Prejudice and Racism in the Help
How would you feel if all of the hard work you’ve done was all reversed by someone? In the Help by Kathryn Stockett, seemingly all of the white people in the book are fully aware of all of the social confines between themselves and African American people with the exception of children. The maids come to love the little white children they take care of and often become a mother figure to the children as their biological mothers neglect them. However when their mothers decide to step in, they fill the children’s minds with racism and prejudice that the maids work so hard to keep out. Stockett presents the conflict between the lessons they’re taught by the maids and their white mothers as they emerge into a …show more content…
Skeeter recalls, “Oh it was delicious to have someone to keep secrets with… Someone whose eyes simply said, without words, you are fine with me,” about Constantine (Stockett, 64). This quote highlights Skeeter and Constantine’s relationship and shows the reader how much she cared for Skeeter and how much Skeeter loved her in return. Constantine was responsible for leading and teaching Skeeter grow into herself and letting her love herself, which is a mother’s job. However, from the book it is obvious that Skeeter has endured snarky comments from her mother often when she was a young girl up to adulthood. Skeeter’s mother abrasively disparages African American people as she comments to skeeter that one of the things that every white person knows is that African Americans of different genders cannot be left alone together. Clearly Skeeter’s mother has no problem berating African American people. It seems as though these types of comments are not uncommon from her mother and being raised in that type of atmosphere had to have been persuasive and sculpting for Skeeter. Skeeter loves her mother, but in a different way than she loved Constantine. It is as though she respects her mother by default because of her title. Constantine and Skeeter’s mother have affected Skeeter heavily, but ultimately, she will decide what she
How would you feel if all of the hard work you’ve done was all reversed by someone? In the Help by Kathryn Stockett, seemingly all of the white people in the book are fully aware of all of the social confines between themselves and African American people with the exception of children. The maids come to love the little white children they take care of and often become a mother figure to the children as their biological mothers neglect them. However when their mothers decide to step in, they fill the children’s minds with racism and prejudice that the maids work so hard to keep out. Stockett presents the conflict between the lessons they’re taught by the maids and their white mothers as they emerge into a …show more content…
Skeeter recalls, “Oh it was delicious to have someone to keep secrets with… Someone whose eyes simply said, without words, you are fine with me,” about Constantine (Stockett, 64). This quote highlights Skeeter and Constantine’s relationship and shows the reader how much she cared for Skeeter and how much Skeeter loved her in return. Constantine was responsible for leading and teaching Skeeter grow into herself and letting her love herself, which is a mother’s job. However, from the book it is obvious that Skeeter has endured snarky comments from her mother often when she was a young girl up to adulthood. Skeeter’s mother abrasively disparages African American people as she comments to skeeter that one of the things that every white person knows is that African Americans of different genders cannot be left alone together. Clearly Skeeter’s mother has no problem berating African American people. It seems as though these types of comments are not uncommon from her mother and being raised in that type of atmosphere had to have been persuasive and sculpting for Skeeter. Skeeter loves her mother, but in a different way than she loved Constantine. It is as though she respects her mother by default because of her title. Constantine and Skeeter’s mother have affected Skeeter heavily, but ultimately, she will decide what she