Kathryn Stocketts The Help may become a classic, despite criticism regarding her research into the early civil rights movement in Mississippi. The book divides its chapters into first-person narratives by the main protagonists: idealistic but naïve Skeeter, loving but somewhat bitter Aibileen, and sarcastic Minny. Aibileen and Minny are maids in Jackson, MS, during the early 1960s and Skeeter, who desperately wants to become a writer, tries to convince them to tell their stories of working as maids. The novels structure allows the reader to learn firsthand about race relations in the 1960s as well as tidbits about membership in the Junior League, recipes handed down from one generation to another, domestic violence, and child rearing.
Minny initially works for Hilly, who is the towns Queen Bee and biggest racist. Her grand idea for the future is having a separate bathroom for the help, a view she considers enlightened. She points to deeply flawed science as the reason behind this idea. And this is despite the fact that the maids often literally do everything for these women: prepare the food, care for the children, and clean the home. Yet they are silently ostracized because of their race.
Skeeter, while not advocating segregation, slowly begins to realize how unfairly the maids are being treated, particularly Minny, who is fired without cause and fears shell never get another job as a maid. Her revenge on Hilly provides one of the books (and the movies) funniest scenes.
Dignity for these women is in short supply; they feel they are left with no choice but to resign themselves to menial work that doesnt often pay all the bills, as Aibileen notes. They hope that one day things will change for the better with men like Dr. King and Medgar Evers leading the way. They hope one day that their children will be educated enough to not need to do menial labor. The maids know that telling their stories to Skeetereven if they dont identify themselves openlymay put them in danger. When Medgar Evers is killed, the women are horrified and frightened. Will their employers see themselves in the pages of Skeeters book?
Minny, having been unceremoniously fired, finds a job working for the beautiful (but white trashy) Cecilia Foote, who is a caring, loving person with a devoted husband. Minny teaches her how to cook and helps her deal with the pain of infertility. Aibileen is raising a beautiful little girl, Mae, whose mother is often too distracted to deal with her own child. That the maids are often the girls surrogate mothers illustrates the somewhat strange history of the South. Skeeter, clearly a stand in for the author, also has a close relationship with her maid/nanny Constantine, even going so far as to try and track her down in Chicago.
I could see this book becoming required reading for high school students, as it skillfully blends fictional characters with the real racist attitudes that existed (and, sadly still exist in some places) in the southern United States.
Minny initially works for Hilly, who is the towns Queen Bee and biggest racist. Her grand idea for the future is having a separate bathroom for the help, a view she considers enlightened. She points to deeply flawed science as the reason behind this idea. And this is despite the fact that the maids often literally do everything for these women: prepare the food, care for the children, and clean the home. Yet they are silently ostracized because of their race.
Skeeter, while not advocating segregation, slowly begins to realize how unfairly the maids are being treated, particularly Minny, who is fired without cause and fears shell never get another job as a maid. Her revenge on Hilly provides one of the books (and the movies) funniest scenes.
Dignity for these women is in short supply; they feel they are left with no choice but to resign themselves to menial work that doesnt often pay all the bills, as Aibileen notes. They hope that one day things will change for the better with men like Dr. King and Medgar Evers leading the way. They hope one day that their children will be educated enough to not need to do menial labor. The maids know that telling their stories to Skeetereven if they dont identify themselves openlymay put them in danger. When Medgar Evers is killed, the women are horrified and frightened. Will their employers see themselves in the pages of Skeeters book?
Minny, having been unceremoniously fired, finds a job working for the beautiful (but white trashy) Cecilia Foote, who is a caring, loving person with a devoted husband. Minny teaches her how to cook and helps her deal with the pain of infertility. Aibileen is raising a beautiful little girl, Mae, whose mother is often too distracted to deal with her own child. That the maids are often the girls surrogate mothers illustrates the somewhat strange history of the South. Skeeter, clearly a stand in for the author, also has a close relationship with her maid/nanny Constantine, even going so far as to try and track her down in Chicago.
I could see this book becoming required reading for high school students, as it skillfully blends fictional characters with the real racist attitudes that existed (and, sadly still exist in some places) in the southern United States.
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