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.

“’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. 

“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.

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. 

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.

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.