Analysis of The Help by Kathryn Stockett

In the story “The Help” written by Kathryn Stockett we are taken back in time to Jackson, Mississippi in August of 1962, were we meet three women by the name of Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter. Aibileen and Minny are black women who work for white families as the help. Skeeter is a young white woman in her early twenties who befriends the other two and gets them to tell their stories of what its is like to be the help. The reluctantly hesitate, but eventually give in knowing that the stories they are telling are more important than the negative impact it could have on their lives.

While reading “ The Help” you cannot help but notice the symbolism that drips from almost every page. One of the main issues in the story was that using a bathroom that a black person used was not healthy for whites. In the book it was a fact that you could catch a disease if you did. It really symbolizes what is wrong with the white community in Mississippi in the 60’s. A man was beaten for accidently using a white bathroom. Little Mae Mobley gets a spanking for using Aibeleen's bathroom. One of the major projects of Hilly Holbrook’s is to get a law passed requiring white families to build bathrooms for their black help to use. At one point in the story Skeeter finally realizes that what is going on is wrong. She grew up with these woman but realizes she know them. After she reads the Jim Crow laws in the library she starts to understand. “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 mines worth of signatures in the state capital.” (Stockett 203) The author uses bathroom problem to symbolize the great measure t...

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...ith the three of them? Minny thinks, “I don’t care that much about voting. I don’t care about eating at a counter with white people. What I care about is, if in ten years, a white lady will call my girls dirty and accuse them of stealing silver.” (Stockett 256) That is such a powerful thought from Minny. She is tired of white people looking down on her and at the end of the day she wants change not for her, but for her children. Minny knew what they were doing was for the greater good.

“The Help” by Kathryn Stockett is a story that takes you through the ups and downs of living in Jackson, Mississippi in the 60’s. With the bravery of these 3 brave women they were able to write and release a book about being the help. The help. While there were small repercussions in the end, Jackson, Mississippi saw a change for the better after the book was released.