The Help Paper

“The Help” was a film that portrayed what life was like for African American women during the 1960s era in Jackson, Mississippi. Although the film was somewhat lacking in historical accuracy, it did contain some historical facts that could give one some insight into the history during this era. The film did reveal the segregation that was occurring and the economic disparities that restricted black women’s work opportunities (ABWH). The majority of African American women in the South worked in white households as house maids as shown in the film (ABWH). “The Help” also revealed how dangerous times were for civil rights activists by bringing attention to Medgar Evers’ assassination on June 12, 1963 in Jackson Mississippi (Dargis, Manohla).

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.

Aibileen, on the other hand, hasn’t obtained as much education as Mrs. Skeeter. Aibileen was black, and back in her days, blacks did not have the opportunity to receive the same education as whites did. Aiblieen was a very bright student and would have been very successful if she could have finished school. Even her teacher, Miss Ross, said that she was very intelligent, “You’re the smartest in the class, Abilieen.” Unfortunately, she could not finish school because she had to support her mother with bills that she could not pay herself. She stopped going to school when she was fourteen years old. She instead went to work as a maid and wait on white families. Because of her lack of education, she did not speak very well. She often used slang

Following the death of her son Aibileen gets a job working as a maid for Elizabeth Leefolt who has just had a baby girl Mae Mobley and is in need of help taking care of her. Aibileen tries her best to teach Mae Mobley

Aibileen, a housemaid, was brought up at this time. Living in Mississippi in the 1960s couldn't be much worse for Aibileen, she lived in the the outskirts of jackson with all of the black community in low quality housing, she lost her son to wreckless white people that didn’t give a damn and she got paid just under $1 an hour to work for the white privileged. Growing up Aibileen knew she would be a maid. This is proven through dialog when she says “my Mama was was a maid, and my Gran’mama was a house slave. The mournful tone she speaks with displays her desire to be more than a black dot on a white wall, meaning she did not want to be another black maid living among her supposed white superiors.

Aibileen’s new separate bathroom was finally finished and Miss Leefolt announced the news. Aibileen's has her own bathroom so there isn’t any spreading of disease. The white family’s at that time always had maids, or also referred to as the “the help.” The women of the white homes did not have to put much effort due to their black maids, who performed all their daily tasks. This quote shows how “the help,” for instance, Aibileen have to obey, with their little to no privileges. They couldn’t express how they feel or what they want. Extreme racial segregation was common during this time. These black maids weren’t treated humanely and fairly, but like something lower just because of their color. For Miss Leefolt to spend her money to build Aibileen

She works for Elizabeth, an affluent white woman who is pregnant with her second child, even as she neglects her first child. Aibileen is the liaison between Skeeter, Elizabeth’s best friend, and the other maids.

Civil Rights literature has been in hiding from the millions of readers in the world. Kathryn Stockett’s book, The Help, widely opens the doors to the worldwide readers to the experiences of those separated by the thin line drawn between blacks and whites in the 1960s. Kathryn makes her experiences of the character’s, making their stories as compelling as her own.

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.

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.

Aibileen was being treated like as if she wasn’t a human, because she wasn’t allowed to use the same bathroom in the house that she cleans and takes care of every singe day, but instead was built her own separate bathroom. She was treated bad and was also paid badly. The money she was being paid is not even enough for her to put together a household and to pay bills. While all this was going on, she found a way to fight back by helping a young girl write a book that exposes how “The Helps” were being treated in the households they take care of.

Minny Jackson is one of two women represented in The Help. Aibileen and Minny are both best friends and maids. Early in the book Aibileen overhears Miss Hilly saying that Miss Walters maid, Minny is stealing from Miss Walters. A little more further Aibileen tells Minny that some stuff could be going down on her for stealing from her boss. Minny was a black maid in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960’s, who was very civil but all about revenge when treated wrong.

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.

Part 1 - In American author's 2009 book, The Help, the primary thesis is the relationship between Black maids and white households in Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960s. The story is really told from three perspectives, Aibileen and Minny are Black women, both maids, and Skeeter is the nickname of Eugenia Phelan, daughter of a prominent White family. Skeeter has just finished school and hopes to become a writer. In general, the relationship between the Black maids and the White employers is six sided: On one side we have the White employers who have three views: 1) Their personal and private beliefs that can range from extreme scorn and bias to kindness regarding race; 2) Their public persona that must have the "proper" attitude about Blacks and "the help," and 3) Their employer attitude, which is condescending and parental. The Black view also has three segments: 1) Their personal and private beliefs that usually range from understanding not all Whites are the same and an extreme love and empathy for the White children for whom they care; 2) The public persona that is deferential, polite, and stoic to their White bosses; and 3) Their attitude and view among the Black community, which usually separates the "poor and ignorant but rich" White souls from the Black view of family and common sense. All in all, the relationship is contentious, phony, and based on economic advantage.

It is commonplace for white families to have black maids serving them at this time. Aibileen (Davis) is a strong-willed maid who is