Kathryn Stockett’s ‘The Help’ is a novel that takes place in Mississippi and portrays the roles of women in 1960s and the limitations imposed on them by society. The women in the novel struggle to overcome what society has deemed as right and in turn they establish bonds with other women over shared problems. The white socialites have built social barriers between themselves and the African Americans domestic workers based upon their beliefs that blacks are lower class and diseased. In general, the domestic workers are disrespected and treated like trash. The African Americans domestic workers struggle to conquer the cultural issues imposed on them by their white employers as they work as maids cooking, cleaning and raising their employers’
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Social rules had been established that dictated how black and white people were to behave and speak to one another. Because of her mistrust towards her white employers and the sarcastic comments she makes against the injustices she experiences from them Minny frequently find herself dismissed from her jobs.
Quote: “Tuck it in Minny. Tuck in whatever might fly out my mouth and tuck in my behind, too. Look like a maid that does what she’s told.”
During the 1960s black maids were never to talk back and if they did they would be out of a job. This incident shows how dangerous it can be to challenge the lines that are meant to separate people from each other on the basis of skin color.
Minny and Hilly – At the beginning of the story, Minny was employed as a maid for Hilly Holborth’s mother Miss Walters. Hilly is the social leader of the community and head of the Junior League.
Eugenia ‘Skeeter’ Phelan a recent white college graduate upon her return home recognizes the unethical treatment that the maids are enduring and decides interview the maids in order to secretly write a book to expose this injustice. The maids want to bring awareness to how they are being treated but fear they will be found out and punished for their involvement with the book. Minny agrees to let Skeeter interview her for the book despite the danger it puts her in with her violent husband and
Social rules had been established that dictated how black and white people were to behave and speak to one another. Because of her mistrust towards her white employers and the sarcastic comments she makes against the injustices she experiences from them Minny frequently find herself dismissed from her jobs.
Quote: “Tuck it in Minny. Tuck in whatever might fly out my mouth and tuck in my behind, too. Look like a maid that does what she’s told.”
During the 1960s black maids were never to talk back and if they did they would be out of a job. This incident shows how dangerous it can be to challenge the lines that are meant to separate people from each other on the basis of skin color.
Minny and Hilly – At the beginning of the story, Minny was employed as a maid for Hilly Holborth’s mother Miss Walters. Hilly is the social leader of the community and head of the Junior League.
Eugenia ‘Skeeter’ Phelan a recent white college graduate upon her return home recognizes the unethical treatment that the maids are enduring and decides interview the maids in order to secretly write a book to expose this injustice. The maids want to bring awareness to how they are being treated but fear they will be found out and punished for their involvement with the book. Minny agrees to let Skeeter interview her for the book despite the danger it puts her in with her violent husband and