(See Alex's blog for previous comment, neither of us have been able to get the commenting part to work, our apologies.)

I think that the bees are definitely real, since she had caught at least one in a jar.  I am very glad that she seems to have gotten out of the hellhole that was her old home.  I definitely think you are right about Lily needing to escape her own jar though, that’s a really good point that I hadn’t thought of.  Like the one bee she did catch, she still needs the jar to be shaken a bit before she can find the strength and resolve to fly away free.  I think this definitely comes when she calls T Ray.  He is so darn selfish.  What kind of parent doesn’t even bother to learn their child’s favorite color?  He has been an abusive jerk this whole time, and I really hope that the call doesn’t end with him finding her.  She really needs some serious help.  

I do think the bees are representative of the characters though.  August is a nest builder, who has created a sanctuary for the colored folk in her neighborhood, as well as a place for Lily and Rosaleen.  June is a mortician bee, just based on her previous job of arranging the dead for funerals, plus her current job of guiding the living off to the next life.  May is the queen, with her sisters to take care of her as attendants, and T Ray is a male bee, just waiting around, serving his only purpose of making more bees (Lily).  Lily seems to be a field bee, going out into the world and trying to discover what it holds.  Where do you think Rosaleen fits into all of this?  

Also, I do like the friendship/romance between Lily and Zach, but Lily comments on it somewhat strangely.  “I wanted him to lift back my veil and kiss me, and I knew he wanted to do it, too” (126).  I think a lot of how Lily comments on things is a bit strange, I wonder if it’s because of her messed up up-bringing?  

What do you think is going to happen now that Lily has called T Ray?