The Help By Kathryn Stockett

The Help

By Kathryn Stockett

This story is all about the battle that black people had to fight to just be treated as human beings. In this story we see life as a black woman would live it. We also see the lives of the rich white women who are the black women’s boss. This story is set back when John F Kennedy was President of the United States of America. We learn of the trials and struggles of the black women who are referred to as the help hence the title of the book. We are introduced to a black lady named Aibeleen who is the maid for Miss. Elisabeth. Aibeleen is also the caretaker for Elisabeth’s daughter Mae Mobley who is two years old. Aibeleen loves Mae Mobley as if she were hers. Aibeleen lost her son to a horrible accident where he worked. This accident caused Aibeleen a lot of heartache the way her sons company just threw him out of the back of a pick- up truck like a bag of garbage. But when the job of taking care of Mae Mobley came up this helped to ease Aibeleen’s heartache and keep her busy. Elisabeth was cruel to Mae Mobley and this hurt Aibeleen and she tried to encourage Mae Mobley every day. We also met Aibeleen’s friend Minny who also worked as a maid. Minny worked for Elisabeth’s friend Hilly’s mother whose name was Mrs. Walters. That is until Hilly decided to have Mrs. Walters put in an old age home and accused Milly of stealing. Hilly made it very hard for Milly to find another job spreading lies about her stealing things and starving Mrs. Walters. Aibileen helped Milly find another job with Miss. Ceilia and Mr. Johnny. We also met a white lady who was friends with Hilly and Elisabeth named Misss. Skeeter. There was something different about Miss. Skeeter from the start. Skeeter decided to write a book of interviews that portray what life was like for the black maids having to work for the white families. I believe this was Skeeter’s way of trying to get the blacks side of things heard.