Different Conflicts In The Help By Kathryn Stockett

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The Help by Kathryn Stockett is told in different points of view by three women during the 1960’s. Each woman had her own different conflicts throughout the book. The three main characters in The Help , are Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter. Aibileen and Minny are black women who work in houses as maids, and Skeeter is a Southern white woman who aspires to be a writer. Confronting the issue of racism, these women had conflicts because of society and in a way they tried to break free from society’s restraints and internal conflicts. Aibileen attempts to teach Mae Mobley about self-respect without having to lose her job, Minny has to learn how to understand others while defending herself, while Skeeter has to decide whether to follow what society …show more content…
Unlike Aibileen who is reserved in her thoughts, Minny is a person that will speak her mind and will retort back to her boss. She is an opinionated black woman and that caused her to lose her job, but many would want to have her as a maid because of her impeccable cooking. “What do you think I am? A chauffeur? I ain’t driving you to no country club in the pouring rain.” (20) was what Minny said when Mrs. Hilly’s mother wanted her to take her to the country club. She snapped back at her and that shows how outspoken she is and how she spoke back to her boss. When she starts working for Celia Foote, she feels like Celia is a strange woman because she treats her like an equal and she has never experienced being treated like that. She is skeptical towards her because Celia is alway around her. Minny and Celia develop friendship as the story progresses, but Minny still has a wall up to protect herself. “You’ll always have a job here with us, Minny, for the rest of your life, if you want.” (476) was what Mr. Johnny, Celia’s husband, had told Minny because she was there for Celia when the other women in town rejected her and lost her …show more content…
Skeeter has to deal with both a social and internal dilemmas. Skeeter went to college and had earned a degree in English and Journalism. Skeeter wanted to continue her career as a journalist, but her mom wants her to get married and have a family instead. In that time period, not many women went to college; they instead got married and became housewives. She also fell in love with a senator’s son, but as soon as she told him about her beliefs and her support of African Americans, he left her. Before that had happened she was debating about telling him about the book she is writing . “I could tell she don 't understand why a colored woman can 't raise no white-skin baby in Mississippi. It be a hard lonely life, not belonging here nor there.” (113) was what Aibileen thought that Skeeter was thinking. In that thought we see that Skeeter does not see why a mother of color would have to abandon her own child for a child that was not even her’s to raise. Not being able to be part of a group or belong somewhere because of being biracial caused Constantine’s daughter to be an outcast in society. We can see that Skeeter somehow relates to that because she is the only one of her friends who has not married and is able to go to

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