Kathryn Stockett’s book The Help is a thought-provoking novel traveling through the differences in culture, responsibilities, and other professional and household duties. This novel also explains the distinction of color, creed, or race in that era.
It is the story, with the help of Kathryn Stockett, revolving around the sense of cultural inequality and social pressures coupled with the horror and secret stories with a wave of hope.
The Help Plot Summary:
The book The Help by Kathryn Stockett shows the time of 1962 during the civil rights movement. The Help starts with twenty-two-year-old Skeeter returning home after she graduates from Ole Miss. The book tries to explain the environment of Mississippi in 1962 and elaborates that her mother would not be happy until she got engaged. The young lady finds peace along with her maid, Constantine, who raised her and took care of her, but the problem is that she has disappeared for some reason, and no one wants to tell her the reason for her disappearance or where she has gone.
Aibileen, being a black maid, is raising her seventeenth child. Having lost his boy, she is very compassionate about her work. She deals with the girl she takes care of very lovingly.
Minny, one of Aibileen’s best friends, a smart and outspoken woman, loses her job because of her uncontrolled tongue. She finds a new job that is very new to her town. As a matter of fact, she can recall her reputation, but her boss has some mysteries and secrets.
The Help Characters and Themes:
They gather to share their experiences that influence everyone around them. They share a wave of horror, difficulties, outrage, and hope. Skeeter Phelan
Characters and themes used in this novel, with the admirable explanatory power of Kathryn Stockett’s, are interesting and help readers delve into the depth of the story.
Skeeter Phelan:
Skeeter Phelan is described as a loving and caring lady. She is the one who is deeply struck by the social indifferences and the earnest desire to change the depressing society. She is adorable and deeply driven by her admirable and strong mindset and her desire to shake up the hurting realities of life. The complex in White Ally ship is also visible in the writing style.
Aibileen Clark :
The central theme twirls around Aibilieen Clark, a compassionate and loving lady. She is a black woman and works as a caretaker of white children. Stockett tries to explain different points of view of white people and black people, irrespective of the differences created by society.
Minny Jackson:
Minny Jackson’s character is very interesting with her straight and informal attitude towards her life. She is a spiritual example of love. The story plot focuses on her raising her voice against the difference created in creed and race. Minny’s life inspires the strength of character and her straightforward tone toward social pressures and injustice.
The Help Writing Style and Tone:
The writing style, along with the depth of every character shown in the story, makes it more readable and engaging because of clarity. Everything that is described in the story delves into the details of cultural indifferences between white people and black people. Highlighting the social inequality that many can relate to makes the engaging style of the story more appealing.
Criticism and Controversy:
The book The Help has been criticized so far for creating indifference between black people and white people as an emerging white heroine. Many people are of the view that it was created to foster a message of racial comity.
The critics also think that the book does not take into account the struggles of black people but only focuses on the whites who bring change.
Some people think it is a “white savior.” Overall, the writing style and story overcame the criticism and earned a good rating. I would really prefer a future second addition to this book.
| Title | The Help |
| Author | Kathryn Stockett |
| Publishing Date | February 10, 2009 |
| Genre | Historical Fiction, Adult |
| Rating | 4/5 stars |
Conclusion:
The book The Help ends with the efforts coming true. The efforts came true with the publishing of a book on social racism that highlighted the social indifferences between people.
The novel received hatred because it spoke about social racism, and also some people complained about white people as the main source of struggle in that novel, but still, it got a good reputation in no time. the book became famous and the struggles were rewarded at the end.
