Set in the early 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi, The Help, written by Kathryn Stockett and produced as a movie by Tate Taylor, provides viewers insight into the world of an African-American housemaid, or the help, during the controversial time of the Civil Rights Movement. In Jackson, Mississippi, African-Americans face racial prejudice and unjust treatment compared to the white people, and many women of color spend their whole lives caring for white families despite very little pay. Skeeter, a twenty-three year old white woman, holds a desire to help the maids gain a voice as she is unbelieving of the myths about them. Wanting a change in the way black people are perceived, she finds herself with the idea to write a controversial book, “Help,” in which she interviews African-American maids, among those maids being Aibileen and Minny, concerning their time working for white families. Overall, in both the novel and movie rendition of The Help, Skeeter unites together with the black help despite racial prejudice to give them a voice, showing viewers that collaborating together towards a common goal can lead to social awareness. Towards the beginning of The Help in both the book and movie interpretation, viewers soon figure out that Skeeter is avid towards making a career for herself through writing. After applying for an editing job at a Elaine Stein’s publishing company and being told that she did not have enough experience, Skeeter finds herself with the idea to write The
The Help is written from the view of the three main characters Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter from a small town named Jackson, Mississippi. First Aibileen, she is one of the primary African-American maids in the novel that works for the Leefolt family. Secondly, Minny is the feisty, smart-mouthing African American maid that works for Mrs. Holbrook till she is fired and later begins working for Mrs. Foote. Lastly, Skeeter is a young Caucasian woman who has returned from graduating college and dreams to be a writer. Skeeter hopes to change the typical southern views Jackson has of blacks that is apparent on every page of this novel. This sparks an ambition to write a book about the “helps” point of view on working for white families that is so
The Help is a novel that explores the lives of black maids living in the racially unjust, Mississippi in the 1960s, by using the perspective of two black maids and a female, white writer. Minny and Aibileen are the two maids who are close friends and like many other maids, have spent the majority of their life cleaning up after white families and raising their kids. Skeeter is the third character the novel centers around; she fondly remembers her own maid, Constantine but lacks information about her disappearance and current whereabouts. Her ambition to write and love for her childhood career lead her and the maids to eventually come together and become involved in a dangerous project which puts all their lives at risk.
“The help” film is a perfect representation of how the south was and gives an idea on how bad African Americans were treated even if they were being paid and not only that but it also shows how different everything was back then. For example, as shown in the movie the women back then were quite different from today. Skeeter the main character is described as a very independent woman compared to the rest of the white female characters. She doesn’t seem to have an interest in men now but considers finding a dependable job unlike the other white females. Skeeter was also an educated woman and even had a bachelor’s degree. Back in that specific time frame this was rather odd for a lady to be educated. Skeeter tries to advocate for the events that are occurring within southern homes by writing the experiences of the Jackson, Mississippi’s black maids. Meanwhile, the film shows southern culture in great detail.
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
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 movie “The Help” was based In the early 1960’s in Jackson, Mississippi. During this period of time it was very segregated, very much so that whites did not want African Americans to have contact with them, but were expected to fully take care of their children from birth to adulthood. Most of the African American maids later developed a strong bond with the children that they looked after. They tried teaching the kids to see no color, just to later witness them grow up to be brainwashed by the world to think of African Americans as less than. Except for one southern girl named Skeeter Phelan, who saw the equality in everyone. And one day she decided to interview the maids to get their perspectives on life and to get their story out to the world. At first the maids were hesitant because it would be serious consequences if anyone knew who exactly spoke up, but Skeeter did whatever she could to make sure all the maids were anonymous and no one knew. She risked many hardships like losing her relationship with her boyfriend and also building tension with the women of the Junior League. Successfully the maids stories got out and it opened eyes little by little.
African American’s role in this country has been long and has never been easy. During the early years of the United States, African Americans endure the hardship of slavery and had to deal with beatings, harsh working conditions and constant yelling from their racist white owners. Even after the abolishment of slavery, African Americans still endure another one hundred years of discrimination. A perfect way to examine a pivotal time in American History of African Americans and the racism they went through is seen in the movie “The Help”. The movie is set to take place “in Mississippi during the 1950s-1960s, Skeeter is a southern society girl who returns from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends ' lives -- and a Mississippi town -- upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families.” (The Help) The movie was originally based on a book written by
It is an American period drama film which is based on a novel written by the American novelist Kathryn Stockett. The movie was directed by Tate Taylor. The movie was released in year 2011, and shown in theaters all over the world. The film is about a young white woman named Skeeter, and her relationship with Aibileen and Minny, who are two black maids during the Civil Rights era in 1963. Aibileen and Minny are the maids of Skeeter’s two friends Hilly and Leefolt. Skeeter seeks help from both maids to write a book called “The Help”, which exposes racism that black maids in Jackson Mississippi deal with from the white families they work for. The movie tries to give its audience a glimpse of the segregated life of Black women working as maids for rich White families in
The film “The Help” (2011), is a story based on the daily lives of prominent white women and the relationships with their African-American housemaids in Jackson, Mississippi, during the 1960s Civil Rights movement in America. A well-to-do white woman and central character in this film, Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, aspires to be a journalist and decides to write and publish an exposé of the stories of the housemaids in Jackson to achieve this goal, however, only two maids, Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson are willing to discuss their experiences with her. The other maid’s in Jackson resist telling Skeeter their stories, fearing the punishments they would endure if the authorities were to find out. In spite of this, after the malicious arrest of one of their befriended maids, all of the maids begin to share their experiences, which consist of racial hostility and being treated as intrinsically subservient to white people. The story Skeeter publishes entitled The Help, creates a disturbance among the white families in Jackson, by exposing the racism the maids are faced with, forcing the white families to reflect upon how they have treated their maids. The storyline represented in The Help exhibits examples of the primordial approach to race and ethnicity, as well as numerous sociological concepts including segregation, internalized oppression, and white privilege, which will be exemplified in this paper in order to uncover the race relations evident within this film.
“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
Based upon the 2009 New York Times bestseller novel by Kathryn Stockett, the Help was produced as a film in 2011.The Help is based upon the segregated post-WWII era in the southern town of Jackson, Mississippi. The film depicts the young protagonist, Skeeter, along with her friends, family and white employers. We come to see the challenges and limitations imposed on the domestic servants shown over the the summer of 1963.The viewer is taken on a journey through the steamy and volatile summer months on the cusp of social change in the deep south. The parallel conflict is depicted both internally with each character and externally with the waves of change beginning to roll into our nation. We learn that, as the author subtitles her novel, ‘that change begins with a whisper’. The social revolution is more than the large sweeping policy changes, but is truely found in the bravery and strength of individuals who convey tremendous courage in silent protest. The movies conveys the daily prejudice, abuse, and silent suffering black men and women faced in the 1960’s. It further shows the steps toward, both large and small, toward change.
Not only does The Help show historical importance but was also revolutionary during that time period and now. Growing up Skeeter maid was Eugenia. Skeets says that she sometimes felt that the only person in the world who really understood her was the family’s “help” (The Christian Science Monitor). In the scene when Skeeters mom fired Eugenia it shows her walking out, and stopping at the door to look back and walk away from the people she had worked for her whole life and raised their kids. As Skeeter
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.
CitationsThe text “The Help” is set in the 1960’s in Jackson Mississippi. Southern society girl Skeeter returns from collage with dreams of being a writer. She turns her small town on its ear by choosing to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent white families. Aibileen, the housekeeper of Skeeters best friend, will talk at first but as the pair continue the collaboration more women decide to come forward, and as it turns out they have quite a lot to say. There are differences and similarities between the Movie and film they include the plot and the storyline, structure and form and characterisation.
The Help is a film taking place in the 1960’s that is not historically accurate, actually ahistorical, due to its unfocused outlook and trivialization on the realities of racism and violence through plot elements and characters. The Help tells the story of a woman named Skeeter in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960’s who struggles to find success in her desired writing career. She winds up creating a domestic maintenance column where she tells stories of black maids experiences and tips.