PROSE- The Help by Kathryn Sockett (2009)

The Help by Kathryn Sockett (2009)

The help is set in 1960s Mississippi and is narrated by two black maids, Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson who care for different families. The book looks at how they are mistreated, segregated and isolated by their bosses. Aibileen, who works for Elizabeth, becomes very attached to her child as Elizabeth mistreats and doesn't care for her.  By the end of the book Elizabeth becomes very jealous and fires Aibileen, also due to the push from Hilly the dastardly villain, the only kindness she shows is to her two children, Hilly Holbrook runs the "charity" group. 

Aibileen and Minny are great friends although they are completely different, Aibileen is very gentle and quiet while Minny is outgoing and can't keep her mouth closed. Minny worked for Hilly and her family, Minny has a very sparky personality and says what she thinks which is not what a maid should do. There are problems between Minny and Hilly, Hilly accuses Minny of stealing therefore Minny pulls an awful prank. Minny finds work with Celia Rae Foote, who is a very isolated and eccentric women, who desires to fit in with the other women however they will not tolerate any woman that stands out. Minny is also abused by her husband, Leroy however she can't leave him as she has multiple children and can't financially afford to leave, she lives in fear of him despite her tough front. 

The book is also narrated by Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan who is the daughter of one of the rich parents, she is in her twenties but still lives at home, many think she should be married already. Skeeter wants to be a writer and writes for the 'junior league' which many of the Ladies are proud to be a part of. Skeeter dedicates her life to writing a book about the lives of the maids to submit to New York, she gets help from the whole town of maids including Minny and Aibileen to see what happens behind closed doors. However this is very illegal and dangerous so they have to keep the project under cover, which Skeeter struggles with due to her obsessive mother. The book makes it big in New York and eventually travels to their town and although their names are different, Hilly spots that they are in the book and tells the whole town, Aibileen is fired and has to look elsewhere for work, Skeeter moves to New York to fulfil her writing career. 

Struggle for identity

• Black people are segregated they even have to go to the toilet outside, white people are made to feel superior to him
• Minny lives in fear of her husband and being abused, she can't leave as she has not choice, she is trapped
• Skeeter is always bullied by all the adults saying that she will never get a husband
• class struggle 
• struggle within gender,-all the women are repressed as none of them are allowed to work and have to do what their husbands say
• security,-when writing the book both Aibileen and Minny are living in fear, even in their own homes
• Choice- the women don't have choice, particularly the maids. There is also no contraception around yet so women don't have the choice to protect themselves from getting pregnant
• Education- many of the black people don't or can't afford an education, they are stuck in the roles of being maids

Quotes

"They think big strong Minny, she sure can stand up for herself. But they don't know what a pathetic mess I turn into when Leroy's beating on me."

"A bill that requires every white home to have a separate bathroom for the coloured help. I've even notified the surgeon general of Mississippi to see if he'll endorse the idea."

"Mrs. Charlotte Phelan's guide to Husband-Hunting, Rule Number One: a pretty, petite girl should accentuate with makeup and good posture. A tall plain one, with a trust fund."

Context

The book was set in the 1960s in Mississippi, although this was a time for the Civil Rights Movement, the South of America was always less accepting of black people than the north.There was also still discrimination and a social stigma as they stuck to traditional values in Southern America.This was also before the time of female independence and rights, being the reason most of the white females are stuck at home doing 'domestic' activities and doing 'girly' things.

Kathryn Socket was born and raised in Mississippi and also had maids working for her family. She wrote the book through the eyes of her maid, who worked for generations of her family. She mainly wrote the book because of homesickness of her town and friends from Mississippi. Therefore she has knowledge of what it was like there. She was born in 1969, where segregation was at an end in America however there was still racism and a social stigma as the southern states were known for being much less accepting of black people. She says that "not a lot changed in Mississippi from the 60s to the early 70s". She got the idea of Aibileen as Sockett also had a strong connection with her maid from birth.