The White and Black People in the book The Help by Kathryn Stockett - Research Paper Example

The White and Black People The book ‘The Help’ written in the early 1960s by Kathryn Stockett has its background in Jackson, Mississippi. This book reveals the peak of racial discrimination. The white people assume the highest rank of human superiority at the expense of the freedom of Black people (AmySharps, 6). The book is a narrative story by three different women, Minny, who is a black maiden unable to maintain her work because of her hot head Aibileen, a black maid who is bringing up her so called ‘seventeenth white child’ and the third one is Miss Skeeter,a white woman who is aspiring to become a writer. Ms. Skeeter’s has brought up by black women all her childhood. She yearns to find out where her beloved maiden, Constantine- a black maiden, went. Later on, Ms. Skitter learns of what became of Constantine. Her maiden gave birth out of wedlock, to Lulabelle whose skin color was indistinguishable from the whites although both parents were of Black origin. Because of this, neither the white nor the black community would readily accept Lulabelle. To avoid a lot of dual segregation, Constantine gave up her child for adoption when she was four years old. When she grows up, she is reunited with her mother. (AmySharps 15). While Skeeter’s was in college, Lulabelle visited her along with her mother in Jackson. Later on, she came for the party being held at Skeeter’s house. However, soon Charlotte Phelan fired Constantine after discovering who Lulabelle was to her. Having nowhere to turn to, Constantine moved to Chicago. This is the last time Skeeter’s saw Constantine. The Help refers to a community of black people who spent their lives caring for children of the upper class white households (Council and others 2012 pg. 5). The children of these black people were in the custody of other people who are not even their relatives; they were isolated at an early age to pave way for their parents to serve the white families. The help spent most of their time dressing, feeding and playing with white children. However, these children grew up not better than their parents did; they assumed the oppressive role just like their folks oppressing the blacks, the very people who raised them up. Aibileen spends her lifetime taking care of Mae Mobley, Miss Elizabeth Leefolt’s child. Aibileen lost her son and it is ironical that she spends time caring for a child who is not her own, she takes time to heal the wound and accept the gap created by the demise of her only child while serving Leefolt’s family (AmySharps 21). The conditions here are not supportive, talk of the endless work, inadequate rest and open segregation the experiences. Minny succeeds to get a new job and now works for Miss Celia Foote, who knows little about her because she was a new resident in the town. Both Aibileen and Minny have their own issues at work at home. They are torn between duty to bring up their families and serving their oppressive white masters and mistresses. Miss Skeeter’s finally gets a chance to get her book published; her aim is to get something that will move people to have an insatiable urge to read her book. She finally gets an idea of writing a book about the dreadful and demeaning life of the help, that’s, the Black community living that takes care of the white family. These three women team up and work together to unravel the cruel, and inhuman acts that the help experience. However, Minny and Aibileen have their identities hidden for the fear of being fired by their mistresses. Kathryn Stockett puts together facts that succinctly depict the dehumanizing experience the black community went through. The acts are unforgettable and socially unacceptable. Taking after the long traditional writers of the south, Kathryn Stockett focuses on the human injustices in the south. Black people were viewed as inferior to whites, even by the law. They were subjected to poor living conditions, services, and poor quality goods. Since Job and education chances were very limited for the Black people, it was very hard for Black people to develop academically and financially. Blacks were not allowed to own a lot of property hence could accrue wealth (AmySharps 37). On the other hand, they had been incapacitated to participate in government matters as they lack basic education, skills, and occupied inferior jobs in the community. According to Kathryn Stockett, racial segregation does not just imply that the black and white people have to live apart; rather it means that they can interact in specific situations especially where blacks serve the white. Furthermore, the association between the Black and the White is governed by certain stern rules and norms, stating how they should relate. Abilene’s modification of the Jackson layout enhances our understanding of various dimensions of segregation. There are many white neighborhoods springing up like surrounding the Black community which in this context is referred to as the “colored part of town, we one big anthill.” The Blacks cannot move to better places although their population is growing just as the white community. Aibileen say that they cannot spread although their number is increasing; their part of town just grows thicker (AmySharps 33). According to Kathryn Stockett, the Black were not only regarded as inferior were also stereotyped to be dirty, lazy, infectious and less intelligent as compared to the whites. Moreover, they black people were seen as less valuable to white people. The stereotypes are interwoven into the fabric of social life in Jackson. The falsified acts are also seen Right away legislations to ordinary verbal interactions and passed on from one posterity to another. The book reveals the big mistrust that existed between the whites and the blacks. More specifically, the whites did not trust the black community, the reason that made them to impose strict rules and regulations on the black community. Challenging the stereotypes against the blacks was treated as a powerful and disastrous offence, which easily attracted severe punishment. Skeeter struggles to get the attention of the authorities through her relentless writing against The Help injustices. She also derives her supporting literature from lyrics and songs, explaining on the importance of abolishing racial segregation (The Help Setting page 10). December 1963, Skeeter’s derives the introduction of her Book “The Times they Are A-Changing” from Dylan ‘song. The song is fills Skeeter’s with hope, relieving her emotionally. The song ironically portrays the situation in Jackson as “changing very, very slowly” This awakens Skeeter’s to the likelihood of her life in a surrounding which change does not take fairly long time. Stuart proposes to Skeeter’s but later on withdraws the proposal upon learning of the Help. Sibilant, Skeeter’s, Minny and other people get to learn that The Help is to be published. This excites them, waiting with high expectation. Once the book is published, Hilly quickly suspects the book has its origin in Jackson and launches a campaign against the house cleaners who she thinks are involved (The Help Setting 16). However when she gets to Minny’s chapter and learns of the pie story, she decides to turn tables. She goes ahead and informs everybody that the help does not talk about Jackson. On the other hand, Hilly is not happy of Skeeter’s involvement in the book. She blackmails her by vowing to revenge on Aibileen and Minny. Skeeters get a job in New York, both Minny and Aibileen persuade her to go for it. There is a change of status as she proposes Aibileen as the predecessor on her job, being the main editor of the Miss Myra Column (The Help Setting page 26). As this goes on, Hilly with her vengeful motive, organizes for the firing of Minny’s abusive husband, Leroy. Hill is determined to ensure all the contributors of The Help are identified and punished. She decided to snitch on Aibileen by presenting some evidence to Elizabeth; however, her plot turns out unfruitful. Realizing of her unsuccessful move, Hill alleges that Aibileen stole silver, although Elizabeth fires her but she does so with a lot of struggle, emotionally undecided. After an emotional farewell to Mae Mobley, she decides to chase after her idea of writing about her life, turning her life in another new direction all together. Finally, through Skeeter’s book, Minny reveals secrets that silence Hilly. This book rapidly gains support and becomes a powerful stepping-stone upon which the Black community can be air their grievances (The Help Setting page 41). The Black maids are empowered and unchained from the yoke of oppression in the Jackson Community. Out of outstanding influence of the stories from the book, the community of Jackson carefully reviews the existing demarcations between the white and Black. Work cited AmySharps. “The Help by Kathryn Stockett - Review.” the Guardian. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2015. Council, Bradford Metropolitan District, and others. “The Help by Kathryn Stockett.” (2012): n. pag. Google Scholar. Web. 7 Apr. 2015. The Help Setting. N.p. www.shmoop.com. Web. 7 Apr. 2015. Read More