FROM A NOVEL TO THE EXPLORATION OF SOCIAL ISSUES:
THE HELP BY KATHRYN STOCKETT
JOSEPHINE MEIBOM
OCTOBER 2014
3MS2
MENTOR: BLANAID RENSCH-MONTAGUE
GYMNASE AUGUSTE PICCARD
Josephine Meibom 3MS2
Research Paper The Help
Table of Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 2
The Novel: The Help by Kathryn Stockett ...................................................................................... 3
History of Segregation in Mississippi ............................................................................................... 4
Character Description ....................................................................................................................... 5
i) Aibileen Clark .......................................................................................................................................... 5
ii) Minny Jackson ........................................................................................................................................ 8
iii) Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan ................................................................................................................... 10
iv) Character Comparison ........................................................................................................................ 12
Social Issue: Women in 1960s America.......................................................................................... 13
i) The Women’s Rights Movement and the Black Feminist Movement ............................................... 13
ii) Roles and Expectations ......................................................................................................................... 15
iii) Treatment ............................................................................................................................................. 16
A) Husbands ............................................................................................................................................ 17
B) Mothers .............................................................................................................................................. 18
C) Whites and Coloreds .......................................................................................................................... 18
iv) Comparison with the Characters from The Help ............................................................................. 20
The Movie ......................................................................................................................................... 24
Conclusion......................................................................................................................................... 26
Bibliography ..................................................................................................................................... 28
i) Books ....................................................................................................................................................... 28
ii) Movie ...................................................................................................................................................... 28
iii) Picture ................................................................................................................................................... 28
iii) Websites ................................................................................................................................................ 28
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Introduction It defeats the point of the book, to put in only part of the story. It wouldn’t be telling the truth. (348)
Often while reading novels we wonder how close they are to reality. We realize that the
characters and the plot are fictional, invented by the author, but we cannot be certain of the
accuracy of the issues explored throughout the story. Indeed, the author can portray these issues in
anyway he wishes. Many historical events and episodes present in novels can be exaggerated and
influenced by the author’s personal point of view and the manner in which he illustrates them.
Furthermore, the author’s decisions on which incidents or situations he wishes to include or omit in
his work will determine how the social issues are presented. Consequently, the truth may only be
partially expressed. Indeed, deciding on how the social issues are presented, through characters and
events, is crucial for the nature of the message that is passed on to the reader.
Moreover, novels are an important and valuable means of alerting mankind to the different
problems that are present in our society today. Indeed, they help us realize what is unjust and
condemnable, and incite us to take action to eradicate such behavior and ideals. Furthermore, in the
case of historical novels, we are made aware of past issues that have been overcome and are thus
reminded not to step back in history and re-embrace such ideals. Consequently, novels may have a
huge impact on society by increasing awareness of the world’s concerns and evils, which may lead
us to change our behavior and attitudes.
The novel studied in this research paper is The Help by Kathryn Stockett.1 My aim is to study
the main social issues in the novel, and to observe how they are represented throughout the story
compared to how they existed in reality. As The Help is a historical novel set during the 1960s in
Mississippi, its different events and aspects will be compared to information from historical
sources. The issue of feminism and how women were treated and positioned in American society
during the 1960s in Mississippi will be explored.
Throughout this research paper, I have used the term colored to designate the African
American maids. Although I am aware that today the term African American is more politically
correct, I have chosen to use colored as it is more convenient and as I do not believe that it is
offensive, although perhaps a bit out of date. Indeed, the term was also the most acceptable way to
describe African Americans in the time period during which this novel takes place.
1 Stockett, Kathryn. The Help. United States of America, Penguin Books, 2010.
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The Novel: The Help by Kathryn Stockett I have an idea. Something I want to write about. But I need your help. (102)
The Help is the first novel of the American author, Kathryn Stockett. Stockett grew up in
Jackson, Mississippi before moving to New York. She therefore grew up in a similar situation to
that of the characters in the novel, especially with that of Skeeter Phelan. The Help is a story of
racism, segregation, and feminism set between 1962 and 1964 in Jackson, Mississippi. The novel is
narrated by three different characters, all women, who live and work in Jackson and who are
brought together by a mutual need to take action against the unacceptable situation of the colored
maids in the South. The three main characters of the novel are Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, a young
white woman, Aibileen Clark, and Minny Jackson, two colored maids. Throughout the story, we
follow these three women as they are brought together to write down many colored maids’ stories
about their experiences working for the white families of Jackson.
The main social issue present in the novel and which I will be commenting on, is the
treatment and the roles of women in 1960s America, focusing on Mississippi and the southern states
of America. I will explore the differences in how white and colored women were treated, what was
expected of them in society, and how they were treated by society.
The novel begins in 1962. Skeeter has just finished college and has returned to Jackson a
changed woman with different principles. She now no longer sees eye to eye with her best friends,
Hilly Holbrook and Elizabeth Leefolt. Aibileen works for the Leefolt family, mainly taking care of
their two-year old daughter, Mae Mobley. Minny works for Hilly Holbrook’s mother, Miss Walters,
but is swiftly accused of stealing silverware and is fired. As Hilly Holbrook is busy telling the
whole of Jackson society that she is a thief, Minny has a hard time finding a job until she meets
Celia Foote, who is the only white lady not under Hilly’s influence. Immediately, the racism and
segregation present in Mississippi is exposed through Hilly Holbrook’s wish to build separate
bathrooms for the help, as she believes they carry diseases dangerous for white people. Naturally,
this infuriates Aibileen, but surprisingly it also angers Skeeter, who finds she no longer agrees with
her best friend on these matters. Soon Minny’s situation in life becomes increasingly precarious as
her husband Leroy becomes exceedingly violent and brutal. Moreover, she is constantly worried
about Johnny Foote, who does not know that she works for him, finding her on his grounds and
potentially harming her. As the story continues, Skeeter tries to persuade Aibileen to help her with
her attempt to write a book on colored maids, as well as to tell her what happened to her own
childhood maid, Constantine, who mysteriously left her family while she was at college. Aibileen
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initially refuses to help Skeeter but finally agrees and persuades Minny and a few others to help as
well. During this time, Skeeter begins her first relationship with the state senator’s son, Stuart
Whitworth. However, she is gradually excluded from the Women’s League and is ignored by her
friends and the women of Jackson as her feud with Hilly Holbrook worsens. As the novel
progresses, the tension builds up, and the maids narrating their stories to Skeeter begin to worry
about what could happen to them if they get caught. When the collection of stories is finally
published, all Aibileen, Minny, and the other maids can do is wait and observe their white bosses’
reactions reading it. Eventually, Hilly Holbrook guesses who the authors of the novel are, but as
Minny has added how she avenged herself for being fired by Hilly Holbrook with the famous “pie”,
Hilly is unable to say or do anything without revealing her part in that humiliating story. Indeed, she
desperately tries to convince the women of Jackson that the stories did not take place there so as to
protect herself from any possible suspicion. However, at the end of the novel, she does manage to
get Aibileen fired by falsely accusing her of stealing silverware. On the other hand, Minny’s safety
is finally ensured when she is guaranteed a job for life working for Celia and Johnny Foote and
when she finds the courage to leave her brutal husband. Finally, Skeeter gets offered a job at Harper
& Row in New York and is able to leave behind the city she has been excluded from and begin a
new life.
History of Segregation in Mississippi “Mississippi and the world is two very different places,” the Deacon say and we all nod cause ain’t
it the truth. (294)
The presence of racism and segregation in Mississippi and in the other southern states of
America has its roots in slavery, which was brought to Mississippi via the colonial French and later
on by the English and the Spanish. The development of slavery and the presence of the slaves in the
state caused some anxiety for the white Mississippians.2 Indeed, the colored slaves were essential
for the running of plantations but they out-numbered the whites; therefore it was crucial for the
white population to maintain slavery for their own protection and economy. Consequently,
Mississippi was the second state to secede from the Confederacy in 1861 and played an important
role for the Union during the Civil War2 (1861-1865).3 After the victory of the Confederacy,
Reconstruction took place until 1877, during which time the Republicans fought to prevent the
Democrats from re-establishing white control in the southern states. In 1867, during Reconstruction,
2 “Mississippi-History”. City-Data.
3 “American Civil War”. Wikipedia.
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federal military rule was enforced in most of the South,4 which forced the now occupied states to
adopt the 14th and 15th Amendments into their Constitutions. These Amendments state that all
American citizens, including the former slaves, benefit from “equal protections of the laws” and the
right to vote.4 Thus, until the end of Reconstruction in 1877, the colored population benefitted from
treatment and rights equal to those of their white counterparts. However, once the federal troops had
withdrawn, violence and hostility against the coloreds resumed and a number of segregational laws
were created, such as the Jim Crow laws.5 Furthermore, in 1890 a Convention was established to
create a new state Constitution with the goal of preventing coloreds from voting. However, the 15th
Amendment forbade this, and so a certain number of voting restrictions were created such as
literacy tests, taxes and the ‘grandfather clause’, which granted automatic registration to anyone
whose grandfather had been authorized to vote before the Civil War.4 These restrictions immensely
disadvantaged the colored population, most of whom were former slaves, poor and illiterate.
Furthermore, because only white administrators, who were extremely biased, granted vote
registration, it was very difficult for a colored person to obtain authorization to vote. Indeed, many
colored men who were largely qualified to vote were not granted authorization whereas many white
men who were barely literate were allowed to do so. Thus, by 1940, less than 1% of the colored
population of Mississippi was registered to vote and therefore they practically had no influence in
politics and society. However, during the 1950s the Civil Rights Movement began; its goal was to
retrieve basic citizen rights that the coloreds were being denied.4 Today, segregation has officially
been demolished, although the relationships between whites and coloreds are still tense. Indeed,
many aspects of society are still subject to segregation, such as education.
Character Description There is so much you don’t know about a person. (418)
The three main characters of The Help are Aibileen Clark, Minny Jackson, and Eugenia
“Skeeter” Phelan.
i) Aibileen Clark Aibileen Clark is a colored woman in her early fifties, born in 1909 on a plantation. She has
two sisters, Inez and Mable, and was married to a man named Clyde, who left her and their son
Treelore many years ago. Treelore dies before the novel takes place, and we learn that his death has
4 “Race and Voting in the Segregated South”. Constitutional Rights Foundation.
5 cf. page 15 of this research paper for more details regarding these laws
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deeply affected Aibileen. Throughout her life, Aibileen has worked as a maid for the white families
of Jackson, Mississippi, and she specializes in taking care of their children. She usually leaves a
family when the children are around eight or nine, when they cease being “color-blind” (128), and
during her lifetime she has raised seventeen white children. Her current job as a maid for the
Leefolt family requires her to work six days a week, from eight to four o’clock, for ninety-five cents
an hour, which is under minimum wage.
Throughout the novel, we follow Aibileen as she realizes how unacceptable the colored
situation in Mississippi is, and decides to speak up and do something about it, putting herself in
danger. During the novel, Aibileen must also learn to trust and confide in Skeeter Phelan, a young
white woman, and develops a unique relationship with her.
Aibileen Clark is an intelligent, respectable, and loyal woman. Her reliability as a friend is
one of her many qualities and is conveyed through her strong, steadfast relationship with her best
friend, Minny Jackson. Indeed, they both look out for one another and are always there to help each
other. Aibileen’s love and friendship for Minny is also shown through her constant support as
Minny tries to find and keep a job, and when Minny’s husband, Leroy, beats her. Religion is also
very important for Aibileen, and this is shown through the fact that she writes down her prayers
every night and constantly refers to God, as well as using Him to explain various aspects of life to
Mae Mobley. Indeed, Aibileen explains to Mae Mobley that “God made [her] colored” (392) when
Mae Mobley asks about their divergence in skin color. In addition, throughout the novel there are
several scenes that take place in church, which suggests how important religion is for this character.
Moreover, Aibileen’s devoutness is rewarded as her prayers are considered to be very powerful. As
Minny puts it: “Rumor is you got some kind a power prayer, gets better results than just the regular
variety” (23). Furthermore, Aibileen is a very honest woman, who believes that everyone is created
equal. This is important as throughout the novel she makes it her mission to teach Mae Mobley not
to judge a person by their skin color but by their actions. Moreover, lying is not in Aibileen’s
nature; however she can make an exception to help her friends as shown when she lies to get Minny
a job (26).
Throughout the novel, Aibileen Clark evolves as a character in what she dares to do and say,
and in how the colored community sees her. Indeed, at the beginning of the novel, Aibileen is very
sure in what she has to do, as she knows what her role in society is. She obeys her white boss and
every other white person, and always says exactly what they want to hear. As she tells the reader: “I
ended up saying alright like I always do” (93). This shows us how restricted Aibileen’s and every
other maid’s liberty is, as they cannot speak up for the fear of being fired or worse. However, as the
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novel progresses, Aibileen begins to understand that the situation between white and colored people
is not right, and as she starts writing her story with Skeeter Phelan she also begins to speak her
mind when asked a controversial question. This is shown when Aibileen tells Hilly Holbrook that
she would like to go to a school “where the colored and the white folks is together” (186).
Aibileen’s new attitude and behavior shows how she has evolved from being an honest but obedient
and submissive woman to someone who disobeys and deceives her boss. She even ends up directly
confronting Hilly Holbrook, the most important white woman in Jackson, at the end of the novel.
Furthermore, Aibileen’s status in the colored community also changes throughout the novel. Indeed,
at the beginning, Aibileen is treated very well and is respected by the colored community. However,
when she begins to write her down her story and starts asking other maids to join in, she gradually
loses her respect and popularity, as what she is doing is perceived as extremely dangerous and many
become wary of associating themselves with her. This is shown through the fact that many believe
she has lost her mind, and that “old Aibileen’s basket ain’t got many pawpaws left in it” (208). This
shows us that many believe her to be old and crazy, and think that what she is doing is not worth the
risk as it is very dangerous, and that therefore she must not have anything left in life worth living
for. Moreover, many are just afraid of what could happen to them if they get involved with the
book, and so do not want to risk being associated with Aibileen. However, this new attitude towards
her does not last, and by the end of the novel her former respectability and popularity is restored, as
well as the emergence of a feeling of appreciation and admiration for what she has achieved.
Aibileen Clark also evolves throughout the novel as regards her reactions to different
situations. At the beginning of the novel, Aibileen begins to realize that she will no longer accept
the way she and all colored people are treated by their white bosses and by society. We learn that
ever since her son Treelore died, “a bitter seed was planted inside a [her]. And [she] just didn’t feel
so accepting anymore” (3). This conveys that Aibileen blames the dreadful conditions in which
colored people have to work and their inferior status in society for the death of her son. Aibileen
therefore also blames the white population, which is responsible for the racist and segregationist
society that exists in Jackson, Mississippi. This new inability to accept the different rules and laws
that put colored people below whites and that treat them as if they were an inferior, dangerous, and
unintelligent species allows Aibileen to overcome her fear of being fired or worse, and to tell her
story to Skeeter Phelan. One of her main reasons for deciding to reveal her story is Hilly
Holbrook’s “Home Help Sanitation Initiative” (158), which implies that colored people carry
diseases that are dangerous for the white population. Throughout the novel, Aibileen’s anger and
bitterness towards Hilly Holbrook and all those who think like her keeps on growing, and is
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described by the metaphor of the “bitter seed” that was planted after her son died, and that
continues to “grow inside [her] chest” (29).
ii) Minny Jackson Minny Jackson is a colored woman in her mid-thirties and is Aibileen Clark’s best friend. Minny
is a mother of five and is married to a man named Leroy, an alcoholic who often beats her. Growing
up, Minny has had to contend with a drunk father, as well as having to help her mother support their
family. Like Aibileen, Minny works as a maid for the white families of Jackson, Mississippi. She is
renowned for her excellent cooking but unfortunately is also known for her tendency to always talk
back. Because of this, although she should be a well-desired maid for her culinary skills, Minny has
been fired countless times and has trouble finding work, especially after she insults and humiliates the
most popular white woman in town, Hilly Holbrook.
Throughout the novel, Minny struggles to find and keep her job working as a maid for Celia
Foote, who is Hilly Holbrook’s enemy, and to deal with a drunk, brutal husband as well as a house
full of children. Minny also risks telling her story to Skeeter Phelan along with Aibileen and a few
other maids, which goes against her better judgment. She therefore has to learn to overcome her
distrust of white women.
Minny Jackson is a loyal friend, a tough, independent woman, and someone you can count on.
She is more than capable of standing up for herself. Indeed, she takes her revenge for being fired
and falsely accused of being a thief by humiliating Hilly Holbrook with the famous “chocolate pie”
(338-339). However, rather surprisingly, Minny is unable to protect herself at home from her
alcoholic husband Leroy who beats her not only when he’s intoxicated but also when he’s sober.
Minny is unable to stand up to Leroy or leave him because she cannot leave their children, nor can
she bring them with her if she left. She is only safe from the beatings while pregnant, as she says
herself: “Because that’s the only thing that saved me, this baby in my belly” (413). Furthermore, the
main reason for her inability to fight back is the fear of his leaving her and the children, and by
doing so leaving them with barely any financial support. However, Minny is deeply ashamed of
herself and as she puts it: “I know it makes no sense and I get so mad at myself for being so weak!
How can I love a man who beats me raw?” (413). Minny’s friendship with Aibileen is extremely
strong, and her loyalty is expressed through her constant support and love for Aibileen. Indeed,
Minny was there for Aibileen when her son Treelore died, making sure that she ate every day and
even stopping her from committing suicide. Indeed, Aibileen admits to the reader that she “already
had the rope tied when Minny found it” (28). Another main characteristic of Minny’s personality is
her big mouth, which constantly gets her into trouble, and she has been fired many times because
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she always talks back. This lack of self-control is conveyed through the orders Minny gives herself
before her job interview with Celia Foote. Minny tells herself to “tuck in whatever might fly out of
[her] mouth” (30), and this conveys that she is often unable to control what she says. Moreover,
Minny’s “sass-mouthing” is extremely problematic for a colored woman in Mississippi, as in the
1960s colored people were considered inferior to whites and were punished harshly for doing or
saying anything that went against their white bosses’ wishes.
Throughout the novel, Minny evolves as a character as regards how much control she has
over her life and over her employment situation. At the beginning of the novel, she is more or less
in control as she has a job and a healthy family. However, this does not last long, as she gets fired
almost immediately and is unable to find a new job because of her feud with Hilly Holbrook, the
most powerful white woman in town. When Minny does eventually obtain a job working for Celia
Foote and begins telling her life-story to Skeeter Phelan, she gradually continues to lose control of
her well-structured life. This is shown through the fact that Minny now has to contend with keeping
her job without getting fired or killed by Celia Foote’s husband Johnny, who does not know that she
works for him, with keeping the story-telling with Skeeter a secret from her husband, and with
avoiding Hilly Holbrook. Because of her tense situation, Minny is constantly worried for herself
and her family, as she tells the reader: “I’ve just doubled my trouble, what with Miss Hilly and now
Mister Johnny too” (45). In addition, Minny’s life gets increasingly dangerous as the book of
maids’ stories progresses because she then has to cope with the fear of being caught by the white
ladies of Jackson. However, Minny’s employment situation is assured at the end of the novel as she
is promised a job for life at Celia and Johnny Foote’s house after saving Celia from bleeding to
death while suffering a miscarriage (405). Furthermore, Minny’s situation at home also evolves
throughout the novel. Indeed, her character embodies the issue of domestic violence. At the
beginning of the novel, we learn that Leroy “[pushes] her around” (183) when he comes home from
work and that he often comes back home drunk. However, it does not seem as if the situation is
completely out of control, as Leroy does not dare hurt the children and as Minny is more or less
able to cope with his brutality. Nevertheless, as the novel progresses, Leroy’s violent attitude
towards Minny grows, especially when he realizes that Minny is keeping something from him.
Indeed, he hisses menacingly to her one night in bed: “You know I’ll find out. I always do” (412).
This shows us that Minny is completely overpowered by, subjected to, and completely terrified of
her husband, as “God knows what’ll happen to [her] if he finds out” (413). However, at the end of
the novel, Minny finds the strength to leave him, and she and the children move in with her sister
Octavia.
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At the beginning of the novel, Minny’s reactions towards different situations involving
segregation and racism are mainly to get annoyed and angry with her white bosses, occasionally
talking back or rudely commenting on the situation. She generally is constantly irritated with her
bosses and their so-called problems and would love “to have had just one hour of bossing them
around, see how they like it” (49). However, as the novel progresses, Minny’s words turn into
actions as she begins telling her story to Skeeter, even though it feels “like talking behind [her] own
back” (217). However, she does enjoy narrating her story, even if the main reason for doing so is
because she is concerned about whether in the future “a white lady will call [her] girls dirty and
accuse them of stealing the silver” (218).
iii) Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan is a young white woman in her early twenties who was born and
raised on her parents’ cotton plantation situated just outside of Jackson, Mississippi. She is the only
daughter of Carlton and Charlotte Phelan and has an older brother named Carlton Jr. Their former
family maid, Constantine, whom Skeeter had always loved and respected, raised her as a child.
However, Constantine mysteriously disappeared when Skeeter was in college and the Phelans now
employ Pascagoula to do the housework. Skeeter has recently obtained a degree in English and
Journalism from the University of Mississippi and begins to work on a household column for The
Jackson Journal at the beginning of the novel. She is friends with two of the most popular women
in town, Hilly Holbrook and Elizabeth Leefolt, and is also one of the few white girls in town who is
not married.
Throughout the novel, Skeeter becomes aware that the way colored people are treated is
wrong and decides not to sit around and watch, but to do something about it. She therefore asks
Aibileen Clark, Minny Jackson, as well as a few other colored maids to help her write a book about
their experiences working for the white families of Jackson. Skeeter also has to put up with her
mother’s pestering about finding a husband, and falls in love for the first time.
Skeeter Phelan is an intelligent, ambitious, serious, honest, and brave woman. Her
intelligence is conveyed through her completed degree in English and Journalism acquired from the
University of Mississippi and from which she graduated as number four (73), as well as the fact that
she aspires to be a journalist and novelist and not just a housewife. Skeeter does not care for fashion
or looks, nor is her only wish in life to find a husband and settle down, which separates her from the
other girls of Jackson and deeply aggravates her mother. Furthermore, Skeeter is a very outspoken
and honest woman, as she is the only white woman to consider doing something to help the colored
situation. Indeed, she directly confronts her best friend Hilly Holbrook and the white society by
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telling them what she believes about their behavior towards the help. Because of this, Skeeter
decides to show the world the maids’ perspective on their working situation. Moreover, Skeeter’s
bravery is conveyed through her actions, as not only the colored maids, but also Skeeter would be
grave trouble if caught working on such a subject, as they would be arrested because the police and
many others “despise the whites that meet with the coloreds to help with the civil rights movement”
(145).
Throughout the novel, Skeeter’s status and position in the white Jackson society changes
drastically. At the beginning of the novel, Skeeter is one of the most popular and important women
in town as she is best friends with Hilly Holbrook and has an important role in the League as editor
of the League newsletter. She fits in with the southern society and behaves more or less as she
should regarding the colored situation. We learn that ever since she has returned from the
University of Mississippi, Skeeter has not been able to fit in and doesn’t get on as well with Hilly.
Indeed, “things are different between Hilly and [Skeeter] […] But who is the different person,
[…]?” (55). Furthermore, as the novel progresses, Skeeter realizes she doesn’t at all agree with the
way the colored maids are treated by their white bosses and decides to talk to Aibileen, Minny, and
other maids. As she no longer agrees with Hilly Holbrook’s ideas, especially with the Home Help
Sanitation Initiative, Skeeter is rejected by Hilly. Moreover, as Hilly Holbrook is the president of
the League and the most popular girl in town, Skeeter’s position in the organization is degraded as
well as her position in the white society of Jackson. Hence, Skeeter is completely rejected and has
no friends left. Furthermore, as she no longer agrees with the southern ideas of segregation and
racism, she leaves Mississippi at the end of the novel for New York, symbol of freedom of
expression and the possibility of a new life.
Throughout the novel, Skeeter also breaks the barrier existing between men and women in the
workforce as she steadily moves her way up the hierarchy. At the beginning of the novel, she starts
out as the editor of the League newsletter but she quickly obtains a job at the local newspaper, The
Jackson Journal, as the author of a weekly household column. As the story progresses, Skeeter gets
support from Elaine Stein, editor at Harper & Row, and begins to write a collection of interviews
concerning the colored maids of Jackson. At the end, Skeeter becomes a best-selling author and is
offered a job as a copy editor’s assistant at Harper & Row. This evolution is something that was
completely new during the 1960s, as women were not supposed to have a career but rather to get
married and raise a family. Skeeter’s refusal to fit in with the stereotyped white woman’s image
shows us how independent she is, and also conveys that she has extremely strong will-power, as she
is discouraged and discriminated against by the majority of society, even her own mother.
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iv) Character Comparison The three main characters of The Help are alike in different ways. They resemble each other
because they all are women living in Jackson, Mississippi, during the 1960s, and are witnesses to
how women, especially colored women, are treated at that time. Because of this, the three of them
are brought together to show the world how colored women were treated by the white society.
Indeed, they wish to show Jackson that colored and white women are really just the same; as
Skeeter says, “We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I’d
thought.” (418). Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter also are alike because none of them agrees with what
is expected of them. Aibileen and Minny are forced to work extremely hard as maids, for very little
pay, and to be scorned by their white bosses because of their skin color. Skeeter has to constantly
deal with her mother, who wants her to find a husband, settle down, and bring up a family whereas
she herself wants a career. Moreover, Mrs. Phelan does not wish for her daughter to become a
writer or a journalist, as shown when Skeeter says, “I’ll never be able to tell Mother I want to be a
writer. She’ll only turn it into yet another thing that separates me from the married girls.” (56).
Furthermore, these three characters all evolve as people throughout the novel. Skeeter,
Aibileen, and Minny all go from being passive and more or less accepting of the way colored
people, especially the colored maids, are treated by their white bosses, to becoming active and
ready to do something about the situation. Throughout the novel, the three of them are brought
together for that purpose, however it is not always easy for them to interact well together as Minny
and Aibileen have to learn to trust and confide in Skeeter, something that goes against their instinct.
Moreover, both Minny and Skeeter also have to deal with how women are treated in 1960s society
as Minny suffers from domestic violence and Skeeter from discrimination in the workforce. Indeed,
by the end of the novel, both are able to overcome how they are treated as Minny finds the courage
to leave her brutal husband and Skeeter is finally able to achieve her dreams by becoming a writer
and journalist.
However, Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter are also different in many ways. The most significant
difference between the three women is their divergence in skin color and all that entails. The fact
that Aibileen and Minny are colored whereas Skeeter is white separates the three characters at the
start of the novel, and is a barrier that is hard to overcome, especially in Jackson, Mississippi, where
racial segregation is very present and any interaction between whites and coloreds very tense. This
emphasizes how the colored and white people treat each other, and illustrates how much they
mistrust each other, as shown when Minny remarks, “I think she’s making a king-sized mistake
trusting a white lady.” (136). Furthermore, another way in which the three main characters differ is
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their financial and social situation, which, of course, is also reflected by their skin color. Skeeter
Phelan and her family obviously have a lot more money than Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson,
owing to the fact that she is a white woman and comes from a respectable family that owns a cotton
plantation. Furthermore, once again, because she is white, she earns much more for the weekly job
at The Jackson Journal than what Aibileen and Minny earn for a hard week’s work. Of course,
Skeeter is also better paid than Aibileen and Minny as she has had access to better education and
has more job opportunities than the two maids, who had to quit school early to work and support
their families. Skeeter is also better protected than Minny and Aibileen, who are much more
vulnerable and more likely to lose their jobs or get arrested and killed, as shown when Aibileen
says, “White peoples with guns, pointed at colored peoples. Cause who gone protect our peoples?
Ain’t no colored policemans.” (196).
Social Issue: Women in 1960s America I took a deep breath, knowing what Mother would advise me to say: fine, strong kids, a husband to
take care of, shiny new appliances to cook tasty yet healthful meals in. (171)
i) The Women’s Rights Movement and the Black Feminist Movement The second wave of the Women’s Rights Movement, an important part of American history,
lasted from the 1960s to the 1980s. During this period of time, American women fought for equal
rights to those of men in different aspects of life such as education, politics, and the workforce.
These women were able to demand such social equality thanks to the achievements of their
predecessors, who had won the right for women’s suffrage and the status as full citizens during the
first wave of feminism, which lasted throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.6 During the
second wave of feminism, different feminist organizations and groups were formed, such as the
Nation Organization for Women (NOW). NOW was established in 1966,7 and its main objectives
were to “bring women into full participation in […] American society, exercising all the privileges
and responsibilities thereof in truly equal partnership with men”.8
Many believe that the Women’s Rights Movement of the 1960s began with Betty Friedan’s
The Feminine Mystique.9 The novel, first published in 1963, illustrates how discontent women were
with being housewives; it urged and supported women to demand more from society. Among the
6 “History of Feminism : The First Wave”. The Gender Press.
7 “The Women’s Movement”. Country Studies.
8 Friedan, Betty. “The National Organization for Women’s 1966 Statement of Purpose”. National Organization for Women (NOW).
9 Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique. United States of America. Penguin Classics. 1963
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many significant events of the Women’s Rights Movement are the Equal Pay Act (1963), Title VII
of the Civil Rights Act (1964), which prevents discrimination in employment due to sex or race, the
Equal Rights Amendment (1970),10 and Title IX of the Education Amendment (1972), which
prevents discrimination on the basis of sex in federal funded education.11 In addition to this, the
Women’s Rights Movement was also an opportunity for women to gain sexual equality. Indeed, the
oral contraceptive pill, approved in 1960 by the Food and Drug Administration,10 allowed women
to separate sex from pregnancy, bringing them to the same level of sexual freedom from which men
benefitted.12 Furthermore, in 1973 the Supreme Court legalized a woman’s right to abortion,10
which was another major step for women in the sexual revolution.
Colored women, however, were stuck between the Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s
Rights Movement. They were discriminated against on the basis of sex by the colored men of the
Civil Rights Movement and on the basis of race by the white women of the feminist movement.
Consequently, the colored women of America created the Black Feminist Movement, an
organization much more focused on their specific needs. Their main goals were to fight against the
sexism and racism they were victims of on both sides of society, and by doing so to become
independent women, equal to men and all others regardless of skin color or gender.13
The Women’s Rights Movement was a time of change for the whole of American society.
Women were obtaining the equality and social reform they had been aiming for and were becoming
increasingly involved in the workforce, education, and politics. Furthermore, women were
gradually beginning to leave the safety of the family circle and the home, and were growing
ambitious and independent. Moreover, colored women were also overcoming the racism and sexism
they were subjected to. Society therefore had to adapt to the new needs of these women, and men
had to accept that women could now have careers.
In The Help, Skeeter Phelan clearly embraces the ideals and goals of the Women’s Rights
Movement as she tries to escape the stereotype life society expects her to lead by aspiring to
become an author and journalist. Furthermore, Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson represent the
colored women of the 1960s as they try to improve their situation as colored maids in Mississippi
by revealing the hardships of their lives to Skeeter.
10 “The Path of the Women’s Rights Movement”. The Prism.
11 Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management. “Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972”. United States Department of
Labor.
12 “ People and Events : the Pill and the Sexual revolution”. PBS.
13 “But some of Us Are Brave : A History of Black Feminism in the United States”. The Thistle.
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ii) Roles and Expectations In 1960s America, society had a very clear idea about how women fitted into the routines and
challenges of everyday life and what was expected of them, their main role being to get married and
raise a family. Indeed, a woman’s main job and occupation was to take care of her husband,
children, and home, as careers were strongly inadvisable.
The average young woman got married in her early 20s, some even in their teens, and
consequently the American birthrate grew extremely high. The decade between 1950 and 1960 was
the decade in which there was the highest number of marriages; over 70% of all adults were
married. The main difference between the 1960s and today are the percentage of married adults
(51% in 2010) and the average age of the bride, which is 26 years old today compared to 20 years
old in 1960.14 As a consequence, fewer women attended college or completed their degrees, as they
very often dropped out to get married and raise a family. Women were also persuaded by society
not to seek out a higher education, which was deemed unnecessary for them, but were encouraged
to learn how to run a household and how to complete everyday tasks such as cooking and cleaning
(Friedan). Moreover, careers and education were thought to lead “to the ‘masculinization’ of
women” with “dangerous consequences to the home, the children […] and to the ability of the
woman […] to obtain sexual gratification” (Friedan;28). Therefore, in 1960, only 38% of women
were employed. The large majority of these few women had jobs as teachers, nurses, or
secretaries 15 because of the barriers between women and higher education, and political
participation (Friedan;44). As result, very few women were lawyers, doctors, or engineers, and they
were mainly excluded from politics. Furthermore, the minimum wage was equal to 1 dollar in 1960
and 1,15 dollars in 1961 (7,81 and 8,98 dollars, 2014 dollar value).16 However, until the Equal Pay
Act in 1963, women earned on average between 59 and 64 cents less than men, even for the same
jobs.17
The stereotype image of the perfect housewife created by society was mainly transmitted to
women through magazines, movies, television, and advertisements (Friedan). Many of the young
housewives did not read novels, as they were not supposed to be interested in any “ideas”. However
they did read magazines, in which were “printed virtually no articles except those that serviced
women as housewives, or described women as housewives, or permitted a purely feminine
identification” (Friedan;35). This shows us that one of the main sources of information women had
14 Fischer, Claude S. “Marrying-Up, Down, Sideways”. Made in America, Notes on American Life from American History.
15 “The 1960s-70s American Feminist Movement: Breaking Down Barriers for Women”. Tavaana: E-Learning Institute for Iranian Civil Society.
16 Wage and Hour Division: “History of Changes to the Minimum Wage Law”. United Sates Department of Labor
17 Brunner, Borgna. “The Equal Pay Act, A History of Pay Equality in the U.S.”. Infoplease.
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access to during the 1960s was information on how to be the ultimate wife and how to fit in with
society. Indeed, the majority of women lived their lives according to this image of the “ideal”
woman, created by society, and which consisted of four main stereotypes. These were that a
woman’s place is at home with her family, that a woman is unable to make any important decisions,
that a woman requires the protection of a man, and that a woman is regarded only as a sexual
being.18
White women were meant to fit in with this stereotype image of the perfect housewife.
However, in the South, women were also required to maintain the southern social order, the
“Southern Tradition”,19 which meant keeping the racial hierarchy in place. The white woman in the
southern states of America, and therefore in Mississippi, generally employed a colored maid to take
care of her children while she taught the children right and wrong and set the example of correct
social behavior. Therefore, the relationship between mother and child in the South could be difficult
and formal, as the mother was perceived as an authoritative figure, often “overbearing or
unavailable”, and mainly there to impose discipline.19
Colored women in the South were often required to work as well as their husbands to support
their families, as opposed to their white counterparts. They therefore did not completely comply
with the white expectations for a woman, as their situation in life was very different. A colored
woman was often “a cook, housekeeper, nursemaid, or all three wrapped up in one for at least one
white family”,19 but they could also be teachers or nurses for colored schools and hospitals.
Because of this, colored women often had to neglect their own families to care for a white one, and
they had very little time with their own children. Indeed, colored maids were sometimes obliged to
work 24 hours a day and only saw their families at the weekends.20 However, seeing as these
women cared for and looked after the white children whose mothers were often not available for
them, they became the confidants of these children19 and were there to comfort and reassure them
instead of their biological mothers. Consequently, strong bonds were often formed between the help
and the white children.
iii) Treatment The 1960s in America was indeed a decade of change for women all over the country.
Throughout this time, the Women’s Rights Movement was in full motion with women protesting
against the stereotype gender roles that had been created for them by society and demanding
18 Holt, Jennifer. “The Ideal Woman”. California State University. 19 Marshall, JoAnn. “The Roles of Southern Women, Black and White, in Society”. University of Alabama, Sigma Tau Delta Conventions. 20 “A History of U.S. Families with a Focus on African Americans”. Pearson Higher Education. 16 Josephine Meibom 3MS2
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equality between themselves and men in education, employment, and politics.21 Throughout history,
men had always prevented women from acceding to higher education, political participation and
from obtaining jobs in certain fields of employment, such as science, law, and medicine. Women
were often treated as inferior to men and did not benefit from rights equal to those of their male
counterparts. Indeed, because of this, women were victims of gender discrimination by the
American society, but their situation was to improve dramatically by the end of the feminist
movement in the 1980s.
A) Husbands
During the 1960s, husbands had complete control over their households and over their wives.
A wife was meant to be obedient and submissive, to do everything her husband wished for, and to
always consent to what he said, as “to disagree with her husband would have been the gravest of
errors”.22 Furthermore, women felt as if they had to constantly aim for perfection in their role as a
wife, mother, and housekeeper, and by doing so to appear appealing to their husbands. This was due
to the fact that a woman’s life and happiness depended mainly on her husband, as “men had legal
powers over the lives of their wives”23 and even their monthly budget often depended on them.22
Furthermore, domestic violence was also an important issue during the 1960s. Patriarchy, backed
by religion, had been the norm throughout history and it was taken for granted that men were
stronger than women, and therefore the husband and father controlled the family.23 Between 1965
and 1966, 46% of all crimes against women took place at home,24 and until the 1970s rape was only
considered a crime if the offender was not a spouse.23 Furthermore, domestic violence was treated
as “a family problem rather than a criminal matter”25 and the murder of wives by their husbands
was barely acknowledged by society.24 Indeed, in New York in 1962, all cases of domestic violence
were transferred from the Criminal Court to the Family Court, which only deals with civil
procedures, and therefore husbands found guilty of domestic violence were not punished as harshly
for assaulting their wives by the Family Court as they would have been punished for assaulting a
stranger by the Criminal Court.24 Moreover, divorce was not frequent, as divorced women were
unable to support themselves financially and couples were under immense pressure to have a
successful marriage.26 Consequently, women were afraid of disappointing and disagreeing with
21 Teasley, Carolyn. “Women’s Rights in the 1960s America”. Life Paths. Every topic. Every Angle. 22 RoobixCoob. “A Woman’s Role in the 1959’s”. 23 “Gender Inequality”. Social Science Computing Cooperative (SSCC). 24 History of Battered Women’s Movement”. Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV). 25 Young, Cathy. “Domestic Violence: An In-­‐Depth Analysis”. Independent Women’s Forum. 26 “Divorce in 1950”. Gender Roles 1950s. 17 Josephine Meibom 3MS2
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their husbands, as not only did they have almost complete control over their wives, but there was
also the likelihood that they resort to violence.
Husbands also had prejudiced views towards working wives during the 1960s. However, there
was a difference in how men felt about women’s employment depending on skin color. As colored
families were often poorer and worse off than white families financially, colored women were more
likely to be employed than white women to help support their families. Therefore, colored men
were more accepting of the fact that their wives were employed, as they perceived it as a necessity
and had most likely grown up with a working mother as well. White men, however, were more
restrictive in acceptance towards working women, even though higher educated white men were
more likely to have more liberal attitudes regarding their wives’ employment than lesser educated
white men.27 Furthermore, although colored men were very liberal regarding colored women’s
employment, they nevertheless imposed the stereotype women’s roles on their wives within the
family.27
B) Mothers Mothers have always had an important role in bringing up their daughters. They greatly
influence their daughters’ views by their own attitudes regarding gender roles, as daughters tend to
identify themselves with their mothers and are inclined to feel close to them.28 In addition, during
the 1960s, mothers were meant to transmit the standard social roles to their daughters, and therefore
teach them and prepare them for marriage and life as a wife and mother. The main dilemma
mothers were faced with was finding a suitable husband for their daughters while at the same time
protecting them from men.29 However, during the 1960s, young women were beginning to feel
more open to new ideas regarding sexual equality, and they therefore began to rebel against their
mothers’ archaic and conservative views about sex, marriage, and the traditional roles of women.29
Colored mothers were also faced with the challenge of bringing up daughters in a racist society.
They had to protect them from the white, male dominated society to which they were subjected to,
and therefore had to teach them to fit into society and to know their place.28
C) Whites and Coloreds During the 1960s, racial segregation was very present in southern society, and had been so for
centuries ever since slavery. Many laws were created to keep colored and white people separated;
27 Blee, Kathleen M. and Ann R. Tickmyer. “Racial Differences in Men’s Attitudes About Women’s Gender Roles”. Journal of Marriage and the Family. 28 Canty, Jayme N. “From Mother to Daughter: An Analysis of Intergenerational Activism Among African-­‐American Women From 1960 to 1961” 29 Lindley, Ruth. “Mothers, Daughters and Secularization in the 1960s”. Academia.edu. 18 Josephine Meibom 3MS2
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the most famous of these laws being the Jim Crow laws, as mentioned on page 4. In Mississippi,
these laws required, among other obligations, that schools, prisons, hospital and shop entrances be
separated by skin color.30 Furthermore, any person caught trying to promote racial equality could be
heavily fined or imprisoned, and marriage between two people of different skin color was illegal.30
In addition, colored people were treated as inferior citizens by the dominant white population, and
were believed to be naturally submissive and compliant. Stereotyped images of coloreds were
created, describing them as “unclean and shiftless, unintelligent and oversexed” and as “either
clowns or savages, with no area in between”.31 In contrast, the colored treated whites respectfully
and politely, always addressing them as “Mr”, “Mrs”, or “Miss”.31 Indeed, they always agreed with
their white counterparts and accepted that they have access to everything before themselves.
Furthermore, most of the white population, and women in particular, lived in a surrealistic world, as
they believed that the colored people they ruled over were happy and content with their status as
“second-class citizens”. Hence, they were abruptly thrown into reality when the Civil Rights
Movement demolished their false image of peace and prosperity with coloreds protesting against
their treatment by society.31 At this point, the white population of the southern states such as
Mississippi lived in constant fear of a colored rebellion, as they were afraid of losing all of their
rights and taking the colored population’s place in society if the coloreds gained power and
control.31
Segregation in Mississippi was extreme; abolishing it took a long time and provoked much
violence.32 “Racial terrorism” was particularly present during the 1960s, mainly led by the Ku Klux
Klan (KKK), which was responsible for the murder and beatings of many civil rights activists, such
as Medgar Evers, and other coloreds. 33 However, it was not only colored people who were
threatened and imperiled. White activists who supported integration were faced with exceedingly
hostile attitudes from the segregationists; they were accused of being communists, and were often
forced to leave the state.34 Therefore, because of the racist society to which both white and colored
people were subjected, their attitudes regarding one another were hostile, untrusting, and cold.
30 “Examples of Jim Crow Laws”. The Jackson Sun. 31 Sokol, Jason. “White Southerners’ Reaction to the Civil Rights Movement: Many feared Change”. U.S. Department of State. 32 Ellis, K. and Smith, S. “State of Siege, Mississippi Whites and the Civil Rights Movement: Mississippi: A Place Apart”. American Public Media. 33 Ibid. “State of Siege, Mississippi Whites and the Civil Rights Movement: Defiance and Compliance”. American Public Media. 34 Ibid. “State of Siege, Mississippi Whites and the Civil Rights Movement: The March Backwards”. American Public Media. 19 Josephine Meibom 3MS2
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iv) Comparison with the Characters from The Help Skeeter Phelan is typically one of the women of the 1960s who does not agree with the
specific, restrictive roles women were required to fulfill. She wants to be able to choose her own
life and her own way of living it. However, Skeeter is constantly urged on by her mother to follow
the example of her two best friends and get married, which exasperates her immensely.
Furthermore, the fact that her daughter refuses to try and find a husband greatly worries Mrs.
Phelan. This is shown clearly when Skeeter, tired of her mother’s hints about finding a spouse, asks
her if it would “really be so terrible” if she never got married and then watches her mother clutch
her “bare arms as if made cold by the thought” (56). This conveys how important getting married
was in the 1960s, as Mrs. Phelan seems horrified by the mere thought of her daughter never finding
a husband and not becoming an ideal housewife and mother. Moreover, Skeeter is the only white
woman in the novel to have completed college and has a degree in English and Journalism from the
University of Mississippi, whereas her best friends, Hilly Holbrook and Elizabeth Leefolt, both
dropped out of college to get married like many other girls during the 1960s. Skeeter also aspires to
becoming an author and journalist, therefore to a career, which was not considered respectable for a
woman at the time, and which goes against the accepted norm of a woman’s duties being to stay
home and run a household. Furthermore, through writing and publishing her book on maids’ stories,
she risks serious response from the extremely hostile segregationists.
Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson both perfectly embody the image of the colored women in
the South during the 1960s. Both women work as maids for white families, cooking, cleaning, and
taking care of the white babies and children, and are required to do so to support themselves and
their families financially. Throughout the novel, we discover how important a woman’s income is
for a colored family as we learn that many colored girls have to drop out of school at a young age to
start working. Indeed, we learn that Minny left school at fourteen to start her “first real job” (38). In
Minny’s case, this was not only due to the general low wages of colored people, but also to her “nogood drunk daddy” (38) who most likely did not work and did not help their family financially.
Moreover, the fact that many colored families needed several working family members is also due
to the fact that many colored people were not paid the minimum wage. The importance of the
woman’s income for a colored family is also conveyed when Minny tells Aibileen that she thought
her “big old bull for a husband gone cry” (45) when she finally got her job at Celia Foote’s house.
One of Aibileen’s many tasks working for the Leefolt family is taking care of Mae Mobley,
the Leefolt’s two-year-old daughter. Throughout the novel, an interesting relationship develops
between the two, as Aibileen becomes Mae Mobley’s close friend and guardian since Mae
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Mobley’s mother, Elizabeth Leefolt, ignores and often rejects her. This causes Mae Mobley to start
considering Aibileen as more than just the help and more like a second mother, as Aibileen is the
one there for her and the one who loves her, unlike her real mother. Indeed, Mae Mobley tells
Aibileen, “Aibee, you’re my real mama” (284). Furthermore, it also becomes Aibileen’s role to
teach Mae Mobley about self-respect and kindness as Mrs. Leefolt makes Mae Mobley feel useless
and unimportant. Therefore Aibileen starts telling her: “You kind, you smart, you important” (199),
and makes her repeat those words so she gains in self-confidence. Moreover, Aibileen makes it her
mission to teach Mae Mobley not to judge people by their skin color but by their actions. She
therefore starts telling her daring, happy stories about colored and white people. The relationships
between the colored maids and the white children they raise are often loving, as illustrated by
Aibileen and Mae Mobley’s bond, and is also shown through the relationship Skeeter had with her
maid Constantine. Indeed, Skeeter loved her childhood maid who helped her understand that she
could choose what she wanted from life (63). Therefore, when Constantine disappears while she is
at college, Skeeter feels like “her one true ally” has left her “to fend for herself” amid the people
she feels she does not belong with anymore (69).
Minny, unlike Aibileen, also has to raise a family of five children as well as working all day
for a white family. Because of her working hours, usually from eight to four o’clock Sunday
through Friday (35-36), she has very little time for her own housekeeping and children, and
practically no time at all for herself. However, when she begins to work for Miss Celia at the
beginning of the novel, Minny starts to work only on week-days and gets paid over minimum wage
for the first time, which surprises her immensely and makes “all the breath slip out of [her]” (37).
Minny’s reaction to getting paid not just the minimum wage, but more than the minimum wage
conveys how exceptional and very rare it was for the colored maids of Jackson, Mississippi. Indeed,
during the early 1960s, 86% of all “non-white” families lived below the poverty line.35
Aibileen, Skeeter, and Minny’s situations in the novel illustrate how restricted a woman’s
choice of life was during the 1960s in Mississippi. Indeed, Aibileen and Minny have no choice but
to work incessantly to support themselves, and Skeeter has to struggle immensely to break free of
the various limitations that held women back from achieving their dreams.
Throughout the novel, through the behavior of some of the white wives of Jackson, we come
to understand how much most wives wanted and needed to please their husbands during the 1960s.
35 Cozzens, Lisa. “Mississippi & Freedom Summer”. African American History. 21 Josephine Meibom 3MS2
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Indeed, their husbands had complete control over them as they didn’t “have to give nobody no
explanation about nothing” (432) and therefore it was essential for the wives to appeal as much as
possible to them. We learn that women tried to do so through hair and make-up, as well as taking an
interest in their husbands’ hobbies and passions. This is illustrated when Mrs. Phelan tells Hilly that
“no young husband wants to come home and see this”, meaning his wife a mess and her hair
unkempt (422) and when Skeeter wonders whether “the girls really care about football, or if they
just act this way to impress their husbands” (87). However, as opposed to the white women of
Jackson, Minny’s need to please her husband Leroy is more a matter of survival. Indeed, as Minny
is a victim of domestic violence, it is crucial for her to please her husband to avoid getting beaten.
However, the problem of domestic violence in Minny’s case is mostly due to Leroy’s alcoholism
and to their poverty. Indeed, because they desperately need both Minny’s and Leroy’s income to
support their family, the fact that Minny is constantly losing jobs and can no longer find any work
because she stands up to her white bosses angers Leroy. Moreover, Leroy badly wishes to avoid
upsetting the whites and is enraged when talk of the Civil Rights Movement comes up at home,
causing Minny to think that “Lord help [her] if he finds out what [she is] doing with Miss Skeeter”
(220). Furthermore, Leroy’s alcoholism leads him to be extremely brutal and to express his anger
and anxiety through violence. Minny’s situation at home and the attitudes of the wives of Jackson
towards their husbands illustrate how much power men had over their wives and how little men
were punished for domestic violence as well as how much women desired to please and appeal to
their husbands during the 1960s.
Skeeter Phelan has a monotonous relationship with her mother. Although Skeeter loves her
mother and her mother loves her, Mrs. Phelan can be very exasperating and irritating when it comes
to teaching Skeeter how to behave and present herself in public. However, as mentioned before, the
role of the white mother in the South was to teach her children about social behavior, and therefore
she was not a close, loving mother, but could be demanding and harsh. However, the relationship
between Skeeter and her mother is not that severe and unforgiving as Mrs. Phelan is simply
determined to turn her only daughter into a fine young lady, and hopefully a caring wife and
mother, so that she can have the best possible life. Elizabeth Leefolt, on the other hand, represents
the role of an authoritative mother as she rarely has any time for her daughter, Mae Mobley, and is
quick to scold her. She therefore heavily relies on Aibileen, her maid, to take care of her child.
Throughout the novel, Skeeter’s mother embodies the stereotype middle class white mother of
the 1960s whose main goal was to get her daughter settled down and married. Indeed, Mrs. Phelan
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constantly urges Skeeter to take an interest in men and does everything in her power to turn her
daughter into a charming and attractive woman so as to draw in potential spouses. She is driven
crazy by her daughter’s height and would “rather [Skeeter] suffered from apoplectic diarrhea than
stand up straight” (57). Mrs. Phelan therefore desperately tries to get Skeeter’s frizzy and
uncontainable hair under control, which is “all she has left to fix” (109), as shown when she chases
Skeeter around the house “with the Magic Soft & Silky Shinalator” (109). Moreover, when Skeeter
finally meets Stuart Whitworth, her mother ceaselessly gives her advice on etiquette and on how to
behave in his company, as illustrated when she tells Skeeter to “don’t forget to smile” and advises
her to cross her ankles and not her legs (170). This behavior shows us how much Skeeter’s
relationship with Stuart affects Mrs. Phelan, as she is constantly anxious about whether Skeeter will
ruin a great opportunity of getting married. This is also conveyed when Skeeter tells the reader that
Mrs. Phelan “won’t criticize [Skeeter] in front of him” and only wants to show Stuart Whitworth
her good side until it is “too late” (242). Furthermore, Mrs. Phelan’s role as a white mother in the
South is to teach Skeeter how to behave in southern society, and she sets the example by teaching
her daughter that the colored help are inferior to them and that Skeeter must not trust them. This is
illustrated when Skeeter tells the reader that “Mother watches [Pascagoula’s] every move” (162)
and when Mrs. Phelan tells Skeeter: “It’s time you learned, Eugenia, how things really are. […]
They are not like regular people” (364). However, Skeeter continually finds herself disagreeing
with these standards and with the constraining roles she is required to fulfill. Consequently, Mrs.
Phelan’s relationship with her daughter conveys how important finding a spouse was during the
1960s as well as how the daughters’ priorities were changing. However, being a colored mother in
the South during the 1960s involved protecting your children from the dominant white population
and teaching them to conform to the racist society. Therefore the issues at stake were clearly more a
question of surviving in an unfair, racist society, rather than mere social acceptance and
conventions. This is illustrated when Minny tells the reader that she is only concerned about
whether “a white lady will call [her] girls dirty and accuse them of stealing” (218), which shows us
how important is for her to protect her daughters as much as possible.
The relationship between coloreds and whites during the 1960s in Mississippi was extremely
tense and discriminating. Indeed, colored people were treated unfairly and were considered as
inferior and unintelligent. This is conveyed through the fact that when the white women of Jackson
speak, they raise their voices “about three octaves higher when [they talk] to colored people” and
they smile “like [they are] talking to a child” when addressing their maids (157). Moreover, colored
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people were in a very dangerous position, as they were not protected from whites by the law. This is
illustrated when Aibileen says that “there [are] white men out there hungry to hear about a colored
person crossing whites, ready with they wooden bats, matchsticks” (191). Moreover, colored
women were especially vulnerable as they were often also victims of rape by white men (258).
Consequently, coloreds were regularly victims of violence, as shown when civil-rights activist
Medgar Evers was brutally shot “right in front a his children” by the KKK (195). However,
although white men were quick to resort to violence, white women had less brutal but insidiously
crueler ways of punishing disobedient maids. This is illustrated by Aibileen’s description of how a
white woman would proceed, emphasizing that they “like to keep they hands clean” but that they
“don’t ever forget” and that they “ain’t gone stop till you dead” (188). Nevertheless, it was not only
colored people who were victims of this racist and oppressive society. Indeed, white people who
were supportive of the civil-rights movement or who encouraged equality regardless of skin color
were also endangered, as shown when Skeeter tells the reader that, since starting the book of maids’
stories, she “no longer feel[s] protected just because [she is] white” as she is “now a threat to every
white family in town” (278).
Subsequently, colored people were required to behave in certain ways to avoid putting their
safety at risk. This is conveyed through the seven rules concerning working as a maid for a white
family and which Minny’s mother imposes on her daughter (38-39). These rules exist to ensure that
Minny, and all of the other colored maids, stay out of their white bosses’ business, avoid coming
into direct physical contact with them, and always comply with their wishes. These instructions
imply that white people are superior, dominant, and possibly dangerous if disobeyed and underline
the fundamental rule that all colored people believe: “white people are not your friends” (38).
Consequently, these unofficial laws governed the everyday lives of colored people and the
relationships between them and their white bosses. This is illustrated through what the colored
maids had to contend with and accept, as to disagree or complain would mean being fired or worse.
Indeed, we find out that Minny had to cope with being called “nigger”, eating lunch outside every
day and in all weathers, and having her hair test-dyed blue (227).
The Movie I’ve seen how simple it can be and […] how complex it can be between the families and the help. (105)
The Help was adapted into a movie in 2011 by DreamWorks Studios. The movie is directed by
Tate Taylor and stars Emma Stone as Skeeter Phelan, Viola Davis as Aibileen Clark, and Octavia
24 Josephine Meibom 3MS2
Research Paper The Help
Spencer as Minny Jackson.36 The main plot, lives, and personalities of the characters remain the same
in both novel and film. However, as in every screen adaption of a novel, some scenes and details from
the book have been left out or modified. Indeed, some important aspects of the novel have been
altered, such as the narration, Mrs. Phelan’s personality, and Leroy Jackson’s importance in the novel.
The main plot of the novel is not altered in the movie. Aibileen, Minny, Skeeter, and the other
secondary characters are all present and have the same roles as in the novel. Many of the
conversations between the characters, as well as numerous scenes are very true to those written in
the book. Therefore, the screen adaptation may be considered quite faithful to the novel, even
though some aspects have changed.
An important aspect of the novel is its type of narration. Indeed, the three main characters,
Aibileen, Skeeter, and Minny all narrate the novel. However, in the movie, only Aibileen narrates.
This leads us to believe that Aibileen is the true author of the story and undermines the importance
of Skeeter and Minny to the plot, even though they are central characters. Furthermore, as we are
not privy to Skeeter’s inner thoughts, the struggle of a white woman against a sexist society is not a
central part of the plot. The movie is much more focused on the segregation and racism in
Mississippi during the 1960s rather than a woman’s place in society, an aspect that is much more
present in the novel. Moreover, Mrs. Phelan’s personality in the film is much more forgiving and
loving than in the novel. Indeed, although she does pester Skeeter about finding a husband, she is
not as insistent, nor as anxious as in the book. Furthermore, in the movie, Mrs. Phelan guesses
Skeeter’s part in the collection of maids’ stories and tells her how proud she is, whereas in the novel
she knows nothing about her daughter’s success as an author and never directly expresses her love
for Skeeter. This modification of Mrs. Phelan’s personality diminishes her role as an authoritative
mother, whose main goal is to get her daughter married, and reduces the importance of how women
were treated during the 1960s, which is much more significant in the novel. Moreover, Leroy
Jackson’s presence in the movie is extremely limited and his domination over Minny is not
rendered as crucial as in the novel. This also removes the attention from sexism in the movie,
whereas in the novel women’s roles and treatment are thoroughly explored. Over all, the movie
adaptation has focused more specifically on segregation but has left out major issues, such as how
women were treated during the 1960s.
36 The Help. Dir. Tate Taylor. Perf. Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone. DreamWorks Studios, 2011. DVD. 25 Josephine Meibom 3MS2
Research Paper The Help
Conclusion We want to show your perspective…so people might understand what it’s like from your side. We
[…] hope it might change some things around here. (164)
Exploring the social issues of The Help by Kathryn Stockett and comparing them to reality
has led to a more profound understanding of the goals of a novel. The depth of female gender roles,
feminism, and segregation based on skin color in 1960s southern American society illustrated in
The Help is fully supported by the research done on the historical issues. Therefore, the novel
remains close to reality, and the reader is struck by the significance of the issues portrayed.
Furthermore, the novel alerts us to the depth of sexism and racism present during the 1960s in
Mississippi and incites the reader to be more aware of the fact that these issues are still present in
southern American society today. However, living in the 21st century, 50 years later, this novel also
helps us become much more conscious of the huge step society has taken since the 1960s, as racism
and segregation have been officially demolished and coloreds benefit from equal rights to those of
their white counterparts. Indeed, today colored people are much more present and prominent in
American society, and America now has its first colored president. Furthermore, sexism has also
been largely eliminated in many modern constitutions, as women can now officially be employed in
any section of the workforce for equal pay and can participate in politics. Indeed, the influence of
the first lady today in modern society is much more important than during the 1960s, where
Jacqueline Kennedy was only taken notice of by the women of Jackson because of what she wore.
The impact The Help has had on society since its publication in 2009 is considerable. Indeed
over three million copies of the novel have been sold worldwide, translated into 40 languages.
Moreover, the novel spent a significant amount of time on the New York Times Best Sellers list and
was the # 1 New York Times Best Seller for several weeks.37 The movie adaptation has also had a
huge success and was nominated for four Academy Awards in 2012 including Best Motion Picture,
Best Actress (Viola Davis for Aibileen Clark), and twice for Best Supporting Actress (Jessica
Chastain for Celia Foote and Octavia Spencer for Minny Jackson);38 Spencer also won the award.39
Indeed, because the novel has been such a success worldwide, many people have been made much
more aware of the issues and their continued presence in society today. Hence, we can hope that
37 Penguin Books. “About The Book”. The Help, A Novel. 38 Penguin Books. “Latest News”. The Help, A novel. 39 “The Help, Awards”. IMDb 26 Josephine Meibom 3MS2
Research Paper The Help
mankind will respond to these issues by continuing the struggles that commenced during the 1960s
with the Women’s Rights Movement and the Civil Rights Movement.
27 Josephine Meibom 3MS2
Research Paper The Help
Bibliography Including references to the Internet
All numbers in parenthesis after citations refer to the page number in the novel The Help by
Kathryn Stockett. Parentheses including Friedan refer to the novel The Feminine Mystique by
Betty Friedan.
i) Books §
Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique. United States of America, Penguin Modern
Classics, 1963.
§
Stockett, Kathryn. The Help. United States of America, Penguin Books, 2010.
§
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Shaw, Tony. “Kathryn Stockett: the Help (2009)”. Oct. 20 2010. Sept. 3 2014.
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