Monday 11 June 2012
Themes: Segregation
- Yule May's son beaten, blinded, and jailed because of use of white bathroom
- Skeeter segregation from the society women when she beings to voice opposing opinions
Hilly's Initiative
The Home Help Sanitation Initiative
 |
| "Drop off any old toilets to the home of Mrs. Hilly Holbrooke" |
Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan
 |
| "I expected the stories to be sweet, glossy. I realized I might be getting more than I bargained for" pg 168. |
“’These is white rules. I don’t know which ones you followin’ and
which ones you ain’t.’
We
look at each other for a second. ‘I’m tired of rules.’” Pg. 173.“Hilly raises her voice about three octaves when she talks to colored people. Elizabeth smiles like she’s talking to a child, although certainly not her own. I am starting to notice things.” Pg. 183.
Minny
 |
| “What you think I am? A chauffeur? I ain’t driving you to no country club in the pouring rain.” Pg.17. |
“Tuck it in Minny. Tuck in whatever might fly out my mouth and tuck in my behind to. Look like a maid who does what she's told.” pg. 36
“What am I doing? I must be crazy, giving a white woman the sworn secrets of the colored race to a white lady. Feel like I'm talking behind my own back" pg.253
Aibileen
 |
| "You is kind. You is smart. You is important." pg. 111 |
“You see her in the Jitney 14 grocery, you never think she go and leave her baby crying in her crib like that. But the help always know.” Pg. 5
“Three years ago today, Treelore died. But by Miss Leefolt’s book it’s still floor cleaning day.” Pg. 114
Journal Five Reflective Entry
Reflective Entry
I believe the major theme of this novel was that of social
rules and segregation in society, as well as the idea that love has no
boundaries. I think these two ideas and
concepts were greatly what the author was trying to get across and teach us as
readers. I believe that the purpose of
this novel was to make a person think about where social rules and lines stem
from. This novel showed the progression
of the understanding the characters have that God has not set in these
boundaries from creation; they have developed from society’s views and beliefs
on the matter. This is depicted in the
treatment Mrs. Celia Foote has towards Minny and the friendly nature and quality
she has in her relationship with Minny, and the lengths of which she goes to
protect her. It is also shown in the
affection and love Mae Mobley holds towards Aibileen because of the kindness
Aibileen showers her with. The idea that
love has no boundaries is also seen in the same ways as well as the
relationship Skeeter develops with Aibileen as well as many of the other
maids. In fact, at the end of the novel
once the book is published by Skeeter, the preacher at Aibileen’s church asks
her to pass on a message to Skeeter; “We love her like, like she’s our own
family” pg. 458.
An area of the “real world” where these themes are prevalent
are in the recent tragedies with the disaster in New Orleans. Although one would hope that in today’s modern
day and society that social segregation and racial discrimination did now
exist, however that is not the case in some places on this earth. During the summer of 2005, a disaster took
New Orleans and much of the world by shock.
However that is not what I am going to discuss. As part of the aftermath of this devastation,
there was much negative and radical behaviour by many white residents in the
New Orleans area. There was a movement
by many people with extreme views that it was now “open” season on any black
residents and that they would openly shoot at them in the reasoning that they
were protecting their homes and land and possessions from these people that
were “looting”. This, much like themes
explored in the novel, is segregation based purely on race and ignorance and
ideas that people have created in their minds because of racial
discrimination. Very similar to the
thought that was brought up in the novel that black people carried different
diseases, was the idea that simply because a person was black, they were
looters and thieves.
During the same time however, the other theme of the novel
The Help that love has no boundaries, this was also demonstrated in the
aftermath of hurricane Katrina. There were
many stories of people of both races going out of their way to try and help
each other out and save and rescue each other’s lives. These actions show the theme explored in the
novel being that regardless of race, hatred can be overcome with love and
support and love can be found anywhere.
Both of these themes were explored in the novel, and can be
found in many areas of “the real world” however I believe these two I have
discussed to be recent and largely significant.
Journal Five
Third column of K/W/L Chart
Learned (please finish after have read most or all of the book) (Summarize the answers to your questions in column
2; what did you find out? What did you learn from the book overall?)
What
I found out was that not only did the book deal with and explore the stories of
the maids, but that it also went into other conflicts and dilemmas faced by the
characters. Also, not only did the
characters experience segregation between black and white, but also any white
person that were to demonstrate “radical” thinking and ideas that were too
advanced for the time. As a reader, I got
to look into the different levels of relationships between black and white
people, for example Aibileen’s relationships with her employer Mrs. Elizabeth
Leefolt, the little girl she is raising in the Leefolt household, and that with
Ms. Skeeter are all completely different.
It was also interesting to see the effects that such things as the novel
To Kill a Mockingbird as well as the “I have a dream” speech by Martin Luther
King Junior had on small towns on a practical level. In the novel there is reference to both of
these things; however it is clear that on an immediate and practical level, there
was no effect. People living in the town
still have the same beliefs and there is absolutely no noticeable change
because of them. It goes into more
specific detail and explanation of the speech made, however even there it is
mentioned very little. I think this was
to draw emphasis to the fact that many of the town did not or did not have time
to take notice of it. Even the maids
mention it briefly but not in a substantial way. They still have their jobs to attend to and
are just too busy to altogether care that much.
What I also discovered was that the title of the book itself is very
substantial because throughout the novel, often times the maids were not
thought of as people per-say and were instead thought of as simply these beings
that were there to do a person’s bidding and look after their home for them. And
so they were referred to as “The Help” and not by name or thought of as regular
women just needing a job. It was also a
pleasant surprise through some parts of the novel to see the positive
relationships between some of the maid’s and their employers. Some of the ladies helping with bail bonds
for the maids children, bringing them dinner, and just overall niceties. When I was expecting to read a very negative description
of life of a maid in Jackson, Mississippi, turned out to be a lovely read. Yes it
had negative things that happened, but it more of a moving and inspirational
read than anything else.
Journal Four
Personal Reflection
I personally can greatly relate to some of the themes and
conflicts that occur in this novel. Not on
a level of race, but as far as social rules, and judgement, and such, I have
had my fair share of negative experiences with these. From grade 1 to grade 6, I was hugely bullied
by these two girls at my elementary school.
They treated me so poorly and in fact told me that they found joy in
making me cry. In grade 6 however things
became much more vicious. They began making stories up about me and lying to
the other girls in my class about various things about me. All in the attempts to turn all of the other
girls against me and so that no one would talk to me or be my friend. For me this was very upsetting and a very
difficult thing for me to go to. Any girl
that DID decide to hang out with me at recess or talk to me in class, would
later be approached by all the other girls and given a hard time about doing so,
and normally the next day they would avoid me as well. I am not in ANY way implying that these
situations are remotely equal. However personally
I did face issues of the same thought just on a MUCH smaller scale. The group of girls that I had to deal with at
my school could be compared to the Junior League in the novel and I could be
compared to Mrs. Celia Foote or any of the black maids in the novel The Help. Not with the exact actions that took place,
but with the general overall feel of how these girls behaved and treated
others. They were very popular, rich and
had influence over everyone in the class.
If you went against something they said or didn’t follow what they
wanted, they would gang up and be incredibly mean, as well as would decide to
not speak to anyone who did try to be nice to me, much as the socialites in the
Junior League become cold and shun Skeeter once she begins to voice opposing opinions
from them. What I have learnt since dealing with this, is that first of all I am
6 years older and so have grown up and matured lots since having to go through
this. Back then I was too afraid to
stand up for myself and tell the girls they were wrong because even though they
were mean to me, I was too nice of a person and didn’t ever want to hurt
someone else’s feelings. In this
respect, I haven’t changed much, however
because of that experience as well as others, I have learnt that if you are too
nice all the time, people will take advantage of you and walk all over
you. If I were to be back in that
situation, I would have stood up for myself, as I now do if I am ever faced
with negativity from people around me.
Journal Three
Elements of Fiction Chart
Element of Fiction or Journalism (for example: character, setting, dialogue, 5 Ws): Setting: Run-down black neighbourhood with the juxtaposition of Skeeter’s Cadillac
Element of Fiction or Journalism (for example: character, setting, dialogue, 5 Ws): Setting: Run-down black neighbourhood with the juxtaposition of Skeeter’s Cadillac
Where and how does it occur? Give
examples. : This occurs in the first few
chapters where Skeeter drives to Aibileen’s home to do the interviews for the
book she wishes to write from the perspective of the help. For the first few interview sessions she has,
she drives in her family’s Cadillac, but after some time, Aibileen tells her
that she is not to do so anymore so as to draw as little attention to herself
as possible when she enters their part of town.
How does it help create/promote the main idea(s)
or theme(s) of the book?: This
helps promote the some of the main ideas and themes of the book because even
just the juxtaposition of the shiny, expensive car in the run down, shack-like
neighbourhood shows the huge difference between the ways of life of the white, privileged
families, and the beat up, broken down homes of the black families that live in
those neighbourhoods. However it also
demonstrates the fear that is inside every one of the maids’ hearts that speaks
to Skeeter about their stories. The fear
that they could be found out and what that would mean for themselves and their
families, and all the preventative steps they take to be extremely cautious and
make sure that it doesn’t happen.
Element of Fiction or Journalism (for example:
character, setting, dialogue, 5 Ws): Point of View: Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan
“Hilly
raises her voice about three octaves when she talks to colored people. Elizabeth smiles like she’s talking to a
child, although certainly not her own. I
am starting to notice things.”
How does it help create/promote the main idea(s) or theme(s) of the book?: Skeeter’s point of view throughout the novel demonstrates that there are such distinct social rules and lines and boundaries set in place by society to dictate what can and cannot go on between a black person and a white person. The fact that Skeeter is taking the initiative to write the book does not mean it’s an easy feat. All of the maids are skeptical because of everything they have learned from society and Skeeter must earn their trust in the fact that he heart is in the right place. Also as a character, Skeeter develops in her own belief systems and point of view as she learns of the true story from the maids. Her point of view also shows the social lines that exist not only between the black and white communities, but also within the society of the white ladies and socialites among the town. Skeeter is already an outcast because she is not married with a family, and she went to university for writing and has a job as a journalist, as opposed to staying home and being a housewife. Because of these facts she begins the novel already not fully relatable to the other women and slightly on the outs, however as she as a character develops her ways of thinking towards the treatment of the black maids and begins to grow disdain and notice the poor ways in which her friends treat them, she begins to not be so silent among her friend groups. This depicts again the social rules within the white society itself. As Skeeter speaks out and begins to make her views and opinions vocal and known, the society and Junior League shun her and grow an bitter and cold nature towards her, showing that it is expected of the white ladies to speak and behave a certain way based on social rules in place.
Element of Fiction or Journalism (for example: character, setting, dialogue, 5 Ws): Character: Mrs. Celia Foote
Where and how does it occur? Give
examples.: “’These is white rules. I don’t know which ones you followin’ and
which ones you ain’t.’
We look at each other for a second.
‘I’m tired of rules.’”
How does it help create/promote the main idea(s) or theme(s) of the book?: Skeeter’s point of view throughout the novel demonstrates that there are such distinct social rules and lines and boundaries set in place by society to dictate what can and cannot go on between a black person and a white person. The fact that Skeeter is taking the initiative to write the book does not mean it’s an easy feat. All of the maids are skeptical because of everything they have learned from society and Skeeter must earn their trust in the fact that he heart is in the right place. Also as a character, Skeeter develops in her own belief systems and point of view as she learns of the true story from the maids. Her point of view also shows the social lines that exist not only between the black and white communities, but also within the society of the white ladies and socialites among the town. Skeeter is already an outcast because she is not married with a family, and she went to university for writing and has a job as a journalist, as opposed to staying home and being a housewife. Because of these facts she begins the novel already not fully relatable to the other women and slightly on the outs, however as she as a character develops her ways of thinking towards the treatment of the black maids and begins to grow disdain and notice the poor ways in which her friends treat them, she begins to not be so silent among her friend groups. This depicts again the social rules within the white society itself. As Skeeter speaks out and begins to make her views and opinions vocal and known, the society and Junior League shun her and grow an bitter and cold nature towards her, showing that it is expected of the white ladies to speak and behave a certain way based on social rules in place.
Element of Fiction or Journalism (for example: character, setting, dialogue, 5 Ws): Character: Mrs. Celia Foote
Where and how does it occur? Give
examples.: The
majority of Minny’s chapters take place dealing with and working in the home of
Mrs. Celia Foote. Celia as a character
is not from Jackson Mississippi but in fact from much farther south. Because of this, she is not aware or used to
the ways of society in the new town she has moved to. She does not understand the boundaries in
between a white women and her black maid and therefore crosses many of the lines
when dealing with Minny working in her household. For example, the first day Minny works in her
home, she does not think it makes sense for Minny to eat outside by herself and
so tells her to come in and eat with her in the kitchen.
How does it help create/promote the main idea(s)
or theme(s) of the book?: This
character helps immensely demonstrate a major theme of the novel, being social
rules and what is socially acceptable. Because
she is not from Jackson Mississippi and has not grown up and lived there for
very long, she does not follow or live by any of the social rules that have
been set in place for years by the white society of Jackson, Mississippi. By having a character who behaves a way
completely different from all the other society ladies of the town, it
demonstrates how the lines and boundaries are not in fact put in by God, as
many of the town believe, and are in fact set in place by belief systems and
can in fact be broken and changed.
Element of Fiction or Journalism (for example:
character, setting, dialogue, 5 Ws): Plot: Aibileen potty training Mae Mobley
Where and how does it occur? Give
examples.: The
struggles Aibileen faces in trying to potty train Mae Mobley is that Mae Mobley
refuses to try herself on the toilet, unless Aibileen shows her first. Aibileen is used to teaching young children
how to use the toilet because she’s helped raise 17 other children before the
Leefolt family. However, she has never
faced the issue of not being able to use the washroom inside the white
home. Because of Hilly Holbrook’s Home
Help Sanitation Initiative, the Leefolt family had recently had a separate
toilet made for Aibileen in the garage. As
a result, Aibileen is conflicted as to how she should demonstrate to Mae
Mobley. Does she use the white washroom
that Mae Mobley will use eventually, and run the risk of being caught by
Elizabeth Leefolt? Or does she take Mae Mobley out to the garage and risk that
she will learn to use the coloured toilet in her own home and eventually receive
the repercussions from her mother. Aibileen decides to show Mae Mobley on her own
coloured toilet and hope to rush her inside so she may use her own, however Mae
Mobley climbs right onto the coloured toilet and later does so again for her
mother, for which she suffers greatly.
How does it help create/promote the main idea(s)
or theme(s) of the book?: This sub plot demonstrates exceptionally the struggles that
are faced by the black maids with regards to social rules and racial
segregation. This aspect of the book,
again, shows a strong concept of the book being the discovery and exploration
of the social rules, boundaries, and lines and the idea that they are simply
based on perception. Mae Mobley, being a
young girl who has not yet learnt and grown up with the rules of how she, as a
white female, and Aibileen, as a black woman, can interact, she does not
understand the boundaries that are set in place and therefore behaves as though
there are none. As the characters begin
to notice and believe so, the knowledge that these so called “rules” are in
fact only based on perception and in reality are only believed to be true by
someone who has lived with and been taught these ways of living. And as Mae
Mobley shows readers as well as the characters of the novel, it is not nature
that instills these “morals”, but instead it is nurture.
This conflict also demonstrates a greatly huge
theme of the novel being racism. It is
believed among many in Jackson that black people carry diseases and illness and
can pass them on to white people simply by using the same toilets, which is why
the initiative is put in place. This is
grossly wrong and there are many other uneducated assumptions and ideals based
on race that appear in the novel.
Element of Fiction or Journalism (for example:
character, setting, dialogue, 5 Ws): Conflict: Yule May’s son beaten and jailed for using white
bathroom
Where and how does it occur? Give
examples.: About
two thirds through the book, one of Aibileen and Minny’s friend’s son
accidentally uses a white washroom because there was no signage. As a result, he was viciously beaten so much
so that he became blinded, and on top of which, he was arrested and sent to
jail.
How does it help create/promote the main idea(s)
or theme(s) of the book?: This
is an absolutely clear representation of a very strong throughout the novel
which is that of racial segregation. Simply
because of the misunderstanding made by this black male, he faced incredible
consequences and punishments. Although this
seems extreme, it is completely in the realm of realism and is exactly what
might have happened during the time.
Element of Fiction or Journalism (for example:
character, setting, dialogue, 5 Ws): Symbols: The Home Help Sanitation Initiative and coloured
toilets
The initiative and coloured washrooms also depict the racism that took place during the time, which is also a hugely explored theme throughout the novel.
Where and how does it occur? Give
examples.: Hilly’s
Home Help Sanitation Initiative appears throughout the entire novel and is one
of the major symbols, events, and topics that are vastly explored throughout
the book. The toilet appears in many
different contexts, from Aibileen’s employer family introducing the colored
toilet into the home, the ladies of the Junior League attempting to put it in
the newsletter and Skeeter fighting against doing so, and also Aibileen facing
the struggles of trying to potty train Mae Mobley.
How does it help create/promote the main idea(s)
or theme(s) of the book?: The toilets represent in one of the most obvious ways what
was socially acceptable in the time. The
Home Help Sanitation Initiative is a clear representation of the racial segregation
in the communities and white households.
Also, as the boundaries begin to be broken and bent by various characters,
the toilets also represent and depict that change. As Skeeter discovers more from the maids, she
herself realizes that the lines and rules are inappropriate and do not need to
exist. In rebellion of Hilly’s constant
reinforcement of the racial segregation, she puts an ad in the Junior League
newsletter asking for any old toilets to be left on Hilly’s front lawn. The initiative and coloured washrooms also depict the racism that took place during the time, which is also a hugely explored theme throughout the novel.
Journal Two Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan
Character Name: Eugenia
“Skeeter” Phelan
Description (brief), relation to protagonist: Ms. Skeeter is a 23 year old white socialite in the town of Jackson, Mississippi. She is an aspiring writer and works at the local newspaper company writing an advice column on household cleaning, despite her mother’s wishes to focus on getting married and starting a family. She is a member of the Junior League and is very close friends with Hilly Holbrook and Elizabeth Leefolt since grade school, however as she learns more of the real story of the relationship between a black maid and white women, she begins to become more and more distanced from them as well as the social status and rules and breaks all the rules. Skeeter has known Aibileen for quite some time as she is the maid of one of her friends, however its not until she asks her for help in answering the cleaning column that she begins to talk to her more. When Skeeter has the idea to write a novel from the perspective of the help that her relationship with Aibileen develops further into friendship. As the maid’s share their stories, she realizes she has gotten into something much deeper then the trivial stories she had expected to be writing. She develops an understanding for the women and distaste for her white, socialite friends.
What they say (key dialogue): "I expected the stories to be sweet, glossy. I realized I might be getting more than I bargained for" pg 168. Skeeter realizes that the nature of the lives of these maids is not at all what she had expected. What she thought would be trivial stories of cleaning and such, turn out to include rape, abuse and humiliation.
“Hilly
raises her voice about three octaves when she talks to colored people. Elizabeth smiles like she’s talking to a
child, although certainly not her own. I
am starting to notice things.” Pg.
183. As Ms. Skeeter learns more of the
maid’s stories, she notices the demeaning ways in which her friends treat their
help. She develops an understanding of
the black women’s perspectives and begins to feel dislike for her friends as
that result.
Another
key action that Ms. Skeeter does in the novel is that Hilly Holbrook is trying
to put a motion forward called the Home Help Sanitation Initiative, in which
all households with hired help must have a separate bathroom for colored people
which the help is only permitted in going.
Skeeter refuses for so long to publish it in the newsletter, but when
threatened to be kicked out of the League, she puts it in, as well as a notice
saying for any spare toilets to be placed on Hilly’s front yard. The following day tens of toilets are found
at Hilly’s residence, much to her displeasure. This is
to show her defiance to the social rules and that she dislikes the way her
friends treat the help.
Description (brief), relation to protagonist: Ms. Skeeter is a 23 year old white socialite in the town of Jackson, Mississippi. She is an aspiring writer and works at the local newspaper company writing an advice column on household cleaning, despite her mother’s wishes to focus on getting married and starting a family. She is a member of the Junior League and is very close friends with Hilly Holbrook and Elizabeth Leefolt since grade school, however as she learns more of the real story of the relationship between a black maid and white women, she begins to become more and more distanced from them as well as the social status and rules and breaks all the rules. Skeeter has known Aibileen for quite some time as she is the maid of one of her friends, however its not until she asks her for help in answering the cleaning column that she begins to talk to her more. When Skeeter has the idea to write a novel from the perspective of the help that her relationship with Aibileen develops further into friendship. As the maid’s share their stories, she realizes she has gotten into something much deeper then the trivial stories she had expected to be writing. She develops an understanding for the women and distaste for her white, socialite friends.
What they say (key dialogue): "I expected the stories to be sweet, glossy. I realized I might be getting more than I bargained for" pg 168. Skeeter realizes that the nature of the lives of these maids is not at all what she had expected. What she thought would be trivial stories of cleaning and such, turn out to include rape, abuse and humiliation.
“’These is white rules. I don’t know which ones you followin’ and
which ones you ain’t.’
We look at each other for a second. ‘I’m tired of
rules.’” Pg. 173. Ms. Skeeter has a very advanced way of
thinking for her surrounding society, and she tries very hard to make the maid’s
feel comfortable in sharing their stories and make them believe she is doing so
for the right reasons and that they are safe.
What they do (key actions): Basically the biggest key action of
the novel is that Ms. Skeeter writes a novel from the perspective of the help
in the town of Jackson, Mississippi by interviewing many of the maids that work
in white households. This leads to
conflict among her and her fellow socialites as she begins to feel distant from
them because of their treatment of the black women.
Overall impressions of how they help develop the
THEME(s): Ms.
Skeeter has a huge role in demonstrating the themes of the novel. As a character, she bends the rules of what
is socially acceptable, not only with regards to talking with the help, but
within her social groups as well. As Skeeter
begins to show her dislike and defiance towards the ladies in the Junior
League, the group in tern begins to try and distance her from them and becomes
colder towards her. Not only does Skeeter
as a character show the social lines and rules and acceptabilities of white
people and black people, but she also demonstrates the social rules that exist
within the white community and socialites themselves. Not only were black people punished for any
form of defiance against white people, but if a white woman did not follow
exactly what she was told and expected of, she also would face being shunned by
her peers.
Journal Two Minny Jackson
Character Name: Minny Jackson
Description (brief), relation to protagonist: Minny is another maid for a white family in Jackson, however she and Aibileen are very different. Minny is vivacious and not afraid to speak her mind even if it may cause her trouble. Because of this fact, she has lost many maid jobs in her career, and every time this happens, as well as on other occasions, her husband Leroy, who is an alcoholic, beats her. When Minny receives a job with a new arrival in town, she becomes determined to keep to her best behaviour to keep it. She and Aibileen are best friends and have helped each other through various difficulties in each other’s lives.
What they say (key dialogue): “Tuck it in Minny. Tuck in whatever might fly out my mouth and tuck in my behind to. Look like a maid who does what she's told.” pg. 36. This demonstrates the thought of the time that the black maids were never to talk back and if they were to do so, they would undoubtedly lose their jobs and in turn, they and their families would suffer.
“What
you think I am? A chauffeur? I ain’t driving you to no country club in the
pouring rain.” Pg.17. Again, this shows the sass that Minny has and
the fact that she speaks her mind regardless of the consequences.
Another
key action Minny does in the novel, is that she ends up being a deciding
contributor to convincing the other maid’s to participate in the novel that Ms.
Skeeter is writing. She is crucial to recruiting
the other 10 women, without which, there would be no book.
Description (brief), relation to protagonist: Minny is another maid for a white family in Jackson, however she and Aibileen are very different. Minny is vivacious and not afraid to speak her mind even if it may cause her trouble. Because of this fact, she has lost many maid jobs in her career, and every time this happens, as well as on other occasions, her husband Leroy, who is an alcoholic, beats her. When Minny receives a job with a new arrival in town, she becomes determined to keep to her best behaviour to keep it. She and Aibileen are best friends and have helped each other through various difficulties in each other’s lives.
What they say (key dialogue): “Tuck it in Minny. Tuck in whatever might fly out my mouth and tuck in my behind to. Look like a maid who does what she's told.” pg. 36. This demonstrates the thought of the time that the black maids were never to talk back and if they were to do so, they would undoubtedly lose their jobs and in turn, they and their families would suffer.
“What am I doing? I must be crazy, giving a white
woman the sworn secrets of the colored race to a white lady. Feel like I'm talking
behind my own back" pg.253. Minny, as well as the other maids, are
cautious as to telling their perspective, in the fears of the repercussions
that they may face, and must break through that barrier.
What they do (key actions): A key action that Minny does, is she
makes a pie made out of her own fecal matter and gives it to her former
employer, Hilly Holbrook, who treated her awfully. This action is incredibly important because
it shows her defiance and it also proves to be beneficial to the other maids
when she writes it in Ms. Skeeter’s book because it can be used as blackmail
against Hilly from treating the maids as horribly as she used to.
“Minny made us put that pie story in
to protect us. Not to protect herself but to protect me and the other maids.
She knew it would only make it worse for herself with Hilly. But she did it
anyway for everybody else. She didn't want us to see how scared she is.” Pg 505
Overall impressions of how they help develop the
THEME(s): Minny is an extremely important character in the
demonstration of the themes throughout the novel. Her relationships with the various white
women she has and does work for demonstrates the social lines and rules that
appear to exist. Her struggles with Mrs.
Celia Foote, her new employer, with regards to what is socially acceptable for
a maid and the white woman to interact with one another clearly expresses that
the lines between black and white are simply in one’s mind and are set in by
society, and not by nature. Also, her
experiences with Hilly Holbrook depicts the racial hate that many at the time
had, and the grudges held towards black women and the vindictive nature many of
the white women held towards them simply because of their ignorance.
Journal Two Aibileen Clark
Character Name : Aibileen Clark
Description (brief), relation to protagonist: Aibileen is the protagonist of the story. When The
Help begins in August 1962, Aibileen,
narrator of eleven chapters of The
Help, is 53 years old.
She's a black woman who has been taking care of "white babies" and
"cooking and cleaning" for white families since she was a teen. Aibileen has raised or helped raise seventeen
white babies in her lifetime
but her own son was killed in a factory accident. The eighteenth one, Mae Mobley Leefolt, who has just turned
two years old when the novel opens, is Aibileen's "special baby". . Aibileen agrees to help Skeeter write her newspaper column, but the
interviews soon become focused on the life of a maid in Jackson
Mississippi.
What they say (key dialogue): "You a smart girl. You a kind girl. You is important." pg.111 Aibileen tries to give Mae Mobley positive self-image
in spite of the way her mother treats her.
She hopes that in doing so Mae Mobley will grow up to not have negative
feelings towards black people because of the relationship she has with
Aibileen.
"Stop that moment from coming – and it come in every
child's life – when they start to think that colored folks ain't as good as whites". This demonstrates Aibileen’s
fear of what will become of Mae Mobley when she grows older, as she’s seen
happen with every other white child she’s raised.
“You see her in the Jitney 14 grocery, you never think she go and
leave her baby crying in her crib like that.
But the help always know.” Pg. 5
What they do (key actions): At one point in the
novel, in fear of Mae Mobley growing up and having the same thoughts towards
black people as her mother, Aibileen decides to secretly start to instill
morals and ideals into her through the stories she tells.
"One day, a wise Martian come down to Earth to teach us
people a thing or two."
"What's his name?"
"Martian Luther King. […] He a real nice Martian, Mister
King. […] but sometime, people looked at him funny and sometime, well, he
downright mean."
"Why Aibee? Why was they so mean to him?"
"Cause he was green." Pg.349
Overall impressions of how they help develop the
THEME(s): Aibileen
helps develop the themes of the novel because by having part of the novel be narrated
from her perspective, the readers are shown the inside look at the racism,
hardships and cruelties that come with being a black maid in a white household
in Jackson, Mississippi. Aibileen’s relationships
with her fellow maids, the white ladies she tends to, and eventually Ms.
Skeeter who she befriends, is very revealing of the themes of the novel. The distinct social rules and differences for
each aspect of her life demonstrate greatly the theme of social lines because
of race. Also, Aibileen as a character goes through great development in the
novel as she deals with creating the book with Ms. Skeeter. At first she remains very skeptical and
nervous, however as she becomes more comfortable, she begins to see that the
lines that appear to be between black and white people, don’t actually exist
and that hopefully she can have a part in changing that for the better.
Journal One
K/W/L Chart
Know
(previous knowledge you may have about the book)
|
Want
to Know (Questions you have about the content, themes, action, findings)
|
Learned
(please finish after have read most
or all of the book) (Summarize the answers
to your questions in column 2; what did you find out? What did you learn from
the book overall?)
|
My
previous knowledge of this book is that it deals with issues of race during
the 1960’s in Jackson, Mississippi.
I
know that it follows the story line of three different women
Two
of the women are black maids working in white family’s homes
The
third woman is a young white woman who approaches the maids in the hopes of
writing a book from the perspective of the ‘help’
|
I
would like to find out what has led this white woman write a book from the
perspective of the black maids that work in the white homes
I
would like to know what the white woman’s relationship to the black women is
and what her connections to them is
I’m
also curious as to whether there are other themes to the novel besides the obvious
one, being racism, and if the book explores any other themes thread
throughout the book
I
would also like to see if the book goes into description of the effect the
book has once published, or if it just looks at the process. Im curious as to how the white women react
to the publication
|
(Need to read the book first)
|
Predictions:
- I obviously think that the book is going to deal with issues of racism
- I think the characters are going to face some awful experiences with regards to racial hate that will push them to wanting to write the book
- I think that the main topic will be the maids telling their stories of their lives to the white woman writing the book
- I think that the after math of the publication of the novel may be explored in the novel and I think part of it is going to be negative, but there may also be some positive results, however I don’t think it is going to be a fairytale ending, I believe it is going to be extremely realistic
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