The Help: A Discussion of Reality Kathryn Stockett's The Help is a novel set in 1960s Jackson, Mississippi and follows the lives of two black maids, Minny and Aibileen, and a privileged young white woman, Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan. Together these three women set out to compile a book explaining how it is to work as a black maid in Jackson. While some critics argue The Help perpetuates black stereotypes and confines black women into "Mammy" roles, the novel actually promotes discussion of racial issues faced in the 1960 by black maids in a realistic manner without confining black women to a racist role. One of the novel's most common criticisms is the reprise of the stereotypical role of "Mammy." Mammy is a fictional character from Gone with …show more content…
Susan Donaldson states in her critique of The Help, the stories the maids tell, "only serves to launch Skeeter into her career" and act as a "vehicle for redemption […] of a long and ugly legacy of racism" (Donaldson 8). While Skeeter does come to realize the shame of the things she does, such as off handedly saying "colored people attend too much church," this is not the driving motive behind Skeeter's intention with her book (Stockett 179). At first, Skeeter's motive is entirely self-centered, using the book as a stepping stone into her career, but the further she gets involved with the book and subsequently the lives of the maids she talks to, the less she cares about what she gains from the book, but rather how they benefit from the book. As they near the completion of the book, Skeeter realizes the responsibilities that "lay on [her] shoulders" (328). The maids need this book, perhaps more than Skeeter herself does. They need it to vent their frustration that otherwise stay bottled up in their chest for fear of punishment. They need the book in order to hope that maybe one day things will change. Skeeter sees this and feels the pressure not because of guilt over past actions, but rather the camaraderie she forges with these women as they take a huge risk, …show more content…
In fact the character with the most noticeable change is Minny. At the beginning of the novel, Minny is closed off, in constant fear of losing her job and stuck in an abusive marriage. Even when she decides to help Skeeter with her book, Minny remains guarded and almost reluctant to tell her everything. Yet, at the end of the novel, Minny not only is noticeably relaxed around Skeeter, but even offers her life advice such as running her "white butt" to New York when Skeeter gets offered her dream job (Stockett 499). Minny also leaves her abusive husband, Leroy, after a particular volatile attack that leaves her "standing barefoot and [at] rock bottom [at] the gas station," when she realizes that for the first time in her life, she has a secure job, Leroy's once needed support is now gone, and that she has the potential to be so much more than an abused wife (515). Minny Jackson is the pinnacle of development among the three narrators of the novel, and yet ABWH claims Skeeter is the main character. Another example is Aibileen, who at the beginning feels she does not have much left to offer in her older age, claims in the final few lines that maybe it is not too late to start anew (522). If The Help really is a coming of age story about Skeeter, then this revelation of Aibileen's would not be the last thought
The three girls working together begins to create the solution to the main conflict. The main conflict in this case is blacks are being treated in a way that is not fair. They are being treated as if they are disease carrying things. Skeeter wants to change that perspective on people. That’s why she wants to write a book on how black maids are treated in Mississippi. “I turn and hear Pascagoula’s knock on my door. That’s when the idea hit me. No. I couldn’t. That would be . . . crossing the line.” - (Page 104) This was foreshadowing what Skeeter would do next. It let the reader know what was going to happen. Minny and Aibileen are there to help Skeeter with her book. They are the interviews. At first, the book starts out with Aibileen doing a normal day of work. She notices the Skeeter isn’t like all the other ladies. She’s more polite. When Skeeter gets a job at the local newspaper she starts to go to Aibileen for help with the Miss Myrna articles. She is even willing to pay her to help her. “ ‘For your help,’ I say quietly, ‘ I’ve put away five dollars for every article. It’s up to thirty-five dollars now.’ ” (Page 126) This shows that Skeeter is quite
“‘Don’t you ever wish you could change things?”’ (10). In Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960’s, woman ahead of her time, Miss Skeeter, proposes an idea to write a book about the lives of colored maids in Jackson. Aibileen and Minny, two maids, are among the first ones to agree to help Skeeter, despite the potential danger to themselves. In The Help, Kathryn Stockett creates an engaging and immersive world that explores racism and social injustice by using well-developed writing, the ideal amount of imagery, and strong characters.
The book “The Help”, written by Kathryn Stockett, is a book that takes place in Jackson, Mississippi, around the 1960's, when the blacks were segregated from the whites. The story is mainly about a black woman Aibileen whose main job is to take care of children as well as to handle household duties. Along the way they meet a woman Skeeter's whose lifelong dream is to become a writer however the only job she can find, is with the Jackson Journal writing a housekeeping advice column which she knows very little about. To succeed in the job, Skeeter turns to her friend's maid, Aibileen, for answers and help to write the column.
The Help occurs during the segregation period during the year of 1962 in Jackson, Mississippi. The main character is Aibileen Clark, a 50-year-old African American maid spending most of her life raising white children ever since her teenage years. She works for Elizabeth Leefolt, a wealthy housewife, who is the best friend of the antagonist, Hilly Holbrook. Elizabeth has a child named Mae Mobley whom Aibileen is very close to. Aibileen’s best friend is Minny Jackson; she is a maid who works for Hilly Holbrook and her mother Missy Walters for nearly a decade. Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan is a young, white American woman, seeks a successful writing career after graduating from the University of Mississippi and returns to home, soon to find out her long-time maid, Constantine, supposedly quit working for her family; this was a great mystery for Skeeter because Constantine did not write to Skeeter explaining why she left. Skeeter found out Hilly Holbrook, Elizabeth Leefolt and their friends believe blacks “carry various diseases to the white people”. Hilly drafted a disease
With a University Master's Degree in Literary Studies at The University of Alicante, Nina Louise Greve demonstrates thorough analysis and depth into the main issues of The Help; enlightening characters stereotypical attributes. One of the main characters, Aibileen, exhibits these traits through her simplistic, faith-ridden approach to societies ordeals. In addition, consumed by fear of the bourgeoisie, she conforms to the rules set by civilization. Nina reveals that through the duration of the text, The African American Females are continuously portrayed to be dependent upon Skeeter to seek access to freedom. This accredits the archetypal character of the ‘Hero’ upon the sole Caucasian character, and further victimizes the African American
The Help chronicles a recent college graduate named Skeeter, who secretly writes a book exposing the treatment of black maids by white affluent women. The story takes place in 1960s Jackson, Mississippi, during the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. The death of Medgar Evers triggers racial tension and gives the maids of Jackson the courage to retell their personal stories of injustice endured over the years. The movie depicts the frustration of the maids with their female employers and what their lives were like cleaning, cooking, and raising their bosses’ children. The Help shines a light on the racial and social injustice of maids during the era of Jim Crow Laws, illustrating how white women of a privileged
The Help by Kathryn Stockett, is a book set in the early 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi, told by three different women: Abilene, Minny and Skeeter, in each of their perspectives. Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan is a graduate student whose dream is to become a writer, but when she tries for a position at the local newspaper, she is given the job of writing housekeeping tips.
Kathryn Scott’s The Help takes place in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960s. This movie emphasizes tense racial conflicts that dominated the South during this post-World War era. Segregation of whites verse blacks was a prevailing and dominating theme of the decade. The Help attempts to depict this time period by focusing on a white woman, Skeeter Phelan, who aspires to become a journalist. Society considered Skeeter as an oddity for wanting to leave her family and pursue an education. She goes against all social norms and secretly asks her maid, Aibileen, to help her write a book about the lives of maids. Despite the overwhelming danger associated with their relationship Aibileen agrees and even encourages other maids to take part. The intention behind Skeeter Phelan’s book was to spark a movement and change the way white people view their help. The Help suggests that education is the only route to social change.
The book “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett,follows the story of three women in Jackson Mississippi, seeking to make a difference in their communities. Aibileen is a maid who cooks,cleans,and raises white children though her own biological son died. She works for Miss Leefolt, who neglects her own daughter Mae Mobley, leaving even the most simple tasks to Aibileen,including loving Mae Mobley. Aibileen’s best friend Minny is another maid, but unlike Aibileen she is defiant and very outspoken, she worked for Miss Walters but her attitude and foul mouth landed her in hot water, resulting in her losing that job. Miss Skeeter is a young, ambitious, aspiring writer who notices the ill treatment and dehumanization of the help. Using her writing talents Miss Skeeter, decides to shed light on the horrible situation.This brings the three women together in an unlikely situation that changes everyone’s view of the help and all the women
Eventually, Skeeter is able to gain the trust of Aibileen Clark. With Aibileen comes her best friend, Minny Jackson. Though Minny’s initial reaction is to disagree, she ultimately decides she wants to tell her stories. It is still arduous for the three girls to enlist other maids. However, when one of Skeeter’s friends, Hilly Holbrooks, maid is arrested for stealing one of Hilly’s rings to pay for her kids’ college, more maids decide to help with the book.
Spurred by Hilly’s cruel and racist initiatives, the maids of Jackson Mississippi share their stories with Skeeter. Concerned that people will recognize themselves in the book. Minny adds a dark secret about Hilly to the book so that Hilly will stay quiet about the identity of the maids. The book is a surprise hit, generating a great deal of discussion between black and white women. The various experiences of many such black maids that are ill-treated and looked down upon. After the success of the novel, skeeter moves to New York to work in puiblishing. Aibileen is fired from her job and embarks on a writing career of her own, and Minny leaves her abusive
Based off of Kathryn Stockett’s 2009 novel, The Help is a movie told from an African American’s point of view during the early 1960’s in Jackson, Mississippi. The three main characters include, Aibileen Clark, Minny Jackson, and Eugenia (Skeeter) Phelan. Skeeter is a young writer who has recently returned from the University of Mississippi. She has been advised by the Elaine Stein, who is the head editor at Harper & Row, to write about a topic she is passionate about, that way she can continue her dream of becoming a serious writer. In addition, Skeeter accepts a writing job down at the Jackson Journal where she writes a housekeeping column. Ironically, she has no housekeeping experience as she grew up with in house help. In order to keep her job she goes to Aibileen, her friend Elizabeth Leefolt’s housekeeper. At this point in her life, Aibileen is just trying to get by. She writes out her prayers on a daily basis as a way to clear her mind since she is fairly reserved on the outside. On the contrary, Aibileen’s friend Minny is also a housekeeper, but she has a rather sharp tongue which doesn’t usually work in her favor. Consequently, she is trying to find a new employer, but is having trouble since there is a bit of discord between her and the most influential socialite in Jackson, Mississippi.
“The Help” is a movie about African-American maids working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi. The two black maids, Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson, tells their side of the story to a young white woman, Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, who is a journalist who decides to write a book from the maids point of views. Skeeters intention for writing this book is exposing the racism they receive while working for white families in Jackson. Aibileen Clark takes care of white children and helps raise them and cleans around the house, while her best friend, Minny Jackson, is an outspoken black maid but has a quick short temper which gets her into trouble later on. Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan is a white single independent woman, she earned a double-major
Although the maids were struggling and going through a difficult time in 1960’s, The Help portrays that their family members were too. Segregated society against the backdrop of the growing US civil rights movement in the 1960’s has an impacted. “Race also determines who has access to educational, occupational, and economic opportunity. Racial tensions are high as white community members employ violence and coercion to try to keep the Civil Rights Movement from sweeping into their Mississippi town” (Shmoop Editorial Team). The white community in the movie continue to keep the black women as their servants throughout their lives. As Skeeter the white lady, who writes a book about The Help and portrays through the book that the African American women go through. As the white women of Jackson, Mississippi read the book they began to act more violent to the black women. The book is away as the black women to make a statement about the civil rights they have.
“Help people even when you know they can’t help you back”. The Help written by american author Kathryn Stockett was published in the early 2000’s. Set in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1962, Stockett’s first novel is narrated by three women: Aibileen and Minny are both black maids working for ladies from the cream of white society, while Miss Skeeter is the 23-year-old daughter of one of those pillars of the community. Aibileen has raised 17 white children, but her own son has been recently killed in an accident at a lumber yard; Minny is forever losing jobs because she talks back to her employers; and Miss Skeeter, so called because she looked like a mosquito when she was born, is ungainly