The Help
The Help is a movie adapted from a novel by the same name. It was produced in 2011 after the book became a bestseller. The movie focuses on three women in Jackson, Mississippi, during the 1960s. Aibileen works as a housekeeper and the nanny for the Leefolt family, Minny is a maid and an outspoken one, and lastly, Skeeter who is a college graduate. Skeeter is a writer by profession and wants to pursue that passion so that she can escape the stifling life of her southern society. She becomes dismayed and irked by the Home Help Sanitation Initiative, and this got her thinking of the possibility of changing people’s attitudes about race in Jackson. Skeeter decides to embark on a dangerous project; it involves interviewing the black maids about what it is like to be a black maid in a white family. Aibileen and Minny were skeptical at first about the initiative but soon came around after they knew how important it is to tell their story, and this was their chance to get it out there.
Back in the 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi, black maids used to work in the homes of white owners where their duties were cleaning, cooking, washing, and raising the children. They were mistreated and were often forced to listen to nasty comments about their lives and failings. There were often derogatory remarks about the black race, and the most common charges were that the black people carried diseases. What was forgotten was the patience and loyalty of the women towards the household. They gave tender loving care to the children of the households who were sometimes neglected by their parents. The film shows how people from different races can come together and work harmoniously to expose the poor treatment that the black maids faced.
The film is centered around the modern stereotype of a white family’s house during the 1960s. During that time, white women were said to be extremely neglecting of their families, and in the film, this narrative s portrayed by Elizabeth Leefolt. The maids that were employed by the women always picked up after their slack, and in the film, it is characterized by Aibileen Clark, who is a mother figure for the children in the family. The film portrays the idea of the mid-1900s, where there was the superiority of white dominance in the South coupled with the segregation of the blacks. This denied the blacks of opportunities that they considered were their right. In the film, the blacks are treated poorly from being forbidden to use the facilities used by the whites, to them performing duties and working for the white families, and having their freedom of speech curtailed to avoid conflict. The film explores the several ways in which racism and gender roles are manifested in the lives of women through the 1960s and the effects that came to be because of the segregated society.
One of the critical social problems highlighted in the film is the poor working conditions that black women faced in their line of work. During the mid-1900s in the South, women of color were designated to maids and hand helps for the white families if they wanted to be employees or work generally. This is because there weren’t many job opportunities for women of color in the South. The job of a maid was therefore carried through generations, and it is demonstrated by Aibileen when she stated that she knew she was going to be a maid because her mother and grandmother were maids. The film portrays how the white families underappreciated the maids despite the job they did and how their employees took advantage of them.
An example is how the maids were never given a simple thank you by the employees; instead, they always expected more from them even though they were doing their best. The wages that the maids in the film we’re getting paid were deplorable when compared to the sheer work that they did. This showed how underappreciated the women were and the poor conditions that they were subjected to.
The maids were the moms of the white children since they had a real and strong connection to them. In the film, it is shown in the scene where Mae Mobley stated that “You are my real mom Abi.” This is also portrayed by Constantine, who had a real and close relationship with Skeeter when she was a child. She took care of her, and Skeeter came to love her as a mother. The white moms trusted the maids to raise their children despite the fact that they thought the blacks were dirty people who were disease-ridden. They also believed that the black man was less intelligent than the average white man during that era. This trust bestowed upon them was like a diminishing hope since they thought that the black women would never amount to anything; therefore, they can raise the white women’s children who they will see account for something. This portrayed the job of being a maid as not being a privilege since it was nothing to aspire to. The job left for no room of promotion or a pay rise since the white family thought that they didn’t deserve to earn a piece of their money that they had worked hard for. This ensured that the working conditions remained poor for the black woman.
Another issue raised by the film was the issue of racism. Throughout the film, segregation is a theme that is portrayed consistently as it occurred throughout the 1960s in the South. During that era, the amenities that were set aside for people of color were under the Jim Crow laws. These laws enforced the issue of racial segregation in the South. The amenities that the black people got to enjoy were sub-par as compared to the type of amenities that the white people got to enjoy. In the film, this type of racism is portrayed by Hilly, a white woman who sought to be creative and came up with an initiative that prevented the black maids from using the washrooms located in their employer’s house. This is because of the belief they had that the black people carried diseases that may be transmitted if they all used the same toilet seat. Her initiative was to create an outside toilet that will only be used by the black maids, no matter the conditions outside. This segregation was also experienced outside their workplaces and into public places. There were separate libraries, public washrooms, schools, cars, theaters, and other public amenities and facilities for the blacks. These were considered not to be equal with the ones the white population used.
In the 20th century, many children of white families were raised to associate people of color with them being as lesser beings. This was a continuous chain that forced the kids into a life of prejudice because they had no ability to disagree. An example in the film is where Mrs. Leefolt said to her daughter, Mae Mobley, “I didn’t raise you to use the colored bathroom! This is dirty out here; you will catch diseases.” This is due to the notion that Mrs. Leefolt believed that the black race is dirty, and the idea that her daughter was using that bathroom was frightening her. Her reaction is immense since she beats her in the hopes that by beating her, she can succeed in inflicting her opinions into her. This form of prejudice was common throughout the South in the mid-century as many conflicts in the film shows. The whites would not let the people who raise their children from birth and who lived with their families even to use the amenities they also use. This is because they were trained from a young age to believe that they are a superior race than the blacks, but they still don’t see a problem living with them and letting them raise their children.
The film tackles the issue of gender roles during the mid-1900s era for both the black and white races. White women were valued for their ability to procreate and being a loving wife, but not for their ability to having a career. This was not the case for Skeeter, who was an educated woman and was frustrated by the sexist expectations that the society had in place for her. She wants and desires to be a writer, and therefore she pursues this passion of hers. She decides to write about the injustices that the black maids are experiencing at the hands of white housewives. During this era, her actions were completely unacceptable, and by doing so, she would have crossed a dangerous line that people were scared of doing. Her actions would lead to the counteraction of the myths in the society that were used to justify the issue of segregation and unfair treatment. One of these lines that she crossed was going against her race and, in hindsight, her society. It was considered wrong in society for whites and blacks to interact mutually. This is why Skeeter and the maids met secretly to work on her book. Her actions showed a rebellious nature and that she truly wanted to make a change and defy the stereotype that had labeled women in that era.
One of the theoretical concepts tackled in the film is Noel’s theory. The theory was developed on the origin of ethnic stratification, which is considered as some fixed group and notion like the race is utilized as significant criteria for the assignment of social positions. This is because of not every group or race or individual values the same things. In the theory, Noel divides the ethnic stratification into three categories; ethnocentrism, competition, and power differentials. When one culture or race thinks that their way of doing things is better than another culture; hence this creates a greater negative evaluation of a particular culture or race. This creates competition since both cultures or races have set goals, and the resources are limited. When one race or culture reaches its goals before the other, then they obtain power over the rest. In the age of slavery, the whites had power hence protection against their actions meaning the African slaves were pushed lower into society. This is evident in the film since the white was considered a superior race hence had power over the black race. They used this power to create the Jim Crow laws to keep the black at the bottom of the food chain. This led to the stratification in the society where the white women could dictate what to do with their black maids, and the black maids had become content with it since it was now their way of life for generations.
Another theoretical concept that comes out in the film is Blauner’s hypothesis. This hypothesis is a theory about how minority groups are created, either through colonization or immigration. Immigration is voluntary; therefore, the exclusions and prescriptions they experience are minimal. Colonization, on the other hand, is involuntary, and thus, the exclusions and the prescriptions they experience are maximized. The minority groups that are created through colonization, experience intense racism, prejudice, and discrimination than the societies that are created through immigration. The black race in the US was created through colonization hence the amount of racism and prejudice they experienced through the years. This meant that they were a minority group, and they had no equal rights as compared to the white race. This was shown in the film by how the white women treated their black maids as if they wouldn’t amount to anything in life. The amount of discrimination the black maids experienced was due to their status as a minority group, and the level of exclusions was maximized.
After centuries of racial inequalities, society is finally beginning to see an uprise in racial equalities. The idea of equality is not appreciated by everyone today, and it will take a long time for it to be appreciated by all. This topic will continue to be a part of our lives and our future generations for years to come. In the film, Skeeter stands up and can fight back against the prejudice and racism in society and tries to make a change. Throughout history, people of color have always been treated differently from the white, and the idea that the whites were dirty and diseased is disgusting. We all are humans, and the color of our skins shouldn’t be a hindrance to how people are treated. The film is able to get this message across by showing the different points of views in society and how people struggled through that time.
References
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Dixon, J., Levine, M., Reicher, S., & Durrheim, K. (2012). Beyond prejudice: Are negative evaluations the problem and is getting us to like one another more the solution? Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 35(6), 411-425.
Edgell, S., & Granter, E. (2019). The sociology of work: Continuity and change in paid and unpaid work. SAGE Publications Limited.
Noel, D. L. (1968). A Theory of the Origin of Ethnic Stratification. Social Problems, 16(2), 157–172.
Szulkowska, A. (2017). The problem of racism in Kathryn Stockett’s novel The Help. Crossroads. A Journal of English Studies, 16(1), 41-53.
Van Wormer, K., Jackson III, D. W., & Sudduth, C. (2012). The maid narratives: Black domestics and white families in the Jim Crow South. LSU Press.
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