The Help

I’m sure all of you have been exposed to Kathryn Stockett’s controversial book, The Help. Whether you read the book yourself, saw the movie, or have only heard the name, it is pretty obvious that it was written about African American maids and nannies in white households. The book has been positively received in some circles for the way it depicts the characters. In a New York Times article, the author stated “it is not the black maids who are done a disservice by this white writer; it’s the white folk.” I think they were surprised that a book depicting the true nature of many white, middle-class citizens in the 1960’s could have been written by a white author that grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. The article continues in this same vein when describing the characters. There is the monstrous, Mrs. Hilly, the racist leader of the Junior League. There is also Mrs. Hilly’s foil character, the maid named Aibileen, or “the loveliest character.”

When I first read the book, I did not initially think about possible negative impacts. There was an upbeat ending when Skeeter’s own book, filled with stories from Jackson’s maids was published. Upon reflection, and research, I began to notice all of the shortcomings of the novel. Yes, the maids Aibileen and Minny are depicted as strong women, but the true protagonist is Skeeter, the white journalist. The Association of Black Women Historians brought further issues to light. They believe that “despite the efforts to market the book and film as a progressive story of triumph over racial injustice, The Help distorts, ignores and trivializes the experience of black domestic workers.” The association provided clear examples for their disappointment, like Stockett’s “use of ‘black’ dialect, her nearly uniform portrayal of black men as cruel or absent, and the lack of attention paid to the sexual harassment that many black women endured.” For these women, Stockett provided only one facet of the complicated lives of southern maids.

           

Yesterday in class, Professor McKinney brought up the fact that many children and families claimed to love their domestic workers when they did not know anything personal about the women. I think The Help provides evidence for that notion. Stockett relates the book back to her own childhood and her own caretaker. She tries to write about these women like she truly knows them, but instead she shows her ignorance. What are your thoughts on the book and the movie?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/books/19masl.html

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/08/11/black-women-historians-come-out-against-the-help/