The Help

The help is a book by Kathryn Stockett. It is about how black maids were treated in the mid late 1900's. It is also about how very few white people realized how they were treating their maids and even Children. They would basically have a kid then leave it to their maid to raise and take care of it. I think it is really stupid of people to think that because people have different colored skin it means that they should be treated differently. This book shows how badly black people were treated and how white people felt about it. It does have some parts that are somewhat not needed and a little bit of swearing but it is a great book and sometimes even a good laugh.

Aibileen is a house maid in Jackson, Mississippi. She waits on Mrs. Leefolt with her daughter. She has been a house maid for a long time. She makes under minimum wage like most of the maids in Jackson. Minny Jackson is her best friend. She waits on Mrs. Celia. Minny is one of the few maids who makes more than minimum wage. And Mrs. Celia is one of the only white people who treats their maid with respect. Mrs. Skeeter is a young woman who has recently graduated from college at Ole Miss. She wants to become a journalist soon. Even that, can be a beginning to a story.

Mrs. Skeeter has a job with the newspaper. She writes a column every week about housekeeping and cleaning. But because she knows nothing about that, she asks her friend's made Aibileen for tips and advice. She goes over every week to ask her questions and write the column. Mrs. Skeeter is also writing a book called the Help about black maids and their experiences with the people that they wait for.

She asks Aibileen if she and some other maids would like to tell her their experiences. There's just one problem. If they help Mrs Skeeter out and someone reports them or a white person finds out they could all lose their jobs. Aibileen is the only one helping for a few months. But they soon convince Minny and twelve other maids to help them and share their experiences with them.

Skeeter had a deadline to meat. She had to have the book finished and sent to the publishing company before the end of the year. In other words, three months. They moved rapidly through the meetings. They wanted to make sure no one discovered them as the authors of the book. They needed to have a special experience that would ensure them that they wouldn't be caught. Minny had an incident with Mrs. Hilly. And if others found that she was the one that experienced it, Hilly would literally die.

A few weeks later Skeeter got a phone call from the publishing company. They told her the book wasn't going to be in stores for a few months but it was going to be in store sooner or later. Skeeter was screaming from excitement on the inside but remained tranquil on the outside. She couldn't even have her mom know about what she's been writing the past year or so.

The book came out and it was a huge hit in Jackson especially. It was a huge surprise for Skeeter and Aibileen because they had both been told that it almost for sure wasn't going to be a best seller. Everyone in Jackson knew about the book. All the maids were hearing their boss's reading it.

Aibileen was on her chair reading her book when the phone rang. It was Minny calling from the gas station. Her husband Leroy was beating on her and the kids again and she finally had enough. Her and the kids are waiting for her sister to come pick them up. They are going to live with her until they find their own place. Minny finally stood up to her husband. She finally had enough of him.

The next day Aibileen was changing a dirty diaper until she hear the doorbell. It was Mrs. Hilly.

"Oh, hello Mrs. Hilly. How are you?"

"Fine. Where's Mrs. Leefolt?"

Mrs. Leefolt came around the corner. She said, "Oh, hello Hilly. What a surprise."

"Yes.", Mrs. Hilly says. "I was just going to ask Aibileen if she had seen any of my silverware she brought over the other day. I was missing a few pieces."

"No. I haven't seen them. Are you sure you're missing some ma'am?"

"Yes. And I don't see any other way they could just disappear than you just taking them."

Aibileen was dead quiet. She knew she hadn't stolen any of her silver but she knew Mrs. Leefolt wouldn't believe that. "I'm sorry Aibileen. But if Hilly said you stole some, I have to believe her."

Darn Mrs. Hilly. Aibileen says in her head. She figured out it was us and this is how she gets us back. Aibileen walks out the door on her way to her bus stop. She could hear the kids crying in the house but she had to just ignore them. She knew that was Hilly's revenge and thought that it probably wasn't over either.

I love this book because it taught valuable lessons and was a entertaining even fun book to read. It showed how black people were treated just fifty years ago. It shows us how it is always okay to go out of our comfort zone and talk to people we don't usually talk to. Like Skeeter did. The parts that kept me reading are the little things that happen to Minny especially. It was a great book and I strongly encourage you to read it. A+