Little Bee essay
ENG3U0-E
May 7th 2013
The Reality in Fiction: Little Bee “To be well in your mind you have first to be free” (Cleave 147). This quote taken from Little Bee not only grasps an evident theme in the novel but it also briefly identifies how the main character Little Bee struggles for freedom from society, her past, and ultimately herself. The novel is set in modern day Nigeria and the UK, where Nigeria is in the midst of an oil crisis and is struggling to keep it covert from the rest of the world. Little Bee is a sixteen year old Nigerian village girl whom after experiencing traumatic events, flees to England in hopes of escaping the horrors of her country and her past. The psychological and social effects caused by traumatic events in Little Bee’s life can be seen mirrored in real-life situations of individuals undergoing post-traumatic stress, and as well as in cases of illegal immigration into the UK. The plot in Little Bee is developed around a life changing event that took place two years earlier on a Nigerian beach. Sarah and Andrew O’Rourke, two British tourists, as well as Little Bee were present. As a result of what they witness, they suffer psychologically for the two years following until the arrival of Little Bee in England. Because of the desperate need of oil in various parts of the world Nigeria was a large contributor around the time the novel was set (2005-2007). Since a large amount of the oil rich land was inhabited by villagers, many of the oil companies paid local rebels to clear out villages and towns to allow for drilling. The tactics used by these soldiers however were very violent and many times involved mass killings of Nigerian villagers and the sexual assault of women. These traumatic events can lead to permanent mental damage, and affect a person’s personality, sense of self and social behaviours. After seeing the murder of her entire village and family, Little Bee suffers from panic attacks, flashbacks, and nightmares as responses
May 7th 2013
The Reality in Fiction: Little Bee “To be well in your mind you have first to be free” (Cleave 147). This quote taken from Little Bee not only grasps an evident theme in the novel but it also briefly identifies how the main character Little Bee struggles for freedom from society, her past, and ultimately herself. The novel is set in modern day Nigeria and the UK, where Nigeria is in the midst of an oil crisis and is struggling to keep it covert from the rest of the world. Little Bee is a sixteen year old Nigerian village girl whom after experiencing traumatic events, flees to England in hopes of escaping the horrors of her country and her past. The psychological and social effects caused by traumatic events in Little Bee’s life can be seen mirrored in real-life situations of individuals undergoing post-traumatic stress, and as well as in cases of illegal immigration into the UK. The plot in Little Bee is developed around a life changing event that took place two years earlier on a Nigerian beach. Sarah and Andrew O’Rourke, two British tourists, as well as Little Bee were present. As a result of what they witness, they suffer psychologically for the two years following until the arrival of Little Bee in England. Because of the desperate need of oil in various parts of the world Nigeria was a large contributor around the time the novel was set (2005-2007). Since a large amount of the oil rich land was inhabited by villagers, many of the oil companies paid local rebels to clear out villages and towns to allow for drilling. The tactics used by these soldiers however were very violent and many times involved mass killings of Nigerian villagers and the sexual assault of women. These traumatic events can lead to permanent mental damage, and affect a person’s personality, sense of self and social behaviours. After seeing the murder of her entire village and family, Little Bee suffers from panic attacks, flashbacks, and nightmares as responses