Comparison of Desirees Baby and The Help - Essay Example

?COMPARISON BETWEEN “DESIREE’S BABY” AND “THE HELP” Kate Chopin’s “Desiree’s baby” and Kathryn Stockett’s “The help” both portray a picture of racialdiscrimination in American culture, during late 19th century till early 20th century. Both stories revolve around the female protagonists, who are justified in being centre of attention due to their distinctive traits. The family ties and bonding shown in the two stories represent the obligations a woman carries invisibly. The thin line between love and hate are the most evident aspects in those scenarios which delude the original feelings of love, of the stereotypes about salves. Desiree was accused of having black parental background on the other hand Skeeter was considered as slave’s voice which shook her reputation in the community. Both disregarded the distinguishing factors among people living together but apparently were forced to be a part of it. Slavery and the economical status were the reasons which dishonored black from being respectable. Mother’s love is also a main ingredient and a key factor which hints towards a relationship which is reliable. In Desiree’s baby, it can be assessed as; how people of America had prejudiced feelings about African slaves and the notion of acceptance was also to an extent. The privileges and boundaries, slaves lived their lives in and the individual behavior acquired for them commonly in the society. The realization of eliminating racial prejudices can be observed in the leading characters which depict the sense of awakening in the ruling class of that ear. However, the moral of the stories take different turns; regret and sense of accomplishment in two different scenarios are shown. The injustice and downcast attitudes faced by African American reveal the segregation, culture has provoked. Desiree’s baby depicts the story of pride and the degrading behaviors towards biracial identities. The characters follow a satisfactory routine and romantic life without encountering the racial discrimination affecting them personally. However the twist in story brings both love and respect down, leaving the emptiness in the proud souls. Armand represented as a member of society who believed in possession of land and human (slaves) as coherent.(Wolff,1978) The aspect of slavery is natural and without sentimental involvement. However, the change in attitude right after marriage shows that the sympathetic feeling did not entirely vanish. Doubts play quite a role in running relationships and deepening the roots of misunderstanding. In this story, the preformed ideas without clarifications lead to destruction at both ends. Avenge is a symbolic representation of punishment which not only physically visible through out the story for slaves but emotionally for Desiree also. The remorseless manners towards infant shows the rigidness of customs and norms apply on its followers. The consequences can be devastating if someone chooses to go against it. The beginning of the story gives a strange feeling and hints towards a sad ending. The expressive note with which the story began is a symbol of grief and misery. ” when she reached L'Abri she shuddered at the first sight of it, as she always did. It was a sad looking place...Big solemn oaks grew close to it and their thick leaved, far-reaching branches shadowed it like a pall" (185). (Chopin,1993) Kate Chopin used symbolism as superiority complexes, unequal gender roles, social hierarchy in patriarchal society and racial prejudices to describe her theme. “The Help” shows the vitality of literature in a wider horizon, bringing about the change in society negating the racism that ruled in Jackson, Mississippi. The strength to voice out the problems of inferiority through a story written by Skeeter, Aibileen and Milly shows the positive self esteem and energy to bring about a change. The view points of black maids were eye openers, who worked for white families. The novels emphasizes the power of storytelling and writing which can move hearts and bring about a positive change in individual’s life and communities. The relationship between servant and master, the closeness and comforts, acceptance and prejudiced manners take over the whole story. Race was never a neutral concept neither it has been in history and future. But prominent efforts were shown from both sides of the races to minimize them. The segregated society in Mississippi has strict norms and rules which even white people need to abide. The novel discovers the strange and false, stereotypes like dirty, less intelligent, lazy, carrier of diseases and worthless individuals about black people. Thus author’s aim is clear to show how this prejudice became a belief after the passage of time. The lack of trust in black community shows the line isolating people on the base of skin colour. “But then I realize, like a shell cracking open in my head, there's no difference between those government laws and Hilly building Aibileen a bathroom in the garage, except ten minutes' worth of signatures in the state capitol.” (13.92) (Stockett, 2009) Toilets and bathrooms show the symbolic wrong going on in the society thus showing the false belief of diseases carried by black people. The infections of disease were only considered due to black people thus segregating them through a logical reason which was entirely baseless. The strict decorum of the society regarding black, showed not only racism but the economical dependence the black people had on white society. Hilly’ aim was to pass a law for outdoor bathrooms for black employees, which is also a symbol of selfless aim. Life offers more than anybody expects from it. The L-shaped crack looks like a sign of change for Aibileen. Not always a bad day ends on being bad it can be a beginning of good also. The poo- pie looks comic but it signifies that attitude people claim to understand but often avoid to look close enough, to observe the severity of pain one suffers from them. The degrading and embarrassment caused ploy not only made Hilly consider her position but the humiliation one feels on such occasions. No, white womans like to keep they hands clean. They got a shiny little set a tools they use, sharp as witches fingernails, tidy and laid out neat, like the picks on a dentist tray. They gone take they time with them. (14.63) (Stockett, 2009) Due to racial differences same gender seems to harm one another especially the one who is provoking the racism. The claim is true, white woman exploits black women more than white man. This justifies through Hilly’s action and demonstration of manners by other ladies of the town. Usage of influence or power to rule by violence on the weaker seems the living style of Mississippi. However Skeeter’s character shows the tools of evil are not used by all but only some are applying them for personal complexes. “Desiree’s baby” and “The help” tells the tale of women surviving in the trying circumstances with the racial prejudices around which directly or indirectly affect their lives and thus brought a huge impact on the society. Stereotypes have been an instrument to measure the true potential of a person which is the unlikely method to judge a person’s capabilities and strengths. Skin colour does not bring downfall or aspiring achievement. The intellectual ability determines the true prospective. Though world is not ready neither to eliminate racism nor gender discrimination. They will always linger and prevail in our society reminded by few individuals but the effort to foresee things without them makes life easier for all. Bibliography: Top of Form Wolff, Cynthia G. "Kate Chopin and the Fiction of Limits: "de?sire?e's Baby"." The Southern Literary Journal. 10.2 (1978): 123-133. Print. Bottom of Form Stockett, Kathryn. The Help. New York: Amy Einhorn Books, 2009. Print. Chopin, Kate, and Jacqueline Kinlow. De?sire?e's Baby. Falls Church, Va: Sound Room Publishers, 1993. Top of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Read More