In the literary novel, The Help, author Kathryn Stockett, uses an African American female named Aibileen to progress the story and highlight the absurd values of society by focusing on the issue of racism. Aibileen, one of the main characters, is introduced to the story as one of the many “help” that are tasked with the crucial job of taking care of the high-class women’s children and their everyday household duties. By giving Aibileen this demeaning job, Stockett reveals the discrimination that African Americans receive in this white superior southern society. Aibileen experiences alienation in regards to the colored bathroom, discrimination from Miss Hilly and the other League women, and struggles with the secrecy of detailing her experiences
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Miss Hilly constantly refers to colored people as lesser or insignificant an example being: when she asked Aibileen if she wanted to attend a school full of whites. When Aibileen answered truthfully that she would only want to enroll in the school if whites and blacks were all together, Hilly cringed and referred to the two races as “different,” in a derogatory way (Stockett 218). Hilly never misses a chance to refer to Aibileen and the other help as incompetent such as the moment Aibileen accidently spilled a drop of tea on her plate. Instead of forgiving her, Hilly immediately insults her and exclaims, “You can’t even teach these people how to be clean.” (Stockett 503). Comments and actions such as these project the alienation blacks face from whites and how the southern society of Jackson, Mississippi does nothing but encourage the unlawful treatment of African Americans. Aibileen faces another challenge of discrimination when Mae Mobley directly asks her “How come you’re colored, Aibileen?” Aibileen then discovers that Mae Mobley’s teacher has been feeding her information that colored kids cannot attend her school because “they’re not smart enough.” (Stockett 461). Aibileen brushes this hurtful statement off and jokingly asks “You think I’m dumb?” to which Mae Mobley replies, “You’re righter than Miss Taylor.” (Stockett 461). This simple statement of truth from a three year old makes Aibileen tear up because she has always been out casted for the color of her skin, yet she is now being told “new words” that make her feel equal to or even greater than the whites who oppressed her
Miss Hilly constantly refers to colored people as lesser or insignificant an example being: when she asked Aibileen if she wanted to attend a school full of whites. When Aibileen answered truthfully that she would only want to enroll in the school if whites and blacks were all together, Hilly cringed and referred to the two races as “different,” in a derogatory way (Stockett 218). Hilly never misses a chance to refer to Aibileen and the other help as incompetent such as the moment Aibileen accidently spilled a drop of tea on her plate. Instead of forgiving her, Hilly immediately insults her and exclaims, “You can’t even teach these people how to be clean.” (Stockett 503). Comments and actions such as these project the alienation blacks face from whites and how the southern society of Jackson, Mississippi does nothing but encourage the unlawful treatment of African Americans. Aibileen faces another challenge of discrimination when Mae Mobley directly asks her “How come you’re colored, Aibileen?” Aibileen then discovers that Mae Mobley’s teacher has been feeding her information that colored kids cannot attend her school because “they’re not smart enough.” (Stockett 461). Aibileen brushes this hurtful statement off and jokingly asks “You think I’m dumb?” to which Mae Mobley replies, “You’re righter than Miss Taylor.” (Stockett 461). This simple statement of truth from a three year old makes Aibileen tear up because she has always been out casted for the color of her skin, yet she is now being told “new words” that make her feel equal to or even greater than the whites who oppressed her