"Nothing's fair in this world. You might as well get that straight now"
As I read this line, I couldn't help but think how true this is. While reading The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, Lily Owens witnesses all kinds of unfairness-es (sorry I didn't really know how to spell that). Whether it was getting abused by her father or growing up with out a mother, Lily somehow manages to get through life with out having a complete break down. I know that if I was ever in a situation like Lily's...actually I'm not really sure what I would do..it kind of stresses me out to think about.
Really, the only person that Lily can console in is Rosaleen. Her mom died and her dad, T-ray...well T-ray isn't exactly a kind soul. Lily goes through the mystery of not knowing exactly what happened the night her mother was killed, not that T-ray will really tell her. I can just remember one of the lines in the book, where Lily was saying that T-ray always made up the most..."creative" punishments when he told Lily that before her mother dies, she left them.
Hearing this made me sad. I couldn't believe how cruel that was. I can't imagine having a parent who made up heartbreaking things just to punish their child. I can't imagine the child ever being able to deal with that!
But, going back to the quote, life is unfair, brutally in fact. People of all statures are treated unfairly. I know that's a really vague/broad statement, but I can't really think of one particular group. The fact is, everyone at some point or another are treated unfairly. People get snubbed based on race, gender, and economic reasons (there are many more).
I've never really come across in my life a time where I was treated extremely unfairly. I mean, I've come across the comments about being a girl, and the fact that I'm the youngest in my family (from my sisters). I hope I never have to be treated with severe arbitrary, but unfortunately, I probably will be at some point in my life.
Although, in the context of this quote, I disagree slightly.
When this line was said, August was explaining her sister's story, the one about when April went to the ice cream shop, but was kicked out because she was black. When she went home complaining to her father, that is what he said, "Nothing is fair in this world. You might as well get that straight now."
Here is where I don't think what he's saying is really true. In that kind of situation, although it may be hard, there might be something you can do to right the wrong you have faced. Just look at Martin Luther King Jr. he really fought for what he believed in. He wanted to make things fair for everyone.
Everyone goes through some sort of thing (sorry..the only word I could think of :) ) that they might want to change, but don't really have controll over. But other times, we can fight to make a change.
But, I do think that we have to learn that not everything in life is going to be fair, and meet our needs. Sometimes, we have to do that ourselves.
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