up, which could kill a person if they kept everything to themselves for a long period of time. I am someone who is really open with myself and with others, but I also know people who do not tell anyone anything, and I bet it is hard for them to not be able to talk about what is going on in their head. I think that I am really lucky to have people who I can talk to about the things I am thinking. The reference that Lily made was really good, to the steel plate. I think that Lily can talk about some things but, talking about her mother is something that she keeps a secret, because she feels as though the sisters would not react the way she thinks, or if she opens to them about it, and they know her mother, they would tell her something she did not want to hear.
Prompt 4:
I will never be the person to say I don’t see color, because I do, and if I didn’t I would not see or pretend not to see the inequality of the different races. I do however wish there everyone was equal and that whatever you looked like of whoever you are, you are treated the same as everyone else. Although I know that could never happen, I wish and hope every day that maybe one day it could be, and I hope that I can help that. Kids learn from a young age about color but the way they think about it is how they are taught when they are young. Lily believes that it cannot be true that she has a crush on Zach because she was taught that black and white people cannot be together, but that is how people thought back then, because our world had not developed as much by then, but trust me, it is still developing.
It is still developing, indeed. Good observation. Not sure about the pickles, cottage cheese, and goldfish, though!
DeletePrompt 2
ReplyDeleteWhen may responded that she did in fact know Deborah Fontanel it changed a large part of the story. It revealed that Lilys mom had in fact been in that part of south virginia and had even stayed with the Boatwright sisters. This proves that lilys mom did in fact get her picture of Mary from the sisters themselves. Lily reacts with quite a bit of shock as is imaginable. We also see that it definitely makes her think about a lot of things especially how her mother also knew the sisters and also might have shared her love of bees.
Prompt 5
I think that Zach is changing in a number of ways. We saw that before he went to prison he was pretty much your average kid. He enjoyed kool aid and lounging around. He was more care free and relaxed. But after returning from prison he seemed much more adult. He was more focused on his future and less on being a kid. I think both being in prison and hearing about mays death sobered him up in a way. He now seems much more goal oriented and ready to take on the path he set for himself.
Prompt 6
I tried peanuts in a coke bottle and i could see why people like it. It is an interesting mix of both sweet and salty but i didn't like it much. It seemed more like the kind of snack that I would enjoy more int the summer. I think one of my favorite dessert was a type of lemon cheesecake that my grandmother used to always make. She would only serve it at Christmas and it was my favorite part of the holidays. She never told anyone the recipe and no-one was allowed in the kitchen when she was making it. The way she made it was perfect with just enough lemon to make your tongue feel just a little sour but with plenty of sweetness as well.
Prompt 3:
ReplyDeleteI think that the characters eat seeds at the vigil as a symbol of growth and hope. In many religions and beliefs, seeds represent life and death, moving on and growing. This makes sense in the context of the vigil, not just because May has died, but because everybody eventually has to move on from death. When someone dies, you mourn them and celebrate their life, but it can’t take over your mind forever. Eating seeds also makes sense for the vigil because, unlike funerals, vigils are held to remember the dead and pray for them, not just to mourn. They hold a sense of hope, despite somebody being dead. Like what The Daughters said about seeds keeping the dead from despairing, they represent hope for the deceased.
Prompt 4:
I disagree with Lily’s statement about how everybody being colorless would be better. I think this ties into the controversy around the statement that you hear a lot today: people claiming “not to see” color. I think this is a very lazy way of viewing race relations, especially coming from a white person. When you say you don’t see color or you wish that nobody had color, while this seems like a well-intentioned thing to say, it’s really not constructive for actually doing something about racism. It diminishes the experiences that others face based on their race and it erases culture and heritage. The first step to abolishing racism is acknowledging that racism exists, and if you don’t acknowledge that race exists, then you don’t acknowledge that racism exists. Our goal shouldn’t be a colorblind society that ignores people’s experiences because of their race, but instead a society that recognizes racism and knows how to stop it. Essentially, when you say “I don’t see race,” or “I wish race didn’t exist,” then you’re really saying “I don’t see racism,” and “I wish that meaningful backgrounds and identities didn’t exist.”
I think children become aware of differences from a young age--maybe before elementary school. Children can also pick up on racial differences when they’re pretty young, though they likely don’t learn why some people look different until later. I remember when I was maybe six or seven, I was under the impression that being “of color” just meant you spent more time in the sun and had tan skin, because I lived in an extremely white area. Not to mention I was also six years old. I didn’t even know how to pronounce “minority,” much less understand what it meant.
Prompt 6:
My favorite dessert would have to be chocolate. Any form, in anything, chocolate is my go-to. In the cabinet above my refrigerator, you’ll always find some sort of dark chocolate bar--fancy co-op chocolate, random off-brand gas station chocolate, or just a bar of plain baking chocolate. Since I'm also a little bit obsessed with eating healthy, it makes a good dessert that isn't too bad for you if you eat it in moderation. Even though I love eating plain dark chocolate, my favorite thing to make with dark chocolate is chocolate peanut butter oat squares. There are only four or five ingredients, and it sounds very simple and plain but truthfully they’re addictingly good. I could eat an entire pan of them in one sitting.
- Leo
Essentially, when you say “I don’t see race,” or “I wish race didn’t exist,” then you’re really saying “I don’t see racism,” and “I wish that meaningful backgrounds and identities didn’t exist.”
DeleteThat's very well said, Leo. Good job.
Prompt 2.
ReplyDeleteAt this point in the book, Lily is still looking for answers about her mother’s pictures. Lily has refrained from asking August about her mother in fear that August will find out her real identity and will return her to her father. When Lily catches May getting rid of the roaches using the same technique her mother used, Lily becomes extremely curious and brings up her mother. May tells Lily that Deborah Fontanel (Lily’s mother), had stayed with them years before. Quickly May starts to hum Oh Susanna and runs to her wailing wall. The Boatwright sisters seem to have known Lily’s mother and I think had a similar connection as the one they have with Lily. I think that Deborah might have been lost and had been taken in by the Boatwright family who then heard about her death years later.
Prompt 3.
The seeds that the women are eating while sitting with May is called manna. Manna is spiritual nourishment. The women said that seeds kept the living from despair. I believe this means the seeds help the people at the vigil enjoy May’s life. The seeds help them focus on something but sadness, and to look at happier times.
Prompt 6.
My favorite dessert is carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. It’s not a specialty to me in any way, it’s just really good. We used to have it for my brother’s birthday in April, but he stopped wanting it because he thinks it’s gross. Carrot cake is kind of gross because it has vegetables in it, but the cream cheese frosting makes up for it. Cream cheese frosting is so good! I tried peanuts in a coke bottle. It was crunchy soda. It wasn’t the worst thing I have ever tasted, but I can’t understand how someone could find that enjoyable. I personally really hated it.
I like your prediction about Lily's mom's connection with the Boatwright sisters. Also, I am a huge fan of carrot cake. I make it for my father's birthday every year and was so surprised to learn there were actually carrots in it when I first made it. For some reason, I just assumed they called it carrot cake because they put little frosting carrots on top and it was orange, haha.
DeletePrompt #4
ReplyDeleteLily talks about how she thinks it would be better if everyone was colorless. She thinks everyone would get along better. I understand Lily’s idea and points. I see why she would think that the world would be easier if everyone was colorless. I also think that differences are important, not to be used as a rating or a classification but as having difference and variety and not all being the same. I do understand that skin tone can change how some people treat others which is one reason I understand lily's point. In the time lily is right now racism is a lot worse than it is today. People were much more upfront about it than they are now. When everyone is younger I think a lot of differences just aren't there. I know as a kid I rarely notice gender or race or age, it was more about the person. I noticed gender and all that stuff but it didn't matter. It still doesn't matter but not the way it used to. I think little kids don’t think about that kind of stuff and going through puberty and other stuff is what changes some of those differences. I think you start to become aware of that stuff around when you're 7 or 8.
Prompt #2
While being at the honey house with August, May, and June Lily keeps finding clues that her mother had lived there or been there. When Lily finally gets the nerve to ask May if she had known Deborah fontanel. May told Lily so easy and simple that she did know her and that she lived in the honey. Lily was stunned and completely shocked. May did not continue the topic of her mother and quickly changed it. Lily had just found the answer she had been looking for all this time. Lily later tries to talk to June and August about her mother staying with them. Lily finding out this information only made Lily have more questions.
Prompt # 6
My favorite dessert has to be cheesecake. Cheesecake has more than one flavor. You can have it plain or chocolate cheesecake or strawberry or cherry. It comes in many different forms. No one in my family likes cheesecake too so if I get cheesecake it’s all to myself I don't have to share with my family. I think peanuts and coke would be interesting. I don't really like coke so I don't know if that would be something I enjoy.
~Mary Veracka
I love cheesecake, too. Good choice. Good response overall. Just remember to capitalize proper nouns.
Delete2. Although Lily fantasized about her mother’s possible relations with August, May, and June they were only just that, fantasies. When May tells her that she knew her mother, everything suddenly becomes reality for Lily. Other than T. Ray, this is the first time in her life that anyone has spoken about her mother. Lily has longed for information about her mother for her entire life, and now that she has some, it is overwhelming. Even though May did not even tell her much about her mother, Lily begins to see everything differently. She looks at the honey house floors and pictures her mother walking on them. I think by Lily being in a place where she knows her mother has been makes her feel closer to her memory.
ReplyDelete4. I agree with Lily’s sentiments for equality, however, I think she is looking at things in the wrong way. People should be allowed to celebrate their culture and be proud of their race and heretidge without the fear of discrimination. Being the same may solve some problems, but that solution would not instill real change. If everyone was colorblind society would just find other traits to oppress and define people by. What really needs to change is how people look at the world, instead of getting rid of what is causing problems that are unjust in the first place. At one point in the story Lily and Zach have a conversation that is particularly powerful to me. She starts to tell him how thing would be if she were a Negro girl and his response really struck me. He says “We can’t think about changing our skin, change the world-- that’s how we gotta think,” (216).
5. After Zach returns from jail, both Lily and the reader can see an obvious shift in him. Experiencing injustice made him more determined than ever to make his dream come true, to become a lawyer. I think he is so determined for two reasons. One is that he wants more than ever to prove to all bigots that he can and will make something of himself; that he will not allow racists, the police, or anyone else use their hate to defeat him and his dreams. The second, is the reason he wanted to become a lawyer in the first place, to change things. His drive comes from oppression because he sees the injustices in the world, and he wants to correct them. Not only for himself, but for everyone else who experience the same oppressions.
You wrote, "...his response really struck me. He says 'We can’t think about changing our skin, change the world-- that’s how we gotta think'" (216).
DeleteWell done. I think that quote stuck with me, too.
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ReplyDeletePrompt 1:
ReplyDeleteWhen Lily says that every person has a steel plate in their head, I think she means that many people only want to think about a few things at a time. For example, if something upsetting happens at someone’s house, but they still have to go to school or work, they probably won’t want to think about the thing that happened at home. The “steel plate” is blocking that thought from getting out into their regular stream of thoughts, but once they have time to think about it, their brain will let them think about it. For Lily, this steel plate is blocking all of the lies she’s told about her father and where she came from. But Lily also tries not to think about her mother’s death. She pushes the events that happened when her mother died to the back of her mind, behind the steel plate. But sometimes, when Lily is trying to fall asleep in the honey house for example, her brain lets her think about the lies she’s told, her mother’s death, and any other thoughts that she hides behind the steel plate. These thoughts are waiting, and she lets them up into her brain when she has the time and energy to think about them.
I think many students, and many people in general, often know what they want to do in a situation, but they ignore it and push that thought behind the steel door in their mind. The opinions of others often influence students’ decisions and make them question what is right. I think deep down, behind those steel doors, students know what the right thing to do is, they just have to let those thoughts slip out from behind the steel door.
Prompt 4:
I somewhat agree with Lily, that it would be beneficial in some ways if people didn't see skin color. If everyone was just blind to peoples’ racial differences, I think it would be easier for many people to get along because there wouldn’t be any racial biases. People could walk down the street and just see everyone for people, instead of seeing them as their skin color. However, race plays an important role in culture and history, and if everyone was color-blind, those positive aspects of race would be taken away along with the more negative aspects.
I think children become aware of racial differences around kindergarten age. I remember being in kindergarten and starting to realize that my skin was a different color than some of my other classmates’ skin, but I didn’t know about racism, racial discrimination, or other racial issues then. I just knew that some of my classmates looked different from me, but I didn’t think about it too much; I don’t think about it much now either. I think children start to notice general differences around that age, but they don’t really analyze them until they’re older. At that point, they can start to appreciate the differences in the people they see instead of just being “color-blind.”
Prompt 5:
Zach has changed a lot, mainly because of the time he spent in jail. Earlier in the book, before Zach went to jail, Lily wanted to date him. He told her that they couldn’t date because she is white and he is black. He knew that he could get in huge trouble for “even looking” at Lily, let alone dating her (Kidd 135). Later on Zach gets arrested and treated unfairly just because he is black. This sparks something in him and makes him very passionate about racial issues, which there are a lot of during this time period. Once Zach gets out of jail Lily tells him that she would be able date him if she were black, and instead of agreeing with Lily as he might have done before jail, Zach shushes her. He tells her that they can’t change the color of their skin and that they should try to “change the world” instead (Kidd 216). Clearly this is a big change in Zach’s perspective since he went to jail. I think when Zach went to jail he saw how cruel the world can be and how unfair things really are for black people. I like his change of thought and his new-found optimism. I think this will benefit him and help him make big changes later on in life.
Margaret, what a wonderful response to these prompts! Well done! I particularly like the connections to yourself and what you notice about students here.
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ReplyDeletePrompt 1
ReplyDeleteLilly seems to be saying in my opinion that the figurative doors in one's brain might block deep secret thoughts because of these thoughts harboring no immediate use or need. And when time is taken to slow down and focus on deeper more complex thoughts and feelings some clarity is granted to her and indeed anyone. I think she is understanding and showing with this metaphor that when these deep necessary thoughts are repressed and kept inside great problems can arise from this. I think this is generally true and I like the image she paints. I really especially like the visual and I think it helps me understand what Lily is going through. This is an example of one of the things I like about this book and its sort of poetic language and metaphors that make it a great read in my opinion.
Prompt 8
I Think that when Zach states “that jail cell is gonna make me earn grades higher than I ever got” It shows to me a conclusion he's come to within himself. I would say that this conclusion is that this bad experience in jail is going to rather than hinder him motivate him to take a better life for himself. I think what he is saying is more to himself than to Lily. I think this is almost a promise to himself and shows a very admirable character.
Prompt 6
My favorite dessert is Lady Baltimore Cake. This is a light cake and has a fruit and nut middle which can have rum to add a great flavor. It has a meringue frosting. This cake combines everything I like in cakes and with Indian or hasty pudding would be my perfect dessert. I have never tried peanuts in a coke can but would like to. I think it's an interesting idea and I might try it if I get the chance. I would be interested where this dessert comes from and its history.
Response to #1
ReplyDeleteWhen Lily said “...if you lie down now and then and get still as you can, it will slide open like elevator doors…”, she was talking about letting you and your mind take a break. While working (whether it is school work, activities, or anything really) the brain is doing its best to focus on the task at hand. After a while, our minds can get really tired and grows irate that it is doing one thing over and over again. But if we stop what we are doing, we can let our brains relax a little. For example, if I am stuck on a problem I cannot figure out I leave it alone for a little while and focus on other things that relax me and do not anger me. Then, when I return to the problem, I find it to be much easier than before and/or I have found the solution to it. I think that is also what she means by “letting in all the secret thoughts that have been standing around so patiently, pushing the button for a ride to the top.” The answers were always there, the brain just needed the extra push to catch it. But sometimes people refuse to take a break or “open the elevator doors”. These people can be mad, tired, and ignorant. I believe this relates to her life by how she has been working tirelessly with August with the bees, running away from T. Rey, trying to figure out the mystery behind her mother, and much more. All of these events and problems keep piling up and she usually has trouble focusing on her tasks or sleeping at night (the latter of the two being more prevalent in the story). I feel like that was an important part of the book because that was when Lily was just lying in the sun with only the thoughts in her head and herself. I think this quote can apply to students everywhere. While studying and doing work at home (or school), it is important to schedule breaks so you do not feel overwhelmed with work.
Response to #6
After thinking about it for a little while, my favorite dessert would have to be the vanilla cherry dip at Dairy Queen. It is a soft-serve ice cream that the worker dips in a sweet dip (No, I have absolutely no clue what it is made out of) that is a bright cherry red color. The dip hardens around the cold ice cream so when you softly bite into it, it breaks a little and you get the dip and the ice cream. Every time my family would go to Dairy Queen, I would get a vanilla kiddy cone with rainbow sprinkles. Always. Every single time. But one day, I decided to grow out of my ways and get the red ice cream I saw all of the adults eating. I think part of me wanted to seem cooler and more mature, but also I was just tired of getting the same, tiny cone. I think a reason I like it is that it is so simple. If I am in the mood for a Blizzard, I see the huge menu full of all of the options. I do not think I will ever be able to decide between an M&M’s or a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard without wishing I got the other. But sometimes, I just give up and order the Cherry Dip because I know exactly what I am getting every time. Sadly, I have not had a Cherry Dip cone in a long time. This is due to the fact that the only time we go to Dairy Queen is when we go visit Old Saybrook, Connecticut, and that the nearest Dairy Queen is in New Hampshire which is currently in the red zone and outside of Vermont. I don’t even remember when I last had it. But I think that will make it taste even better. The Cherry Dip cone is not the fanciest thing on the Dairy Queen menu, but it does make me happy.
- Saylor Billiau (Part 1)
Response to #8
DeleteWhat Zach means when he says that to Lily is that he is going to make people forget he went to jail. He means that he will work so hard, that when people think of him, they will think of a smart hardworking person and not someone who went to jail once. He will work towards very high grades to get ahead of life and leave that jail cell behind him as a thing of the past. Just a mistake he made when he was younger. I think this is an excellent mindset. Zach did not see being arrested as something that crushes his dreams, but as something that motivates him to do better. Often, people let their own mistakes and past define them and do not give themselves a second chance. June is a good example of this. It was not her fault that her fiance did not show up to the wedding, but she thinks about it every day which in turn makes her refuse any relationship with Neil. But in the end, May’s words of advice about living got through to her so she ended up accepting Neil’s proposal. That is what I think Zach is going to do. Instead of dying in the past, he wants to live in the present and succeed in the future. I feel like this is what Lily is doing too and slowly realizing. She came to Tiburon, South Carolina to run away from T. Rey and met August because she wanted to find out more about her mother. But on the way through this journey, she has met so many people she never would have gotten to meet. She also started thinking about things she never really took the time to think about. I think this is the theme of the book. “Do not let the past define who you are. Instead, let the present do that for you.”
- Saylor Billiau
(Part 2)
I used to love the cherry dip cone as a kid---and the Peanut Buster Parfait from DQ. That was amazing!
DeleteI like what you said about the brain taking a break, Saylor. I think that makes a lot of sense.