English Review - The Help

A Review of ‘The Help’ by Caitriona Eves

During the sixties, segregation was at its highest point. Blacks and whites were separated when it came to about anything. Water fountains, cinemas, and schools are some examples. The South was directly affected by this cultural trouble. Black women and men were degraded and forced to work under white men in horrible conditions. This world is portrayed so effectively in the novel ‘The Help’ by Kathryn Stockett.

Men worked in factories and labour jobs, while the women went from white family to white family cleaning the houses and raising the children. Many books have been written to express these human struggles, but nothing has been written in the same way as this.

The Help, written by Kathryn Stockett is an emotionally driven novel with exceptional characters, and an outstanding plot that centres on intense segregation issues.

Stockett was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, which is the exact setting of the book. Even though this is her first novel, it is clear she is a talented and creative author. Her experience with the subject is shown throughout the novel.

She herself had a black maid during this time named Demetrie, who she loved and cared about. Demetrie died when Stockett was 16. For many years, Stockett has wondered how Demetrie felt being black in Mississippi, working for a white family. According to Stockett, that is the reason she wrote this book, in the hope of finding out the answer within the characters she created. Her own life was the total inspiration for this novel and there is no doubt about it that this is why it has become such a huge success for Stockett, for individual readers and the world.

The novel splits between three major characters: Aibileen, an older black maid who has no husband and no children; Minny, Aibileen’s younger, close friend who is working to support her many children and abusive husband; and Skeeter, a determined, white writer who wants to make a difference.

Stockett starts the novel in Aibileen’s point of view, but throughout the novel she writes in the point of view of Minny and Skeeter as well. She is able to delve into the minds and emotions of these intriguing who play an important role in the plot.

The novel is written in a great way as we see each event or emotion in an aspect of three different characters in three different situations. We learn about each character as an individual and the three women as a group. We see the power and courage that this cultural segregation has driven into them.

Stockett tells the story in a ‘normal’ manner. She doesn’t express how wrong she feels the situation is but lets us figure it out for ourselves: my personal favourite characteristic of this novel. The three different characters, in my opinion represent the different opinions in time. Skeeter is a current day person, Aibleen, ahead of her time, and Minny realising the problem with the rest of the crowd.

The plots, descriptions and world of the text is outstanding as we see everything in a new light, bringing history together in a new way.

In my opinion and in the opinion of most, this novel is a ‘must-read’. This is a book that subtly shows the development of racial segregation in a light and interesting fashion.