Analysis Of The Help By Linda Napikoski

"The book's main plot is about women telling their stories in a society that has long refused to hear their voices. Kathryn speaks particularly for the African-American maids, the idea of women telling the truth without any fear as a path to greater social enlightenment is considered the backbone of "Feminism". (Napikoski, The Help and 1960s feminism) Linda Napikoski, women's history expert, said in the same article that the novel touches on many issues that were relevant to 1960s feminism, its female inspiring characters resist against the traditional gender roles and stereotypes. "For Skeeter, the young woman who questions restrictions placed on her by society's traditions. She dares to beak the mold because of her discomfort with the myth of femininity she's expected to live. She refuses to be like the other women of
her age, she's 28, still single but according to her society's rules and traditions, she's supposed to go and find a husband.
Skeeter also refuses to be like the rest of her white community who consider blacks as just slaves and second-class citizens. Instead, she decides to lead a happy successful life without a man, she goes on her project of writing a book about the blacks' misery in an attempt to change the society's perception toward black people. Skeeter represents the strong and independent woman in this time period unlike her counterparts in the community. Another example that indicates the theme of feminism is when Elaine Stein, the editor from New York decides to help Skeeter just because she recognizes the need for a woman to have a mentor or a connection in order to fit in the male-dominated publishing industry. Aibileen, a black maid that determines to cross all the lines and call for her rights as a human being. She decides to lead a new peaceful life after telling her story public. She wants the whole world to re-think about their grounded beliefs of black people and re-consider the drawn lines between blacks and
whites. "Celia Foot is Skeeter's friend who challenges the wife/mother and beautiful woman stereotypes. According to the other women in the town, she is coming from" the white trash" as she doesn't care that much of her appearance; she wears lots of makeup and bleaches her hair. She has suffered many miscarriages and there's a possibility of not being a mother and the women in the town are valued for their child-producing capabilities; the thing that makes her so depressed. By the end of the novel, Celia succeeds in resisting against all these stereotypes; she makes new friends like Skeeter, gets her appearance better and she finally realizes that her husband loves her for herself not for the idea of having baby or not and that she's beautiful for being her not. She finds out who she really is and what she deserves". (Lauren R, The Help: A feminist critique, July.3rd, 2012, 11:32 am)