The Help by Kathryn Stockett

"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett is an inspirational novel set in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960s. The book revolves around segregation and racism towards the maids, or help, of the haughty southern ladies of Jackson. The book is narrated by three different women We start off by hearing the book in Aibleen's, a black maid to Miss Elizabeth Leefolt. Aibleen is bascically the mother figure to Miss Leefolt's daughter, Mae Mobley. We hear of how much Aibleen loves Mae Mobley and how poorly Miss Leefolt treats Mae Mobley and Aibleen. The catalytic proposal by Miss Leefolt's best friend, Miss Hilly, to install bathrooms in every house in Jackson, Mississippi for the help to use sets the book in motion. Miss Hilly proposes this because of her false accusations that all colored people carry diseases and other ungodly disorders. She felt that by sharing bathrooms, the "diseases" would contaminate the entire house. Miss Hilly demands her friend, Miss Skeeter, the writer of the League of Jackson's newsletter, to write a proposal to the bathroom installation plan in the newsletter. Miss Skeeter, a more liberal southerner decides that this segregation is not right. She refuses to post the article and with her new rage, she begins to truly pursue a job in journalism. After talking to the editor of a New York City publishing company, Skeeter begins to write a book about being a maid in Jackson. She interviews Aibleen and Minny (the third, rambunctious narrator) along with 10 other maids. When finally published, her book begins to create drama in the white community, especially with Miss Hilly. Although the book is 100% anonymous, she realizes that the book was written about her and her friends by their help. And, although in the end many maids get fired and families are torn apart by the effects of the book, it was a groundbreaking attempt to end segregation in Jackson and show, the efforts and miseries of the help in Jackson, Mississippi.