The Help Thesis

During the 1960s in the United States, many important events that affected the present occurred. For example, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, civil rights movements, and the continuing Jim Crow laws. During this time, many people were in fear of persecution by white people. This topic is in numerous books like The Help by Kathryn Stockett. This book is about 2 black maids named Minny and Aibileen, and a young white woman named Skeeter writing a book about them and how they are treated. During the book, Minny and Aibileen were subjected to racism and segregation from the people in town and the law, along with bad treatment from their employers. During the 1960s in real life, segregation, racism, and bad treatment at their jobs were also
For example, on page 101, Franny Coots said to Aibileen, “‘... Use the white bathroom at Pinchman Lawn and Garden. Say they wasn’t a sign up saying so. Two white men chased and beat him with a tire iron… I heard he blind’” (Stockett, 2009, p. 101). In the actual 1960s, bathrooms were segregated; there were white men's’ and women’s bathrooms along with other bathrooms designated for anyone who wasn’t white. When segregated bathrooms were enforced, many people used the wrong bathrooms either because they did not know or because they had to like “an emergency”. When this happened white men would take action by attacking them by either physically beating them or burning their cars or burning their houses. This proves that the book was accurate to real life in the 1960s because in both instances the law of segregated bathrooms was violated which resulted in beatings, shootings, or burning of their property. Additionally, Miss Hilly was said, “‘... do you want Mae Mobley sitting next to a colored boy in English class? ... Do you want Nigra people living right here in this neighborhood? Touching your bottom when you pass on the street?’” (Stockett, 2009, p. 290). In the actual 1960s, the Brown vs Board of Education was a case ending with the ability for schools to be integrated, but Mississippi did not take those new laws into effect until sixteen years later. During the time before the South took
For example, during chapter 14, Miss Hilly said, “‘Separate but equal,” Miss Hilly say back to Miss Leefolt. “That's what the Governor Ross Barnett says is right, and you can’t agree with the government’” (Stockett, 2009, p. 185). This quote shows that the government wants black and white people to be equal although separate; however, the people disagree saying that they cannot be equal. The 1960s were similar where black and white people would go to the same school since the Civil Right Act of 1957 was passed, but the South was a different story. In the actual 1960s, the majority of the white people in the South did not want black kids going to their schools, and not until the early 1970s, black and white kids would go to the same school (Teaching Tolerance, 2004, para. 50). This shows how The Help is historically accurate because in both times the people were segregated. Also because the people of the South did not want to listen to the government and did not until years later. Another example of segregation is how black and white people had different bathrooms. During the book, Aibileen had to use a bathroom outside because she was not allowed to use the bathroom inside (Stockett, 2009, p. 8). Kathryn Stockett also wrote, “‘... Use the white bathroom at Pinchman Lawn and Garden. Say they wasn’t a sign up saying so. Two white men chased and