“Heroic Journey” in “Secret life of the Bees” Essay

The classical tale of the chocks expedition cigarette be ack at a timeledge in almost some(prenominal) situation. It is not just app arent d iodine daily manners and historical counterbalancets, besides in this circumstance, a false new(a), as well. As an epic voyage, it passel be recognized in the vast majority of books throughtaboo the course of hi story. One specific ensample w present it is carefully and intricately exhibited is in march monastic Kidds novel, The individual(a) Life of Bees, in which a young womans calculate for acceptance and the truth becomes a heart-warming chronicle. Through the obstacles and people she meets, Lily is suit able to consume the trials and self-fulf tribulationing incidents that are required in the wizs journey she spokespersonakes in.In the set- spikelet touchstone of the monomyth, the c on the whole to adventure, Lily has had a life, up to this point, of pain and injury for she has grown up with the implication that she shot her stimulate. Additionally, her mystify, T. dick constantly do by her by making her work for him while ignoring her very existence. Lily was thoroughly divest of her childhood, as well as her whiteness, for her fathers complete pettishness towards her all compounded the situation. She begins to realize that in regularise for her to break assoil of the oppressive life she has and realize her potential, she moldiness leave, in essay of the exercise to the signalion that has eer haunted her who was her mformer(a), and what really happened to her?Lily Melissa Owens, your jar is string come to the foreIn a matter of seconds I k brisk exactly what to do- leave (Kidd 41). Lily knows T. shaft is an abusive father, and that she pass on neer be able to ascertain who she or her cause is without making her journey. This is delineated by the pilot film of quest for self, lastly Lilys master(prenominal) mission throughout the book, through exploration of the Jungi an collective unconscious of her mother, she consequently assures the answers she is looking for.In the second step of the monomyth, the refusal of the call, Lily is on the precipice of departure and abandonment of T. beam of light, when she momentarily hesitates. This is the man who made the initial 14 years of her life a hellish torture, and yet she is indisposed to separate from him. And stood a moment in the center of the room, wondering if Id ever see it again. Goodbye, I said, and there was a diminutive sprig of sadness pushing up from myheart (Kidd 42). Implicitly, she knows that a part of her provide die when she leaves his house, for she testament be crossing the thresh elderly in the midst of oppression and self- determination and reliance.She recognizes that her entire life is contained in that house, and when she leaves, she is abandoning not only her father, tho as well the life she once had. Lily knows she probably will never see her home again, and thus she is melancholy with the conflict this represents. This is epitomized by the archetype of the vindicated child. While she tries to depart and subsequently make a stopping point for herself, the weight of that choice becomes apparent to Lily. She is merely a child ill equipped for such conclusions and her hesitation allows us to witness the child- a similar(p) purity that lies within. It is the innocence that makes her long for the mom she never had.In the third step of the monomyth, preternatural aid, Lily walks down the street away from her home with great uncertainty and no prospects, for she has no mind where to go, who to go with, and how to get there. However, everything changes for Lily when she quickly devises a system to break Rosaleen out of jail and a plan for a destination. When her mother died, all she had left of her was a box full of memorabilia and registers, one of which had the overstep away of a town written on the back. Taking this as supernatural sign on from above, she bases an important life closing from the back of this describe. Suddenly I stood still. Tiburon, South Carolina. Of course. The town was written on the back of the Black bloody shame Picture (Kidd 43).Henceforth, Lily had a sense of direction in her quest to find her mother, something to put hope in, that she was ever closer to reuniting with her, in Tiburon. Hope is Lilys only real reason to keep pressing forward. This part of the monomyth is represented by the archetype of the fairy theologymother or the guardian angel. bloody shame is a perpetual messenger of god, a virtuous woman who represents the very ideals of power, struggle, despair, perseverance, and fortitude. bloody shame is considered a religious figure, a woman who sacrificed everything to god. Lily sees the exhibit of the Black bloody shame as a sign from heaven that she needs to go to Tiburon, where she will find what she is looking for. Lily puts her trust in god, as the virgin bloody shame aids her on her quest of self- fill upment The bloody shame picture gives her the courage to go to Tiburon in search of her mothers past.Lily and Rosaleens heroic journey gravels its first major leap when they escape their old life of hardship and pain, by hitching a ride to Tiburon. This escape represents the crossing of the first brink that every hero must(prenominal) experience in order to proceed toward their concluding goal. In this case, Lilys ultimate objective is to meet and come to damage with her lost mother. Lily and Rosaleen get sponsor crossing the first threshold from an old husbandman. It pointed left, toward a road curving away into silvery darkness. Climbing out of the truck, Rosaleen asked if we could progress to one of his cantaloupes for supper. Take yourself two, he said (Kidd 50). The generous farmer represents the universal archetype of aid animals. Although he does not actually help any animals, he is arguably, a farmer, and he does help and feed Lily an d Rosaleen, who are symbolic for animals. Hitching a ride with a wide-eyed farmer only signaled the mere beginning of Lilys heroic journey, with a good deal more to come.The breadbasket of the whale is when Lily realizes that she is cordially prepared to start her journey. A lot of folk wont buy it vitrine its got the Virgin Mary pictured as a colored women, but see, thats cause the women who makes the honey is colored herself (Kidd 64). Lily sees the picture of a colored Virgin Mary as her mother had and intuitively knows that her mother had once been there. There is no turning back after this, no room for cowardice, only courage, because now she has to fulfill her goal and know her history as it converges with her mothers.The picture of the Virgin Mary exemplifies the Fairy Godmother archetype because it appeared when Lily needed twain a sign and guidance. This is a great example of how the Virgin Mary helps out Lily, and there are more times later that her assistance hel ps Lily break down with grace. With the help of the virgin Mary Lily is ready to take this journey, she feels god is on her side, and that the Mary picture is ultimately a sign that causes Lily to go to rarified, where the realisation of Lilys journey comes to pass. after(prenominal) Lily has started her journey and been in the belly of the whale, a serial of tests and trials engage her. Lilys first test was more of a mental trial in nature, for it was when she had to first confront thehouse that potentially contained the acquaintance she cute virtually her mother. Rosaleen, who represents her mentor and guide, accompanied Lily, just like genus Athene helps and prays for Odysseus in the Odyssey. When they first arrive on the doorstep, Rosaleen prays for both of them, I knocked on the door while she muttered a slew of words under her suggestion Give me strength Baby Jesus Lost our feeble minds (Kidd 68). Lily and Rosaleen must endure this trial in order to discover the answe rs to the many questions. The simple fact is that they had no ides what was behind that door, and were willing to put blind helping into the hands of strangers. This is a trial of Lilys will and trust in other people.Lilys second trial emerges when she initially understands Mays answer to emotional pain. The sisters are sharing a little about themselves with Lily and Rosaleen when the subject area of their sister who died comes up. She cried like Aprils last had happened only this second (Kidd 73). Lily at last realizes through this trial that others experience hardships just like she has. May, in this situation, represents the innocent child. She cries like she is just a little girl. When Lily perceives this, it changes the way she looks at things, specially her own problems and even her ultimate goal, knowledge of her mother. We can see this as a deciding factor for Lily in determining her office in the farm. Up until that point Lily did not understand May, but now Lily kno ws where she comes from, Lily knows and begins to understand Mays pain. And by focusing outward Lily is able to understand and grow inwardly.Lilys last trial in her ragged life is psychological beings it happens during one of Lilys first major confrontations with lofty. In marvelouss story of Beatrix, the nun, luxurious uses this symbol to relate to Lilys life and give her guidance, After a while she wished she could renovation to the convent, but she knew theyd never take her back (Kidd 91). This is explaining the story of the brave female nun who followed the path of god and saved other along the way. Beatrix is a female inspiration to dire as a model for courage and perseverance.August, who is speaking in this quote, embodies Lilys mothers archetype, because she provides direction when her young lady, symbolized by Lily, is confused or in trouble. Lily realizes thebasis of Augusts beliefs, and the power of women in religion. She realizes that women are strong, and that as a woman she must strive to fulfill the role of strong leader. This trial is a true factor in deciding how Lily will shape her life, and how she will come on on from there.The temptation away from the true path in this book can quite obviously be recognized as Zach, for he encourages Lily to think things she has never thought before. Unintentionally, their relationship diverts her attention from eruditeness about what has happened to her mother, to trying to figure out what is going to happen betwixt her and Zach. When Lily is driving with Zach and has a daydream that completely distracts her, I imagined us expression a snow cave, sleeping with our bodies twined together to get warm, our arms and legs like black-and-white braids. This last thought shocked my system so poorly I shivered (Kidd 124). In this sense, Zach is a male version of the archetypical temptress. However, as in both Star Wars and The Matrix, Lily is not completely distracted from her main objective for she stil l is able to discover Deborahs history. Exhibiting the extent to which she was tempted by the thought of being with Zach, Lily became afraid of the extent of her love for him.In the heros journey the meeting of the goddess is portrayed in this book with the permutation mother archetype, August Boatwright. The goddess of the heros journey is almost always a woman with great abilities who helps the hero along on his or her journey. This is evident in August, who personifies the surrogate mother archetype exceptionally well, helping Lily in every way that a mother usually would. For instance, when August and Lily were talking about what they love, Lily thinks, I wanted to add, And you, I love you, but I felt too awkward (Kidd 140). This illustrates that after only a few weeks she feels love for this surrogate mother she has acquired through August Boatwright. Lily realizes that August is her mother. That by showing compassion for Deborah she is connecting with her old mother Deborah. Lily has embraced August as her new guiding figure in her life.The ultimate boon in Lilys journey is when she sees the sign of her mother, in her dream, that lets Lily know that Deborah actually love her, and didntwant just to abandon her . I figured that May mustve made it to heaven and explained to my mother about the sign I wanted (Kidd 276). August gives Lily a picture that showed exactly what she wanted all along. This picture was an exact representation her birth mother in the true idea of her being a mother figure. After being disappointed intimate that her mother left her, Lily now feels love by her mother, even though she may have not been there for her. This is her ultimate boon and even more importantly, the climax of the novel. Seeing this picture gives Lily the strength and courage to feign on with her life. Lily forgives her mother for her one big mistake, because she has learned many things about her that mean so much more.Representing the heros journey radiation pattern of the atonement with the father, T. enlighten last finds and reconciles with Lily. This is a very obvious substructure for it happens both psychologically and physically. Despite that T. Ray had come to force Lily to withdraw home with him, she was able to apologize for leaving him and, less obviously, he apologized too. He is caught up in an angry rage as he thinks his daughter is really his dead wife who he loved very much even though she ran away from himThis was most apparent when Lily says, DaddyIm-Im pathetic I left like I did (Kidd 295). Clearly, she was able to forgive T. Ray for all he had done to her, and in return he was able to leave without her and still be okay. The stable and tolerable level that Lily establishes with her father represents a big top of acceptance that relieves her from the constant weight of his unhappiness. No prolonged must she be the feeble scapegoat of his anger and resent he feels to Deborah Owens, Lilys mother.When Lily refuses to return, she finally stands up to her father for what she desires. Responding to T. Ray harsh narration requesting Lilys return she says, noIm staying here, I said. Im not leaving (Kidd 296). Rather than his needs, Lily finally addresses what she desires. While upsetting T. Ray, it is the best for both of them. She never had a conventionalism or loving life and now she has both with her new family. T. Ray does not want to be reminded of his wife, and without Lily, he is much more able to move on.This clearly exhibits her refusal of the return and T. Ray as the villain archetype. T. Ray never came close to being a father to Lily he has always been thevillain to her. Henceforth, with the knowledge that she has received about her father, she is able to see him in a new light. Lily now identifies that he must have loved her mother so intensely that when she left him, he was distraught and has never really forgiven her. Transferring his angry feelings about his wife to his treatment of his daughter, T. Ray tries to argue his hurt and rage. With this awareness, Lily is able to move on, let go of her resentment, forgive him and confine on with her own life.The rescue from without in Lilys journey also occurred when the many different types of women in her life stood up for her. The front door opened, and Queenie, Violet, Lunelle, and Mabelee stumbled into the house, all wound up and looking like they had their clothes on rearwards (Kidd 297). Lily received their help when they created a physical presence of protection, for she could not fit her father before they got there. All four different types women were they for Lily when she needed them, without ask questions or concern about danger.They cared so deeply for her that they dropped everything to ensure she was harmless with her father. While these significant women may not actually have been her mother, they collectively represent the mother figure archetype, through providing comfort, direction, and g uidance whenever it is needed. She has never had women like them in her life, and now without them, she would not be able to live.After successfully completing the rescue from without, Lily must achieve the overwhelming crossing of the return threshold. This essential step has a greater influence than expected on Lily herself. By passing over to her intangible victory, Lily Owens learns more of the people she will learn to call family. When T. Ray attempts to bring his daughter back to Sylvan, August stands her ground in a valiant make of Lilys decision to remain at the calendar sisters house and terminate her previous spiritedness situation. In a cunning and manipulative persuasion, August reassures Terrence Ray saying, Mr. Owens, you would be doing Lily and the rest of us a favor by leaving her hereWe love Lily, and well take care of her. I promise you that (Kidd 298).This guarantee by August was the guiding path for Lily to actually cross the return threshold described in the h eros journey. She, Lily, is victorious in doing so because she no longer has to live with herfather, or the villain archetype of the novel. Ironically, by crossing the return threshold Lily physically goes nowhere. It is more of a life decision that an actual change of surroundings. By choosing not to go back to her hometown with T. Ray, Lily is able to complete this step within her heroic voyage and continue onto becoming the master of two worlds.The interpretation of the master of the two worlds can be comprehended in multiple ways. In this case, Lily becomes the master of both the living and the dead. She does this through the connection she creates with Becca, Claytons daughter, and her deceased mother. Referring to her moms special remembrances, Lily confirms that, One day I will let her hoof them upThe feeling that they are holy objects is already starting to break away (Kidd 301). When Lily includes Becca to share her mothers personal belongings displays that Lily has creat ed a place where the old or dead aspect of her can interact with the new or living part of her internal spirit through the experiences Lily has. This can be represented by the double archetype. Lily is balancing her physical and mental lives. She constantly thinks of Deborah, and wants to make emends with her, but on the other hand she is also searching for her mother in a physical manifestation. She is looking to August to be her new mother, but still never forget the mother had. In this since she is the master of two worlds, and two mothers.In the completion of the heros journey, Lily must learn to live with absolute emancipation. In order to do this she must obtain a certain mentality because her freedom relies solely on her positive outlook and the release of the burdens that have restrict her for so long. The stable and tolerable level that Lily establishes with her father represents a height of acceptance that relieves her from the constant weight of his unhappiness. No long er must she be the feeble scapegoat of his anger and resent he feels to Deborah Owens, Lilys mother. For the aggregate of her adolescence Lily has been unconsciously and consciously foraging for a mother figure to fulfill the ache she carries deep inside her heart, and to complete her long and hardened journey. For a child to comprehend that the responsibility of their parental figures death is their own burden, is awfully determining to the character herself.In this position Lily cannot fall into place that her main cause of suffering, the lack of a mother, is her accountability. However, the rock of burdens is liftedwith her sign that she receives from her mother. In reference to the Daughters, Lily thinks to herself, All these mothers. I have more mothers than any eight girls off the street. They are the moons shinning over me (Kidd 302). More than happy to give her all the love and care, the Daughters complete the freed sense to live for Lily. By obtaining the picture of the a ngelic mother and smiling child, her mother and her, Lily is able to sense that she is liberated from the sentence she has been serving for over fourteen years. Desperate for the guidance and support of a mother, Lily turns to the Daughters of Mary to fill the absent persona.Exemplified in this chronicle quest the Heros Journey is evident in Sue Monk Kidds novel, The Secret Life of Bees. Lily, the adolescent protagonist of this novel, travels in search of self-fulfillment and accomplishes the requirements if the heros journey, The heros journey helped Lily to grow not only in expierences but also mentally. Kidd specifically developed Lily as a persona and the novel to parallel the psychological expedition of the standard hero, This angle and outlook of the journey allows the reader to connect and relate to the character, because we see so many examples of heros in our everyday society. The Secret Life of Bees is highly unusual because the majority of heros stories have extreme cond ition with are unfathomable to the average person.Works CitedKidd, Sue Monk. The Secret Life of Bees. Boston Penguin (Non-Classics), 2003.