AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
BENEDICTA NOVENA SHEILA PUTRI Student Number: 064214057
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
i
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
BENEDICTA NOVENA SHEILA PUTRI Student Number: 064214057
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
ii
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Yang bertandatangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma:
Nama : Benedicta Novena Sheila Putri
Nomor Mahasiswa : 064214057
Demi perkembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya berjudul:
THE INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENT ON LILY’S PERSONALITY
DEVELOPMENT IN SUE MONK KIDD’S THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES
Beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya ke internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal: 2 September 2010
Yang menyatakan
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every single moment in my life. The precious thing that I have in my life is my
Lord that always leads me to find the way to be followed.
My sweetest gratitude goes to my beloved parents. My father, Fransiscus
Johny Effendhy and my mother Theresia Maryana for their love, prayers and
patience to guide me. I would like to thank my beloved brother, Yulianus Andre
Effendhy for his support and help. I also thank my beloved friend for his support
to face the hardest time in my life.
My greatest gratitude goes to my advisor Adventina Putranti S.S, M.Hum.
for her advice, ideas, support and patience in reading and guiding my
undergraduate thesis writing. I thank my co-advisor Elisa Dwi Wardani S.S., M.
Hum. for her carefulness in reading and checking my mistakes. I also would like
to thank my academic advisor Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani S.S, M.Hum. for her
guidance along my study in English Letters Department.
I also would like to give my appreciation to all lecturers in English Letters
Department at Sanata Dharma University, to mbak Ninik at the secretariat and
also library staff for their assistance along my study.
Last but not least, I would like to thank all of my friends for their
understanding and motivation to do everything as well as I could.
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ACCEPTANCE PAGE... iii
LEMBAT PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS... iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……… v
TABLE OF CONTENTS……… vi
ABSTRACT………. vii
ABSTRAK……… viii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION……….. 1
A. Background of the Study……….. 1
B. Problem Formulation………. 3
C. Objectives of the Study………. 4
D. Definition of Terms………... 5
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW………. 6
A. Review of Related Studies……… 6
B. Review of Related Theories……….. 8
1. Theory on Character and Characterization………. 8
2. Theory on Psychology……… 10
C. Theoretical Framework………. 15
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY……….. 17
A. Object of the Study………... 17
B. Approach of the Study……….. 20
C. Method of the Study………. 21
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS……….. 23
A. The Characteristics of Lily Melissa Owens………. 23
B. The Characteristics of Minor Characters………. 29
C. Lily’s Personality Development as the Result of Minor Characters’ Influences………. 41
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION……… 61
BIBLIOGRAPHY………. 64
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Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2010.
This undergraduate thesis discusses Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees. This novel tells about the life of Lily Melissa Owens that is full of struggles to find the answer about her memory in the past and about her mother. Through Lily’s life, the writer wants to study about Lily’s personality development that is influenced by minor characters in the way she faces her problems.
There are three problems concerning Lily’s personality development. The first problem is about the characteristics of Lily Melissa Owens. The second problem is about the characteristics of minor characters. Lily’s characteristics and the minor characters’ characteristics are analyzed to get close description of their characters. The third problem is about Lily’s personality development that is influenced by minor characters. Lily’s personality development is analyzed to show Lily’s personality that develops after she got influences from minor characters.
In analyzing the data, the writer used library research to collect data related to the topic of the study. The writer applied theory on character, theory on characterization and also theory on psychology. Those relevant theories are used to analyze the novel. The approach that is used in this study is psychological approach because this is an appropriate approach to analyze personality.
viii
Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2010.
Skripsi ini mendiskusikan novel berjudul The Secret Life of Bees karya Sue Monk Kidd. Novel ini bercerita tentang kehidupan Lily Melissa Owens yang penuh dengan perjuangan untuk menemukan jawaban tentang kenangan di masa lalunya dan tentang ibunya. Melalui kehidupan Lily, penulis ingin mempelajari tentang perkembangan kepribadian Lily yang dipengaruhi oleh karakter minor dalam menghadapi permasalahannya.
Dalam skripsi ini terdapat tiga permasalahan yang berkaitan dengan perkembangan kepribadian Lily. Masalah yang pertama yaitu tentang karakteristik Lily Melissa Owens. Permasalahan yang kedua yaitu tentang karakteristik dari karakter minor. Karakteristik Lily dan karakteristik karakter minor dianalisa untuk mendapatkan gambaran yang lebih jelas tentang karakter mereka. Permasalahan yang ketiga yaitu tentang perkembangan kepribadian Lily yang dipengaruhi oleh karakter minor. Perkembangan kepribadian Lily dianalisa untuk menunjukkan kepribadian Lily yang berkembang setelah dia mendapatkan pengaruh dari karakter minor.
Dalam menganalisis data, penulis menggunakan metode penelitian pustaka untuk mengumpulkan data yang berkaitan dengan topik dari penelitian ini. Penulis mengaplikasikan teori karakter, teori karakteristik dan juga teori psikologi. Teori-teori yang sesuai tersebut digunakan untuk menganalisa novel. Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah pendekatan psikologi karena pendekatan ini sesuai untuk menganalisa tentang kepribadian.
1
This chapter consists of four parts. Those are the background of the study,
the problem formulation, the objective of the study and the definition of term. The
first part is the background of the study. In this part, the writer will explain about
the topic of the study and the reason in using the novel. In the problem
formulation, the writer presents three problems to be discussed in this study. The
objective of the study is presented after this to know the purpose of this study. The
last part is the definition of terms which presents some words that are needed to be
explained further.
A. Background of the Study
Reading a literary work can entertain the readers. The readers can get
pleasure by reading the literary work. A literary work may present a new kind of
life which has many new values. It can enrich the readers with new experience
and knowledge that they never experience in real life through the literary work.
A literary work may present a real life since according to Rene Wellek and
Austin Warren; a literary work is the imitation of life.
But, furthermore, literature ‘represents’ ‘life’; and ‘life’ is, in large measure, a social reality, even though the natural world and the inner or subjective world of the individual have also been objects of literary ‘imitation’. (Wellek and Warren, 1956:94)
If the literary work is a representation of the reality, it can be said that the
The literary work that becomes the object to be discussed in this study is
novel. According to Van De Laar and Schoonderwoerd (1957:163), a novel is a
work of art that introduces us to a living world. It resembles with the world we
live in where we are as human in nature live in it. The novel that the writer uses in
this study also represents human life.
Human in nature experiences development. There are two kinds of
development. The first is physical development and the second is psychological
development. Since the character in a literary work represents human in nature, it
means that the character in a literary work also experiences development. The
development of someone’s psychological side or someone’s personality
development is influenced by many aspects or factors in his surrounding or his
life. The character in the novel that the writer uses in this study also experiences
development. The focus on this study is on the development in the psychological
side. The writer wants to analyze the main character’s personality development.
There are many factors that can influence someone’s personality to develop. The
reason why the writer chooses this topic about personality development is the
writer wants to reveal the main character’s personality development that is
influenced by minor characters.
The novel that will be analyzed in this study entitled The Secret Life of
Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Sue Monk Kidd is an American writer. She writes
spiritual memoirs and novels. Most of her novels tell about human life. It is
enjoyable to be read but has a deep meaning. She has a desire to become a writer
people in South America that later inspired her to write this novel. This novel tells
about a fourteen years old white girl named Lily Melissa Owens who searches the
answers about her memory in the past and about her mother. When she was four
years old, she accidentally killed her mother. With the guidance of a black Mary
picture with handwriting of Tiburon S. C. behind it, Lily goes to Tiburon and
meets the Boatwright. In Tiburon, she finds all the answers that she is looking for.
This novel describes the personality on the characters in an interesting
way. This novel does not only describe Lily’s personality as the main character. It
also describes the personality of the other minor characters to support this study.
The readers can learn various personalities of human being through literary work.
The interesting point from this study is the development of the main character’s
personality to face her problems in the past as the result of minor characters’
influences. The topic about personality development is interesting to be discussed
because the readers may learn that someone’s personality development may be
influenced by minor characters. In order to analyze the topic, the writer has
formulated three problems to be discussed.
B. Problem Formulation
There are three problems that will be discussed in this study. They are
formulated as follows:
1. How is Lily Melissa Owens, in Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees,
2. How are minor characters, in Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees,
characterized?
3. How does Lily’s personality develop as the result of minor character’s
influences?
C. Objectives of the Study
The objective of this study is to answer the questions stated in the problem
formulation above.
The first objective is to reveal the characteristics of Lily in the story. The
writer will go deeper to discuss how Lily’s characteristics are described in the
story.
The second objective of this study is to reveal the characteristics of the
minor characters. There are several minor characters’ characteristics that will be
revealed to support this study.
The third objective is to see Lily’s personality development as the result of
D. Definition of Terms
There are several terms in this topic that need to be defined specifically in
order to support the analysis.
1. Influence
Hornby stated that influence is the power to affect somebody’s action,
character of beliefs, especially by providing an example for them to follow,
winning their admiration or making them afraid to disagree (1995:611).
2. Personality
According to Kalish, personality can be defined as the dynamic organization
of characteristics that lead to behavior where his or her behavior makes one
person different from others. (1973:52)
3. Development
Pikunas defined development as all processes of change which included
process of growth, maturation, learning and achievement. It is a function of
genetic and environment stimulation. (1976:22-23)
4. Personality Development
Allport, in Elizabeth B. Hurlock’s Personality Development, defines
personality development as a stage in growth of constantly changing and
evoking processes within an individual. It determines his or her uniqueness in
speech, in relation to people and things, in mannerism, in fantasy and in other
ways directed toward the specific goal to adjust to his or her environment.
6
This chapter consists of three parts. Those are review of related studies,
review of related theories and theoretical framework. Review of related studies is
presented in order to show the comment on the novel by other people and the
analysis of the same topic but different work. Review of related theories presents
the theories that will be used to analyze the novel. Theoretical framework
provides the usage of the theories that are presented in the review of related
theories.
A. Review of Related Studies
There are many people that give their comments, suggestions and
criticisms when this novel was published and read by them. Those comments,
suggestions or criticism are from articles and from sources in the internet.
Marian Powell said that this is a beautiful little reading that well worth to
be read. In her review, she put her opinion that Lily learns the truth more than she
ever wanted to know about her parents. She said that the story is interesting
because it does not stop here. The story moves on with Lily learns the truth of her
own heart. She learns to decide between a life of bitterness and anger or a life of
love, compassion and forgiveness for the adults in her world.
Marina Shemesh said that The Secret Life of Bees is about fourteen years
old Lily who is struggling with the thought that she may have killed her mother.
She said that this is a story of how a motherless Lily grows up with the vague
impression that she killed her mother is very sad. But after all, in the end, she
grows into a strong person to deal with her past life.
http://www.helium.com/items/1369184-book-reviews-thepsecret-life-of-bees-by-sue-monk-kidd
From two comments above, it is shown that this story is about Lily who
struggles to face her memory in the past that she might have killed her mother.
They also state that this story is interesting because it continues with Lily learns
many things to face her past. She finally grows into a stronger person.
Esteti Nilakandi (2009) in her undergraduate thesis analyzes Jamal Hick’s
personality development in Walter Dean Myers’ Scorpion. Her study has a similar
topic with the writer’s but she does it in different object of study. She states that
Jamal experiences unpleasant treatment and oppression from the people around
him during his young age. Finally he experiences personality development
because of adult’s influences in his surrounding.
In this study, the writer focuses on the characteristics of Lily as the main
character. The writer will also analyze the minor characters’ characteristics that
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory on Character and Characterization
In this review, the writer presents theory on character and characterization.
The theory on character gives explanation on how the characters are described in
the story and the type of the characters. The theory on the characterization gives
explanation on the ways to understand the characteristics of the character.
a. Theory on Character
A novel contains many elements. One of it is characters. There are many
characters in the novel that are presented by the author by describing their
physical or psychological appearances. The characters are described through their
behavior, their dialogue, and thought. Abrams (1981:20) defines that characters
are the persons presented on a dramatic or narrative work who are interpreted by
the reader as being endowed with moral and disposition quality that are expressed
in what they say (through dialogue), and by what they do (through action).
A novel is written to reveal characters. It means that in a novel, characters
are projected and described through the story by describing their physical and
psychological appearances. Milligan (1983:155) states that not all characters play
an important role. At least one character appears to be the center of the story.
There are two types of character based on their importance. The first is the
main/major character. The main character is the center of the story and the most
important character in the story. On the other hand, minor character appears only
b. Theory on Characterization
M. J. Murphy (1972:161-173) in his book Understanding Unseen: An
Introduction to English Poetry and Novels for Overseas Students describes nine
ways in an author’s attempt to make his characters understandable to, and come
alive for, his reader.
First is personal description. Personal description means that the author
tries to describe the character through his physical appearances. The author can
describe a person’s appearance and clothes such as his skin-color, his hair or his
face.
Second is character as seen by another. In this way, the author tries to
describe the character through the eyes and opinions of the others. Their
comments and opinions about the character can help the reader to understand the
character.
Third is speech. The author can give the reader insight into the character of
one of the person in the book through what the character says. Whenever a person
is speaking, he is giving the reader some clue to his character. (Murphy,
1972:162)
Fourth way is past life. The author can give the reader a clue that has
helped to shape a person’s character by learning about a person’s past life. This
can be done by direct comment by the author, through the person’s thought,
through the conversation or through the medium of another person.
Fifth is conversation of others. In this way, the writer gives the reader
Sixth is reaction. The readers will know a person’s character by seeing
how he reacts to various situations or events.
Seventh is direct comment. The author can describe or comment on a
character directly.
Eighth is thought. The author give the reader direct knowledge of what a
person is thinking about. In this respect, he is able to do what we cannot do in the
real life. He can tell the reader what different people are thinking. In the novel we
accept this. The reader then is in privileged position; he has, as it were, a secret
listening device plugged in to the inmost thoughts of a person in a novel.
(Murphy, 1972:171)
The last way is mannerism. The author may describe a person’s
mannerism or habits that may also tell the reader something about his character.
These are nine ways of the author’s attempt to describe the characteristics
of the character. The writer will use several of the ways to describe the
characteristics of the characters in Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees.
2. Theory on Psychology
There are two theories concerning about personality development. Those
are theory on personality development and theory on social interaction. Theory on
personality development is used to see the definition of personality. This theory
also explains about the factors that influence someone’s personality development,
theory is theory of social interaction. This theory describes the importance of
individual interaction with social environment in shaping personality.
a. Theory on Personality Development
According to Hurlock in her book Personality Development, she stated
that personality comes from Latin word, persona, which means “mask”. Among
Greeks, actors used mask to hide their identity on stage. This dramatic technique
was later adopted by the Romans to whom persona denoted ‘as one appears to
others’, not as one actually is (Hurlock, 1974:6).
Hurlock (1974:234-352) in Personality Development stated that human
life consists of two aspects, which are individual and social aspect. For the
individual aspect, it is concern with physical changes and human’s personality
development. Human personality development itself is influenced by two factors.
First is human’s early experience within family. The second factor is the
environment.
i. The Influence of Family
If we talk about family, we may directly think about father, mother
(parents) and children. Hurlock (1974:352-359) states that children get their early
experiences in the family. From these experiences, children acquire their attitudes,
values, and patterns of social behavior. The relationship between parents and
children has the influence on the personality of the children. When the children
But when the parents reject the children, in various situations, the children will
become suspicious, insecure, anxious, introverted and tense. Hurlock also states
that lack of emotional warmth will affect someone’s view toward other people.
Lack of warmth in family relationship is interpreted by most family member to
mean lack of interest and affection. It will break down respect for those in the
authority.
Kalish (1973:55) states that parents and other significant figures probably
have the greatest influence on the formation of values and attitude because first,
parents have the authority in estimating the children’s attitudes. They may give
reward for the attitudes they like or give punishment for the unacceptable
attitudes. Second, parents provide models that their children consciously and
unconsciously copy. Third, parents live in such a way that the children internalize
their values regarding education, God, humanity, and work. Moreover, parents
and other significant figures are the closest people who have interaction with
children and it is easier to take their values rather than other people’s values.
Furthermore, they say that the pattern of personality is composed of traits
which show the individual’s uniqueness as shown in his behaviors and thought.
The development of human’s personality is the most remarkable during the
childhood years and is determined largely by the parent – child relationship.
Therefore, parents are regarded as the most influential figures in shaping child’s
ii. The Influence of Environment
Someone’s personality can also be influenced by the environment where
the individual lives. Someone’s behavior and social attitudes may be influenced
by people they associate in their environment.
Carver and Scheier (1996:146) state that adults outside the home may
influence young children’s behavior and social attitudes when children associate
with them. They will strive to keep up with them, and by doing so, they develop
more mature patterns of behavior than their mates of their age. They also state that
peers also have an important influence on children. The differences in peer group
may cause people to become different. If that happens, it is an environmental
influence that is not shared by siblings.
b. Theory on Social Interaction
Erikson as quoted by Worchel and Shebilske (1989:341-342) emphasizes
the importance of individual’s interaction with social environment in shaping
personality. He divides it into eight stages as follows:
(1)Stage I (0 - 1 years old)
During this year a baby spends most of the time eating, sleeping, and
depending on his or her mother. The ability to do all these things may develop
a sense of basic trust.
(2)Stage II (2 - 3 years old)
During these years of life, the crisis of autonomy against a tendency to feel
himself. If he succeeds, he will feel proud but if he fails, he will feel ashamed
and doubtful, which lead the child to leave this stage with a sense of
insecurity.
(3)Stage III (4 -5 years old)
The ego quality of initiative enables the child to plan and set about tasks. He
begins to master skills and tries hard to perform well. The danger of this stage
is development of guilt. The child has already begun to learn what is
forbidden. However, his ambitions are unlimited and he may become
aggressive and manipulative in trying to achieve his goal.
(4)Stage IV (6 – 12 years old)
Child interest in laying is surpassed by a concern to produce and to learn how
to use the tools of work. The danger in this stage is that if the child fails to
master the tasks of school and home, this may develop a lasting sense of
inferiority.
(5)Stage V (13 – 19 years old)
This stage is just the beginning to form an identity. Adolescent begin to sense
individuality. They become aware that they have the strength to control their
own destiny and to define themselves and their goals.
(6)Stage VI (20 – 30 years old)
Young adults are ready and eager to unite their identities with those of others.
They seek relationship of intimacy – friendship and work relationship as well
commitments to others even though commitment needs some sacrifice and
compromise.
(7)Stage VII (31 – 65 years old)
This is the stage of the development of generativist. It concerns with
establishing and guiding the next generation. In general, this means that adults
want to have children to whom they can transmit their values. More broadly,
generativist, one risks stagnation, in which personality becomes impoverished
and regresses into self concern.
(8)Stage VIII (66 years – on)
People in this stage perceive that others have lived differently and they are
prepared to defend the dignity of their own life styles. One creates one’s own
life style within the culture or civilization in which one lives.
C. Theoretical Framework
In this study, the writer uses four theories to analyze the topic about
personality development. The first is theory on character by M. H. Abrams. This
theory may help the writer to understand the characteristics of Lily and the other
minor characters. The second theory of characterization by M. J. Murphy is used
to get better understanding about the characters’ personality in the novel.
The third theory is theory on personality development by Elizabeth B.
Hurlock. This theory will help the writer to see the factors that influence Lily’s
personality development. There are two factors that are presented in this review.
environment where specifically is the people who live in it. The last theory is
theory on social interaction by Erik Erikson. This theory is used to see
individual’s interaction with social interaction in shaping personality and on
making decision in Lily’s life.
17
This chapter consists of three parts. Those are object of the study,
approach of the study and method of the study. Object of the study contains the
explanation about the identity of the novel. In the approach of the study, it
discusses about the approach that is appropriate to analyze the topic. In this study,
the approach that is used is psychological approach. Methodology of the study
contains the method that the writer uses to analyze the topic.
A. Object of the Study
This novel is written by Sue Monk Kidd entitled The Secret Life of Bees. It
consists of 14 chapters. In the novel, the author presents the story on 357 pages. It
was published in 2005 by Headline Book Publishing. The Secret Life of Bees is a
novel of dramatic life of fourteen years old girl named Lily that searches the
answers about her memory in the past and about her mother.
The author, Sue Monk Kidd, was born and raised in the small town of
Sylvester, Georgia, a place that deeply influenced the writing of The Secret Life of
Bees. She wrote many novels and also memoirs. The Secret Life of Bees is a
bestseller novel in many countries. It has been sold more than 5 million copies. It
also spent over two years in The New York Times bestseller list and it has been
published in 35 countries. http://www.suemonkkidd.com/Author.aspx This novel
as International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award (Dublin, Ireland) in 2004 and
Orange Prize in England 2002. This novel is already made into a movie in
America with the casts such as Queen Latifa and Dakota Fanning.
This novel tells about a fourteen years old white girl named Lily Melissa
Owens who tries to find the answers about her memory in the past and about her
mother, Deborah Fontanel Owens. When Lily was four years old, she accidentally
killed her mother. She feels very guilty because of that memory.
Lily lives with her father that she called T. Ray in Sylvan, South Carolina.
T. Ray owns peach farm in Sylvan. Since the death of Deborah, T. Ray becomes
an abusive person especially to Lily. He often makes Lily kneels on the grits for
hours and he also uses mean and harsh words for his fourteen years old daughter.
His behavior to Lily makes Lily feels guiltier and she turns into an introverted
person. T. Ray also cares less to Lily whether to her physical appearance up to her
education. Lily becomes a lack of confidence person because she does not get
support from her only parent like the other children do.
Since the death of her mother, Lily is taken care of by Rosaleen. Rosaleen
is Owens’ black servant that used to work in T. Ray’s peach farm. Lily lives with
her mother’s belongings. One of them is a black Mary picture, mother of Jesus,
with handwriting of Tiburon S. C. behind it. Lily keeps learning about the
handwriting behind the picture. She finally finds out that it is a name of a place.
She thinks that one day she will go there like her mother did.
One day she asks Rosaleen to take her out with her to town as the gift of
journey, they meet three Niger haters that insult Rosaleen. Rosaleen defends
herself and pours juice on one of the mens’ shoes. He becomes very angry and
then he calls the police. So Lily and Rosaleen put in jail. Soon, Lily is released by
T. Ray.
When they arrive at home, they get into an argument. Finally T. Ray tells
Lily that the day her mother died, she actually wanted to leave Lily. Lily does not
believe that because she loves her mother very much. She cannot think anything
else than saves Rosaleen, the only one person who cares about her, from jail. Lily
goes back to town and saves Rosaleen. Then both of them run away to Tiburon,
the only place that Lily can remember in a hard situation. With the guidance of
black Mary picture, Lily and Rosaleen arrives in August Boatwright’s house. Lily
feels that August is the key to her mother’s world.
August lives with her sisters, June and May. August is a black woman who
owns bee farms in the county. Lily and Rosaleen stay in her house. Lily works to
help August in the bee farm. In Tiburon Lily also meets Zach, a black boy in
Lily’s age. He is August’s main worker. Along living in Tiburon, Lily does not
only learn how to keep bees but also she finds all the answers about her memory
in the past and also her mother. She finds many painful fact about her past but
finally she can face it calmly. She turns into an extroverted person that can
express her feeling. She also can open herself to other people in her surrounding.
She also becomes a confident person to face her life after she can accept her
B. Approach of the Study
In this novel, Lily experienced development in her personality. The
development of her personality is caused by the influences of minor characters. In
order to analyze Lily’s personality development, the writer applied psychological
approach.
David Daiches (1981:329-344) in his book entitled Critical Approaches to
Literature stated that psychology relates to a discussion of the stated of mind out
of which literary creation arises. It comes onto a criticism in two ways, in the
investigation of the act of creation and in the psychological study of the authors to
show the relation between their attitudes and states of mind and the special
qualities of their work. Psychological approach can be used to interpret a work of
literature such as the behavior of the characters in a novel or a play by applying
psychology theories. Dryden stated that psychology is appropriate to be used to
analyze literature because the function of literature is to provide “a just and lively
image of human nature”. Therefore, psychology is a study of certain aspects of
human character.
It is stated above that psychological approach is an approach that is used to
analyze the characters in a literary work. In this study, the writer used
psychological approach because the writer wanted to reveal the main character’s
C. Method of the Study
In order to achieve the objective of the analysis, the valid data is needed.
Therefore, the writer employed library research to collect data related to the topic
of the study. The data that the writer used was Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life
of Bees.
The writer also used some books as references. Those books are M. H.
Abrams A Glossary of Literary Terms. Ian Milligan’s The Novel in English: An
Introduction to English Poetry and the English Novel for Overseas Students.
Lawrence Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense. M. J. Murphy’s
Understanding Unseen: An Introduction to English Poetry and Novel for
Overseas Students, Elizabeth B. Hurlock’s Personality Development. Richard A.
Kalish’s The Psychological of Human Behavior. Charles S. Carver and Michael F.
Scheier’s Perspective on Personality. Stephen Worchel and Shebilske’s
Psychology: Principle and Application. The writer also browsed some
information in the internet in the relation with Sue Monk Kidd’s novel, The Secret
Life of Bees.
In analyzing the novel, there were several steps that were applied. The first
step was to read the novel several times in order to understand the story, by
focusing on the main and minor character’s characteristics and also on the
influence that later caused the personality development of the main character.
The second step was that the writer tried to formulate three problems to
analyze the topic about personality development. The next step was the writer
development of the main character that is influenced by minor characters, the
writer applied theories on character and characterization. Theory on character and
characterization was applied to reveal the charateristics of the main character and
the minor characters. After revealed the characteristics of each character, the
writer applied Hurlock’s and Erikson’s theories to analyze the personality
development of the main character. In this study, the writer used psychological
approach because the focus of this study is related to someone’s personality.
The last step was making the conclusion of the study. After answering the
questions in the problem formulation, the writer made the conclusion of the study.
23
This chapter will be divided into three parts. The first part, the writer will
analyze the characteristics of Lily Melissa Owens that are described in the story.
The second part, the writer will analyze the characteristics of the minor characters
in the story. The last part, the writer will analyze Lily’s personality development
as the result of minor character’s influences.
A. The Characteristics of Lily Melissa Owens
One of important elements in a story such as novel is the character. The
characters are described through the story by describing their physical and
psychological appearance. Not all of the characters in a story play an important
role. It means that there are a main character and the minor character. At least
there is one character that plays an important role as the center of the story.
In this study, the main character that will be discussed is Lily Melissa
Owens. Lily Melissa Owens is a fourteen years old white girl. She lives with her
father that she calls T. Ray, a peach farm owner, in Sylvan South Carolina. Her
mother name is Deborah. (p.15) She died when Lily was four years old. Lily is
accidentally shot her mother when her parents got into a fight. She feels very
guilty because of that. It is shown in the quotation below.
Since the death of her mother, Lily is taken care of by Rosaleen. Rosaleen
is Owens’ Black servant that used to work in T. Ray’s peach farm. (p.2-9)
Physically, Lily is described through her thought that she is more or less
like her mother. She is described as a thin girl with nice eyes in the next quotation.
My hair was black like my mother’s but basically a nest of cowlicks, and it worried me that I didn’t have much of a chin. I kept thinking I’d grow one the same time my breasts came in, but it didn’t work out that way. I had nice eyes, though, what you would call Sophia Loren eyes, but still, even the boys who wore their hair in ducktails dripping with Vitalis and carried combs in their shirt pockets didn’t seem attracted to me, and they were considered hard up. (p.10-11)
From the quotation above, it can be seen that Lily feels that she has many
similarities with her mother’s physical appearance since she adores her very
much. The way she adores her mother can be seen in the quotation below where
she feels that her future appearance will be fine because she has physical
similarities with her mother.
I laid the photograph beside my eight-grade picture and examined every possible similarity. She was more or less missing a chin, too, but even so, she was above-average pretty, which offered me genuine hope for my future. (p.16)
Lily is a curious person. She feels curious about her mother since her
mother died when she was only four years old. She does not have much time to
get to know her mother and she does not have many memories about her mother.
Her curiosity is shown when she asked many questions about her mother to T.
Ray like one that is stated in the quotation below.
I did manage to get a few scraps of information from him, though, such as my mother was buried in Virginia where her people came from. I got worked up at that, thinking I’d found a grandmother. (p.15)
The next quotation shows that she is not only a curious person but she is
also a determined person. One of her little memory about her mother is her
mother’s scent. She feels really curious to find out what kind of perfume that her
mother used to have. Her curiosity is shown from her act where she often goes to
perfume shop to find perfume that has similar scent with her mother’s.
The scent got laid down in me in a permanent way and had all the precision of cinnamon. I used to go regularly into the Sylvan Mercantile and smell every perfume bottle they had, trying to identify it. Every time I showed up, the perfume lady acted surprised, saying, ‘My goodness, look who’s here.’ Like I hadn’t just been there the week before and gone down the entire row of bottles. Shalimar, Chanel No. 5, White Shoulders.
I’d say, ‘You got anything new?’ She never did.
So it was a shock when I came upon the scent on my fifth-grade teacher, who said it was nothing but plain ordinary Ponds Cold Cream. (p.7)
Her curiosity is also shown when she found handwriting of Tiburon S. C.
behind a picture of black Mary in one of her mother’s belongings. She keeps
asking every possibility about Tiburon that is related with her mother. She tries to
analyze the relation between her mother and a place named Tiburon in South
Carolina. Her curiosity also shows that she is a critical person.
I would study ‘Tiburon, S.C.’ on the back of the black Mary picture, the funny slant of the lettering, and wonder what sort of place it was. I’d looked it up on the map once, and it wasn’t more than two hours away. Had my mother been there and bought this picture? I always promised myself one day, when I was grown-up enough, I would take the bus over there. I wanted to go every place she had ever been. (p.18)
Her critical side is also shown when she is attracted to a picture of black
understand how come her mother owned this kind of picture. After she analyzed it
with what she knew about Mary, mother of Jesus, she comes to a conclusion that
her mother was probably a Catholic like stated in the quotation below.
The only Mary story we talked about was the wedding story – the time she persuaded her son, practically against his will, to manufacture wine in the kitchen out of plain water. This had been a shock to me, since our church didn’t believe in wine or, for that matter, in women having a lot of say about things. All I could really figure was my mother had been mixed up with the Catholics somehow and – I have to say – this secretly thrilled me. (p.73)
Lily also feels curious about her memory in the past, especially about her
memory the day her mother died. She does not have a clear memory the day her
mother died because she was only four years old. She always wants to know the
fact whether she is the one who killed her mother or not. The way she tries to find
the answer is by reminding the sequences of events that cause the death of her
mother. She often comes to a conclusion that she is the one who killed her mother.
The way she tries to analyze with the memory that she has shows that she is a
critical person in the next quotation.
I knew that the explosion I’d heard that day had killed her. The sound still sneaked into my head once in a while and surprised me. Sometimes it seemed that when I’d held the gun there hadn’t been any noise at all, that it had come later, but other times, sitting alone on the back steps, bored and wishing for something to do, or pent up in my room on a rainy day, I felt l
had caused it, that when I’d lifted the gun, the sound had torn through the room and gouged out our hearts. (p.21)
Lily always tries to find the fact that happened in the past about the death
of her mother. One time her father told her about the truth that happened. He said
that the day her mother died she actually just came back for her things. He said
what her father told her for granted. Instead she tries to think of every possible
intention why her father told her that statement that shows she is a critical person.
How could she have left me? I stood there several minutes looking out on the world, trying to understand. Little birds were singing, so perfect. That’s when it came to me: What if my mother leaving wasn’t true? What if T. Ray had made it up to punish me? (p.51)
In this story, Lily is also a good observer. It is shown in many of her
reactions, speeches and thoughts. She is not only good in observing the situation
but also people around her. It is shown in several quotations below.
Lily lives with T. Ray for almost in the entire of her life. She knew how to
react to T. Ray because she has observed his habit. One time, T. Ray and Lily
were arguing about the name of the famous writers. Lily knew how to react to T.
Ray’s statement when he stated the wrong name.
She said a scholarship was my only hope for a future and lent me her private books for the summer. Whenever I opened one, T. Ray said, ‘Who do you think you are, Julius Shakespeare?’ The man sincerely thought that was Shakespeare’s first name, and if you think I should have corrected him, you are ignorant the art of survival. He also referred to me as Miss Brown-Nose-in-a-Book and occasionally as Miss
Emily-Big-Head-Diction. He meant Dickinson, but again, there are things you let go by. (p.20)
From the quotation above, it is shown that Lily knows how to react to T.
Ray. She remains silent because she knows if she does not, T. Ray will punish her.
The other evidence that she is a good observer is shown when she goes to
the hospital to save Rosaleen from further punishment in jail. In her journey, she
meets Brother Gerald who is sent to press charges against Rosaleen for stealing
church property.
‘Rosaleen would never steal a thing.’
‘It wasn’t like that,’ I said. ‘See, she was singing her favorite hymn, “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” I don’t believe those men are Christians, Brother Gerald, because they yelled at her to shut up with the blankety-blank Jesus tune. Rosaleen said, “You can curse me, but don’t blaspheme the Lord Jesus.” But they kept right on. So she poured the juice from her snuff cup on their shoes. Maybe she was wrong, but in her mind she was standing up for Jesus.’ I was sweating through my top and all along the backs of my thighs.
Brother Gerald dragged his teeth back and forth across his lip. I could tell he was actually weighing what I’d said. (p.56-57)
The quotation above shows that Lily knows with whom she is talking to.
She knows that she is talking to a priest. So, she directly makes that kind of story
to make Brother Gerald cancel his charges to Rosaleen.
Lily actually lies to Brother Gerald. But it does not mean that she is a liar.
In the contrary, it shows that Lily is a smart person. She can think very fast to
arrange a convincing story to make Brother Gerald believe and cancel his charges
that Rosaleen stole church properties.
The other way to see that Lily is a smart person is from her reaction. She
reacts quickly to get Rosaleen out from hospital with policeman outside
Rosaleen’s room without his knowing. The quotation below shows that Lily
thinks quickly and she knows what she needs to do.
Over on the white side of the hospital I found a pay phone next to a waiting area. I got the hospital number from Information and dialed it up, asking for the nurses’ station in the colored wing.
I cleared my throat. ‘This is the jailer’s wife over at the police station,’ I said to the girl who answered. ‘Mr Gaston wants you to send the policeman that we’ve got over there back to the station. Tell him the preacher is on his way in to sign some papers, and Mr Gaston can’t be here ‘cause he had to leave just now. So if you could tell him to get over here right away….
She repeated it all back to me, making sure she had it straight. Her sigh passed over the receiver. ‘I’ll tell him.’
In sum, Lily is a curious person because she wants to know many things
that happened in her life. She is also a critical person in the way she always
analyze everything before believe on what other people told her to do. She is also
a good observer. It can be seen from the way she reacts and talks to other people.
From the way she can think fast to face many situations, it can be seen that she is
a smart person. It means that problem formulation number one about Lily’s
characteristics is already answered.
B. The Characteristics of Minor Characters 1. Terrence Ray / T. Ray
Terrence Ray is Lily’s father. He and Lily live in Sylvan, South Carolina.
Lily preferred to call him T. Ray than Daddy because Lily feels that he cannot
give a good father figure for her.
My daddy – who I called T. Ray because ‘Daddy’ never fit him – had pulled her out of the peach orchard, where she’d worked as one of his pickers. (p.2)
T. Ray is an abusive person. He becomes an abusive person to his
daughter, Lily, after the death of his beloved wife, Deborah Owens. He often
makes Lily kneel on the grit since she was a kid. It is a form of punishment for
Lily if Lily did something that T. Ray does not like or if he considers Lily did
something wrong with his own judgment. (p.6) He is not only abusive to Lily
physically, but also orally by using mean words to his fourteen years old daughter.
It can be seen in the quotation below when T. Ray finds Lily outside the house at
He didn’t speak till we reached the kitchen and he pulled the Martha White grits from the pantry. ‘I expect this out of boys, lily – you can’s blame them – but I expect more out of you. You act no better than a slut.’
He poured a mound of grits the size of an anthill onto the pine floor. ‘Get over here and kneel down.’
I’d been kneeling on grits since I was six, but still I never got used to that powdered-glass feeling beneath my skin. I walked toward them with those tiny feather steps you expect of a girl in Japan, and lowered myself to the floor, determined not to cry, but the sting was already gathering in my eyes. (p.30)
He often takes out his anger for the death of his wife to Lily, because when
Lily was four she accidentally killed her mother. When he knows that Lily is in a
trouble and she is put in jail, T.Ray gets really angry to Lily. He is mad because
Lily makes him feels embarrass in front of his neighbors. Then he releases Lily
from jail. At home, both of them get into a fight. The argument leads them to talk
about Deborah. Finally T. Ray tells Lily the fact that happened when the day Lily
accidentally killed her mother as in the quotation below.
I ran for the bed and scrambled onto the middle of it, breathing hard. ‘My mother will never let you touch me again!’ I shouted.
‘Your mother?’ His face was bright red. ‘You think that goddamn woman gave a shit about you?’
‘My mother loved me!’ I cried.
He threw back his head and let out a forced, bitter laugh. ‘It’s – it’s not funny,’ I said.
‘Not funny?’ he yelled. ‘Not funny? Why, it’s the funniest goddamn thing I ever heard: you thinking your mother is your guardian angel.’ He laughed again. ‘The woman could have cared less about you.’
‘I hate you!’ I screamed.
That stopped his smiling instantly. He stiffed. ‘Why, you little bitch,’ he said. The color faded from his lips.
T. Ray in the quotation above states that the day Deborah died, she
actually wanted to leave Lily. His statement becomes a trigger for Lily to find out
the truth that happened in her memory in the past and about her mother.
T. Ray owns peach farm in Sylvan. He makes Lily sells his peaches after
school and in the summer holiday. Lily likes to read and write. But T. Ray does
not allow her to bring books in the peach stall or to read books in her spare time. It
is because he thinks that it will lead her to the idea of college where for T. Ray, it
wastes money for girl. It shows that T. Ray is a care less person, even for Lily’s
education and positive hobbies. It shows that he does not support Lily. Instead if
he knows that Lily reads book in her spare time, he will make her kneels on the
grits.
T. Ray refused to let me bring books out here and read, and if I smuggled one out, say, Lost Horizon, stuck under my shirt, somebody, like Mrs Watson from the next farm, would see him at church say, ‘Saw your girl in the peach stand reading up a storm. You must be proud.’ And he would half kill me.
What kind of person is against reading? I think her believed it would stir up ideas of college, which he thought a waste of money for girls, even if they did, like me, score the highest number a human being can get on their verbal aptitude test. Math aptitude is another thing, but people aren’t meant to be overly bright in everything. (p.18-19)
He does not only care less about Lily’s education, he also does not support
Lily’s goal to become a writer. Instead he often underestimates and makes a joke
on her favorite writer to show that he does not care about it at all.
Emily-Big-Head-Diction. He meant Dickinson, but again, there are things you let go by. (p.20)
From the analysis above on T. Ray’s characteristics, it can be concluded
that T. Ray is an abusive person. He is also a harsh and care less person. As a
parent, he does not give a positive support to his daughter. His characteristics are
shown from his behaviors and his speeches.
2. Rosaleen Daise
Rosaleen is Owens’ black servant. She used to work in T. Ray’s peach
farm, but after the death of Deborah, T. Ray employs Rosaleen to take care of Lily
and the household. (p.2)
Rosaleen is a caring person although she does not show it directly. It can
be seen in the quotation below where she acts that she does not care about Lily.
She often shows her care in the opposite manner.
She stared at the bee and shook her head. ‘If you get stung, don’t come whining to me,’ she said, ‘’cause I ain’t gonna care.’
That was lie.
I was the only one who knew that despite her sharp ways, her heart was more tender than a flower skin and she loved me beyond reason. I hadn’t known this until I was eight and he bought me an Easter-dyed biddy from the mercantile. I found it trembling in a corner of its pen, the color of purple grapes, with sad little eyes that cast around for its mother. Rosaleen let me bring it home, right into the living room, where I strewed a box of Quaker Oats on the floor for it to eat and she didn’t raise a word of protest. (p.13-14)
The way that Rosaleen is a caring person is also shown when she makes
friend with the Boatwright, especially with May Boatwright. She knew that May
often helps May with housework. The way that she cares to May is shown when
she willing to move and sleeps with May to accompany her. (p.160-161)
Rosaleen is also a determined person, especially on something that she
really wants. It can be seen from Lily’s opinion on her reaction. In this story,
Rosaleen wants to vote for her right. The way she gives all her effort to find the
news about the President who signed the Civil Right Act shows that she is a
determined person. It is shown in the quotation below.
It was after 6:00 P.M. when I wandered back to house from the peach stand, having sold nothing, not one peach, and found Rosaleen in the living room. Usually she would’ve gone home by now, but she was wrestling with the rabbit ears on top of the TV, trying to fix the snow on the screen. President Johnson faded in and out, lost in the blizzard. I’d never seen Rosaleen so interested in a TV show that she would exert physical energy over it. (p.24)
The next quotation also shows that she is a determined person. The way
she gives all of her effort is not only seen from the way she tries to fix the
television to get the news. It also can be seen from the way she prepares
everything. She already practices to write her name many times to vote.
Her name, Rosaleen Daise, was written twenty-five times at least down the page in large, careful cursive, like the first paper you turn in when school starts. ‘This is my practice sheet,’ she said. ‘For the Fourth of July they’re holding a voters’ rally at the colored church. I’m registered myself to vote.’ (p.33)
The other evidence that she is a determined person is shown in the final of
this story. She already experiences many hard events because she wants to vote.
She experiences life in jail, gets beaten by three men in jail and becomes a
getting better in Tiburon, she continues what she has started which is to vote for
her right. It can be seen in the quotation below.
‘You going somewhere?’ I said.
‘She sure is,’ said August, stepping into the room, smiling at Rosaleen. ‘I’m gonna finish what I have started,’ Rosaleen said, lifting her chin. ‘I’m gonna register to vote.’ (p.348)
In this story, Rosaleen also considered as a quite naïve and stubborn
person. In the journey to the city to vote, Rosaleen and Lily meets three Niger
haters that insulted her appearance for being so black. Lily already told her to
ignore them, but instead Rosaleen defends herself like stated in the next quotation.
‘Hit me,’ one of them said, and the dealer, who wore a Seed and Feed cap, slapped a card down in front of him. He looked up and saw us, Rosaleen fanning and shuffling, swaying side to side. ‘Well, look what we got coming here,’ he called out. ‘Where’re you going, nigger?’
Firecrackers made a spattering sound in the distance. ‘Keep walking,’ I whispered. ‘Don’t pay any attention.’
But Rosaleen, who had less sense than I’d dreamed, said in this tone like she was explaining something real hard to a kindergarten student, ‘I’m going to register my name so I can vote, that’s what.’ (p.38-9)
The other evidence that she is a stubborn person is shown when Rosaleen
is in jail. Those three Niger haters ask her to apologize for what she did. She
knows that if she apologizes, they will not hurt her. But instead, she keeps silent
and says nothing although they hit her so many times. It can be seen from Lily’s
thoughts about Rosaleen in the quotation below.
When her tear glands were finally exhausted, I said, ‘What happened to you?’
‘After you left, that policeman called Shoe let those men come in for their apology.’
‘They hit you again?’
I wanted those men to die in hell begging for ice water, but I felt mad at Rosaleen, too. Why could you just apologize? Then maybe Franklin Posey would let you off with just a beating. All what she’s done was guarantee they’d come back. (p.58)
It can be concluded that Rosaleen is a caring person from the way she
cares to Lily. She is also a determined and stubborn person. It can be seen from
her reactions and also from other character’s thoughts about her.
3. August Boatwright
Physhically, August is described as black person who owns bee farms in
the county. She is the owner of Black Madonna Honey Company with the picture
of black Mary, mother of Jesus. (p.114) August lives with her sisters June and
May in Tiburon, South Carolina. August used to work for Fontanel family. She
used to take care of Lily’s mother before she runs her own business. (p.304)
August is a caring and loving person. It is shown from the way she
behaves and speaks to other people. It can be seen in the quotation below when
she meets Lily and Rosaleen for the first time. She allows them to stay in her
house because she feels that she cannot let people in a trouble to stay in the
roadside.
‘I’m Lily, and that’s Rosaleen,’…..
‘We ran away from home and don’t have any place to go,’ I told her…. ‘Well, you can stay here till you figure out what to do. We can’t have you living on the side of the road,’ said August.
The intake of June’s breath nearly sucked the air from the room. ‘But August –‘
‘They’ll stay here,’ she repeated in a way that let me know who the big sister was and who the little sister was. ‘It’ll be all right. We’ve got the cots in the honey house.’
‘You’re welcome. Now sit down. I’ll get some orangeade.’ (p.89-90)
The other evidence that she is a caring and loving person can be seen from
the way she gives Lily spirit. It can also be seen from the way she cares and loves
bees as if they are human. It shows that she does not only care and love other
people but every living thing.
In this story, August is also an intelligent person. It can be seen from
Lily’s thought where she surprises that there is a black woman who is intelligent
and cultured like August.
T. Ray did not think colored women were smart. Since I want to tell the whole truth, which means the worst parts, I thought they could be smart, but not as smart as me, me being white. Lying on the cot in the honey house, though, all I could think was August is so intelligent, so cultured, and I was surprised by this. That’s what let me know I had some prejudice buried inside me. (p.97)
Through the story, it can be seen that August is a person who likes to read.
She reads many books and she knew what lies behind the story. It makes Lily
thinks that she is an intelligent person. She likes to tell story that she has read or
story that she heard from her ancient to other people that can give them inspiration
to face their problems. The way that August is an intelligent person can be seen
when August told Lily the story of Nun Beatrix who runs away because she is
tired of her chores. She tells Lily that Mary standing in for Nun Beatrix when she
runs away so that if she comes back she will not feel regret. (p.111-113) She told
this story to Lily in order to give Lily inspiration and spirit to face her problem.
From her hobby to read, she has a wide knowledge. She likes to share her
knowledge to anyone. It can be seen in the next quotation when Lily and August
feelings with words. This conversation teaches Lily to learn how to express her
feelings.
‘Did you know there are thirty-two names for love in one of the Eskimo languages?’ August said. ‘And we just have this one. We are so limited, you have to use the same word for loving Rosaleen as you do for loving a Coke with peanuts. Isn’t that a shame we don’t have more ways to say it?’ I nodded, wondering where was the limit of her knowing things. Probably one of those books she’d read after bedtime during the month of August had been about Eskimo. (p.174)
This story also shows that August is a wise person. It is shown in many of
her reaction towards situations in her life. One of the examples is when she knew
that Lily is lying about her identity so that she is allowed to stay in August’s
house. She does not directly mad and yell at Lily. Instead she tries to understand
Lily’s situation and gives Lily time to prepare herself. It can be seen in the
quotation below.
‘You know she’s lying,’ said June.
‘I know,’ August told her. ‘But they’re in some kind of trouble and need a place to stay. Who’s gonna take them if we don’t – a white girl and a Negro woman? Nobody around here.’….
‘What about this aunt she mentioned?’
‘There’s no aunt and you know it,’ said August.
June’s voice sounded exasperated. ‘What if her father didn’t die in this so-called tractor accident? Won’t he be looking for her?’
A pause followed. I crept closer to the edge of the porch. ‘I just have a feeling about this, June. Something tells me not to send her back to some place she does not want to be. Not yet, at least. She has some reason for leaving. Maybe he mistreated her. I believe we can help her.’
‘Why don’t you just ask her point-blank what kind of trouble she’s in?’ ‘Everything in time,’ August said. ‘The last thing I want is to scare her off with a lot of questions. She’ll tell us when she’s ready. Let’s be patient.’ (p.106-07)
In sum, it can be concluded that August is a caring and loving person. She
speeches. Her characteristics also can be seen from other character’s opinion
about her.
4. May Boatwright
May Boatwright is the youngest sister in the Boatwright. May is different
from other people, especially to face her sadness. She is a very sensitive person.
She cannot face a sad situation. She even cannot imagine the pain of the suffering
bugs. Every time she feels sad, she will hum ‘Oh! Susanna’.
It was Rosaleen who figured out the mystery of ‘Oh! Susanna.’ She said if you kept things on a happy note, May did fine, but bring up an unpleasant subject – like Rosaleen’s head full of stitches or the tomatoes having rot-bottom – and May would start humming ‘Oh! Susanna.’ It seemed to be her personal way of warding off crying. It worked for things like tomato rot, but not for much else. (p.104-5)
She becomes a very sensitive person because of her past. May had a twin
sister named April. They cannot be separated since they were a baby. May can
feel everything that April feels. When April was thirteen, she experienced a great
depression. She cannot hold her depression any more so she killed herself. The
death of April changes May’s life. She cannot overcome her sadness. She feels
other people sadness more than them. She feels that the misery in the world is her
burden. It can be seen in the quotation below.
I hadn’t expected that. I sucked in my breath, then left my hand go up and over my mouth.
Because of her sensitivity, May becomes a caring person. She loves and
cares everyone in her surrounding. She does not only care to other people, but to
all creatures. It is shown in her reaction every time she finds bugs inside her
house. She has a unique habit to carry insects out of the house by using dustpan.
So she can put them out alive as in the next quotation.
May didn’t allow rat traps in the house, as she couldn’t even bear the thought of a suffering rat. But what really drove Rosaleen crazy was May catching spiders and carrying them out of the house in the dustpan. I liked this about May, since it reminded me of my bug-loving mother. I went around helping May catch granddady longlegs, not just because a smashed bug could send her over the edge but because I felt I was being loyal to my mother’s wishes. (p.105)
Her life ends when she knows that Zach, August’s worker, is in jail. She
cannot stand her sadness because she cares to Zach very much like her own
brother. Finally she drowned herself in the river until she died. (p.237-239)
From the analysis above, it can be concluded that May is a very sensitive
person. She is a caring person. It can be seen from her behavior and unique habit
to save bugs.
5. Zachary Lincoln Taylor / Zach
Zach is a Black boy in Lily’s age. He lived in Tiburon, South Carolina.
Physically, Zach is described as a handsome boy. He has a built body as a result
of physical exercise. He has one-sided dimple that Lily likes. He is a cheerful
person. It can be seen in the quotation below when Lily meets Zach at the first
time.
‘I’m Zachary Taylor,’ he said.
‘Yeah, so I’ve heard.’ He fished out of dogtag suspended on a chain under his shirt and held it up to my nose. ‘See right there. Zachary Lincoln Taylor.’ He smiled then, and I saw he had a one-sided dimple. It’s a feature that has always gotten to me…..
There was nothing white about Zachary Lincoln Taylor. Even the whites of his eyes weren’t exactly white. He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist and short-cropped hair like most of the Negro boys wore, but it was his face I couldn’t help staring at. If he was shocked over me being white, I was shocked over him being handsome. (p.144)
Zach works for August as her assistant in bee farms. He also works to
deliver honey to the customers. His behavior, especially the way he works for
August shows that he is a hard worker. It is shown in the next quotation where he
shows Lily his car that he bought with his money.
‘How long have you worked here?’ I asked, happy to change the subject. ‘All through high school. I come after school when it’s not football season, every Saturday and all summer. I bought a car with the money I made last year.’
‘That Ford out there?’
‘Yeah, it’s a ’59 Ford Fairlane,’ he said. (p.146)
Zach is a smart and determined person. It can be seen in the next quotation
where Lily and Zach have a conversation. He states to Lily that he wants to
become lawyer although it is hard because he is black.
I felt embarrassed.
