Little Bee

When Little Bee confesses to Sarah that she was present at Andrew’s death, she states, “If I tried harder, I think I could have saved him.” (Chapter 11, Page 244) Sarah responds, “If I had tried harder, I suppose I could have saved Andrew too.” ( Chapter 11, Page 245) Are these characters correct in their assumptions? Consider these points as you reflect on the text to answer the question:

• Who is correct in this exchange? Little Bee? Sarah? Both? Neither?
• What would Andrew have needed to be saved?
• What could these characters have done differently? 
• Was Andrew able to save anybody when he had the chance? Knowing what we know about him by the end of the novel, did he atone for his actions? Did he need to? 

Teaching Suggestion: Answers may vary. Some students may feel that Little Bee had a responsibility to save Andrew, but most will likely feel that his death was not her responsibility to stop. Some students may feel that neither Bee nor Sarah should be expected to save Andrew and that this dialogue springs from grief more than from a clear-eyed view of the past. Others may posit that women tend to shoulder the emotional burden of other people’s tragedies, and that this connects to the theme of The Meaning of Womanhood.