preview

Who Is Aibileen In The Help

Decent Essays

Set in the 1960s, Kathryn Stockett’s novel, The Help, is a story of black maids working in white Southern homes in Jackson, Mississippi. Portrayed through multiple character perspectives, Stockett’s writing largely focuses on a maid named Aibileen. Aibileen is a compassionate, strong-willed, and wise character. She teaches the white children she rears important values and throughout the novel Aibileen grows in the face of racial adversity. Aibileen is a protagonist. The speaker of eleven chapters, she commands the storyline and defines the tone and plot of the book. As Aibileen continues on her journey of rearing white children, she deems it important to teach the children, at a young age, that character is more powerful than skin color. …show more content…

The child portrayed in the book, Mae Mobley, is young and innocent. She does not comprehend the racial barriers present in the south and in her own home. In an attempt to develop Mae into an individual compassionate towards others, Aibileen focuses on providing Mae with a structured and influential childhood. While she rears Mae Mobley, Aibileen preaches characteristics of benevolence, self-love, and fairness to Mae in hopes that she will not develop the derogatory and superior mindset of her family and community. Aibileen creates a mission to positively influence the young life of Mae Mobley. Aibileen expresses numerous positive traits through her work, prayer, and friendships. Through her spiritual connection, Aibileen is able to provide support for not only herself, but also others in her community by including them on her prayer list. Aibileen demonstrates positive friendship qualities throughout the novel, she validates her positive traits as she supports and prays for her friends. Though Aibileen has positive attributes, she is unable to escape from

Get Access