The fight for freedom of a caged animal is instinctive. It is not possible to end the fighting or recalcitrance of animals. Similarly, in “The Secret Life of Bees” by Sue Monk Kidd, Lily, the protagonist, acts as a contumacious child in her fight against her oppressor, T. Ray. Furthermore, African Americans, during the civil rights movement, fought against the tyrannical society that deprived them of their freedom. The oppression of both African Americans and Lily caused their defiance. Similar to Lily's challenge against T. Ray, the resistance of African Americans and their fight against injustice reveals humans' instinctive desire for equality. The unfair treatment of Lily and the African Americans causes their defiance against their oppressors. For example, Lily confronts T. Ray before receiving punishment for going to prison by telling T. Ray, "'you don't scare me,' [she] repeated louder this time. A brazen feeling had been unleashed in [her] ], something bold that had been locked up in [her] chest,” (Kidd 38). ...