Stereotypes In The Help

Film overview: The film, “The Help,” is based off of a college graduate, Skeeter Phelan, who becomes interested in writing a book, about the perspective of black maids in the 1960s. This movie exposes the inequality and prejudice black maids experienced. The Help puts us in the shoes of African American women, who are treated unfairly by their middle class white oppressors. These maids raise white children, clean white houses, and cook meals for white families. However, they are treated as unequal. They were not allowed to use the same toilet, sit on the same bus, or speak up for themselves.

Subculture:
This film hinges on the subculture of African American maids, in the 1960s. The black maids in this film are the subculture, while the

The movie was surrounded by the idea of African American maids being of less worth, than white women, children, and men. Without this belief being implemented, during the 1960s, this movie never would have had a reason to be filmed. Social norms are the rules and expectations of society. They are the actions which are considered normal. Social norms in the film, were the actions following the beliefs. African American women were thought to be worth very little, so they were treated as if they were worth very little. The beliefs in the movie, “The Help,” reflect and feed off of the social norms. Culture shock happens when we experience an unfamiliarity to social norms. Culture shock took place in this film, when some of the white middle class women, found out their black maids had spoken up and told the truth about their lives, most importantly, their owners. The reason these women were shocked by their maids, is because of the social norms and laws, restraining blacks, especially black women, from being able to speak up. Socialization is the process of learning to behave acceptably in society. In the film white children were taught to look down upon maids, black children were raised expecting to work poorly for white people. Both social groups were raised learning to behave as their parents