The little bee - Essay Example

4 May The Little Bee In The Little Bee by Chris Cleave, language is a major factor because English was the official language of Nigeria. However, in Nigeria, the language is a blend between African and English language. It is different from what she is used to as she tries to survive in a society that is British. Little Bee is a young refugee in the United Kingdom who is on the beach. Sarah is a magazine editor of an upscale magazine in Britain and she is Charlie’s mom. Since Little Bee has been in a detention center for immigrants where she has lived in awful conditions, she looks to find the only person she know.

Another way that language is a theme in Cleave’s book is that Sarah and Andrew are journalists who both use words in their occupations. When Andrew meets Little Bee and her sister, he realizes that his words do not really make a huge difference in the world. Little Bee eventually realizes that she has a renewed faith how powerful words can be because it can help a person to heal. Identity and language is crucial and the story is told from the narration of both Little Bee and Sarah. Sarah has everything she wants except happiness and Little Bee has nothing but a good sense of humor.

They both have something in common. With their cross-cultural differences, they begin to understand a little more about each other and like each other. Little Bee is struggling to find out who she is. She left the British detention center not knowing how to live life other than the ways she had lived in Nigeria. Now in a new culture, she struggles to figure out who she is but with the help of Sarah, they are able to help each other. Little Bee does not think she has actually left her country but a part of it travelled with her.