Ivan Varghese

Lauve – 6th

2/18/07

Comparison Essay: Bless Me Ultima & The Secret Life of Bees

They need to find their path in life. They have to struggle between

good and evil. They must reclaim their past to discover their future. Antonio

from Bless Me Ultima and Lily from The Secret Life of Bees both face

problems but in the end, the light at the end of the tunnel shines. Although

there are similarities between Bless Me Ultima and The Secret Life of Bees

there are, obviously, notable differences.

The similarities are pretty apparent between the two books. They are

both a “coming-of-age” story and they both have a couple of plot parallels.

For example, Antonio has to find his true calling and Lily has to follow her

mother’s past. In both books, mentions of religion are very widespread.

Religion is one of the most important factors in the books and it influences

the story a lot. Another noted similarity is the use of allusions, metaphors,

and imagery.

Even though there are many similarities, there are some very striking

differences. The most noted of them is the difference of the gender in the

novel. Bless Me Ultima, is geared towards all readers, but The Secret Life of

Bees is generally a girl’s novel. For example, in The Secret Life of Bees, Lily

falls in love with Zachary but in Bless Me Ultima, Antonio is not shown to be

in love. Also, The Secret Life of Bees takes on more feminine topics. In Bless

Me Ultima, Antonio is faced with a decision that will alter his outlook on life,

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 Ivan Varghese

Lauve – 6th

2/18/07

but in A Secret Life of Bees, Lily is trying to escape her father and search her

mother’s past. Also both novels are set in two different time periods. Bless

Me Ultima takes place during and after World War II and A Secret Life of Bees

take place during the Civil Rights Movement. They both produce different

aspects in a teenager’s life and they both portray cultural problems.

In conclusion, there are many similarities and differences in the novels.

They are both written during a stressful time period and religion is mentioned

a lot. But they have different outlooks on those problems and the struggles

the main characters face are different. Overall, both books were wonderful

and they showed us the social problems of the past and enlightened us on

how to prevent them in the future.

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