key+turning+points


 * __Lily's birthday/Rosaleen is arrested__**

The first key turning point in the Secret Life of Bees is when it is Lily's birthday, but in the Owen's household it is not a significant day, so Lily goes into town with Rosaleen. As they come into the shops they come across three older men who start calling Rosaleen names because of her colour and race. Rosaleen doesn't take one second of it and ends up tipping her snuff juice onto their shoes. When they try and force her to apologize, Rosaleen and Lily end up in jail, but Lily is soon picked up by her father, T-Ray. When Lily arrives home she is instantly heavily punished because of her actions and is then sent to her room. Lily then sits in her room and thinks that she has to get Rosaleen out, so she finally decides to stand up to T-Ray, but it doesn't go according to plan so when he leaves the house for a little while Lily packs some things and runs away to help set Rosaleen free.


 * __Lily and Rosaleen fight__**

Another turning point in the novel is when Rosaleen and Lily are on their way to Tiburon to find out about Lily's mother. Rosaleen and Lily start to have a small argument about why Lily got Rosaleen out of jail but now does not have a plan to get them there. Rosaleen is then wondering why they both are not going back to the Owen's house as well. Lily then turns around and calls Rosaleen a 'Nigga' and some other racist names. This is a turning point because Lily has always respected Rosaleen, and has also defended her whenever somebody has tries to put her down, so when Lily started calling her names it was a change in morals for Lily.


 * __Lily meets Zach__**

Another turning point is when Lily first meets Zach, and the thoughts that Lily has when she first sees that Zach is black. Lily firstly looks at Zach and says "there's definitely no white on him', which made Lily think that maybe she was being a bit too prejudice and racist. She then had a though of when she was back at her old school, how she used to laugh and treat black people so she could just fit in. She then learns to see past the colour of Zach and realizes that Zach is quite handsome, with his broad shoulders and tight chest. Lily then realizes that Zach is so handsome that it doesn't matter one bit if he is black or white.


 * __May's death__**

One of the last key turning points in the story is when May dies. This is a very sad moment because is changes a lot of lives. For August and June, who are May's sisters, they have known her their whole lives and have helped May through the good and the bad times. or May to die, it takes a lot out of August and June and it also takes a while for things to go back to normal, but that is understandable. All of them are very sad, but is some way they now feel free and relieved to know that May will always be safe. So it is a very significant moment in the book.

By Steph and Bec