The Help Essay

Racial stereotypes surrounded people in the mid twentieth century. Children acquired these ideas from their parents, therefore bringing these concepts into the next generation. People were defined by race, rather than by their personalities. The majority of white people conformed to racist ideals because they did not know better, however those who stood apart made a difference. The novel, The Help, by Kathryn Stockett exhibits not all people act in the same manner, just as not all people are treated equally. The Help skillfully expresses how black maids in the 1960s could not create justice for themselves; but with the help of a white woman who was brave enough to go against the status quo, they are able to attempt to stop …show more content…
There are characters in the book who make finding justice nearly impossible for Aibileen and the other maids. The antagonist of the book, Hilly, is especially rude to Aibileen and even worse to another maid. Minny, one of Aibileen’s closest friends, was Hilly’s mother’s maid until Hilly fired her, then Hilly spread rumors in order to stop Minny from getting another job. Hilly creates difficulty for the maids and Skeeter, the white woman adamant on helping out the maids, to create social justice. Hilly believes black people are diseased and will not use the same bathroom as people of another race. She expresses this by creating an initiative to add “black bathrooms” to homes around Jackson, Mississippi, the town in which The Help takes place. Skeeter, even though she does not share Hilly’s views, writes the newspaper for the Junior League, a group Hilly runs within the town. Hilly pressures Skeeter into writing about the bathroom initiative in the newsletter. “‘I want my initiative in the next newsletter, a full page next to the photo ops.’ I pause, ‘the bathroom thing?’...I am the editor the League newsletter. But Hilly is president. And she’s trying to tell me what to print. ‘I’ll see. I don’t know if there’s room.’ I lie. ... ‘Then make room,’ Hilly says, ‘because this is pretty darn important (Skeeter, pg. 71).’” This quote shows how opposition can stop racial …show more content…
Her mind is consumed with thoughts of writing and boys until she meets Aibileen, and her eyes are opened up to the harsh realities her community is facing. Skeeter is adamant to get a job writing for a substantial journal, and she seems to catch a break when the editor for a New York paper responds to a letter she sent. However this editor will only read her work if she presents an idea with potential. After seeing how Hilly treats Aibileen, Skeeter hatches the brilliant plan to interview the maids of her town and share their stories. The editor says the idea has promise, but a substantial amount of convincing is needed before Aibileen agrees to share her stories, let alone the other maids. When Aibileen and Skeeter are first talking, Aibileen is sceptical of Skeeter’s intentions. However after they work together and after Skeeter works with many more maids, their friendship grows significantly. The following quote illustrates the growth. “We set there a second, listening to the storm. I think about the first time Miss Skeeter came to my house, how awkward we was. Now I feel like we family (Aibileen, pg. 512).” At first Aibileen does not believe a white woman would want to help the black community. However, once she gets to know Skeeter and they start to work together, the project gains momentum quickly. As the maids share their stories, they start to feel a sense of companionship and gain