Spoiler-Free Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

    Synopsis: 

The Help by Kathryn Stockett has three distinct perspectives from the viewpoints of the characters: Minnie Jackson, Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, and Aibileen Clark. It takes place in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960s and the Civil Rights Movement. It basically studies the relationships that white and black people have during this time period and specifically how white families treat black maids and other servants or "the help."

    Before diving into my review, please note that it is based on my opinion of the book. As you consider my thoughts, remember that you are allowed to have different feelings about this book. If you haven't read it yet, feel free to pick up a copy and form your own opinion on it.

    Content Warnings: Domestic abuse, violence, racism.

    Note: This book deals with mature themes and topics.

    Review:

    Overall, The Help was a pretty interesting read, although it did take a while to get into the story. I found the three main leads to be very compelling, especially the two maids: Aibileen and Minnie. The beginning of the book involved a lot of set up for the story, giving an insight into life in the 1960s, Mississippi. I thought this was very helpful for people trying to immerse themselves in the story and especially for international readers who may want to try reading this book.

    The book initially lacked a plotline which made the early part of the book feel a bit dull and uninteresting. Somewhere near the midpoint of the book, the main plot of the book is revealed and the story really begins to pick up. Having the main character, Skeeter, be a writer doing research for a book was an ingenious way of highlighting the mistreatment and injustices that black people have faced throughout history and especially in the 1960s. I didn't really care for the romantic subplot between Skeeter and Stuart, but I'll get into that more later. I'm not sure how much the domestic abuse plotline really added to the main plot of the story. However, I think it accurately portrayed the idea that even really strong women can feel trapped and defeated by abuse, the continual pattern of abuse, and how victimized women often don't realize how bad their situation is.

    Alright, now onto the characters. I think of the three main perspectives that we get in this book, Skeeter's is the one that I was least interested in and the one I thought was least original. I feel like many books show this familiar storyline of a white person learning about the racism and injustice that exists in their society and then deciding to take action to change things. What I found appealing about Skeeter's perspective was the fact that Stockett kept things realistic. 

    As Skeeter starts to learn about the segregation and Jim Crow laws and begins hearing the maids' stories, she is disturbed but does not automatically change into a new person overnight. She continues to hold many of the same southern beliefs that have been ingrained in her by her family and society as a whole. I personally didn't like her romance with Stuart very much and I was disgusted by his character but I also felt pity for him. Skeeter's lying made the relationship drag on for too long when it was clear they were not suited to be together. 

    Aibileen's perspective was pretty interesting and specifically in her relationship with the Leefolts. The bond that she shared with Mae Mobley was absolutely precious and adorable. I loved how Aibileen decides that she wants to teach the Leefolt children the idea that white and black children are equally as valuable or important. She finds ways of incorporating these lessons into the games she teaches them and the stories she tells them in the hopes that maybe they will grow up to be different from their parents. Elizabeth Leefolt is presented as a cold, heartless person and mother who is always guided by her best friend, Hilly Holbrook's actions. She doesn't appear to love or really care about her children at all and always focuses on very superficial things like having her hair nicely styled. 

    In my opinion, Minnie Jackson has the most interesting character arc in this book. At work and in most aspects of her life, she is a bold and outspoken person which often leads her into trouble with her white employers. At the beginning of the story, she is working for an elderly woman named Mrs. Walters but due to a set of circumstances, soon loses her job and is falsely accused of being a thief. After a long, desperate search for work, Minnie is finally hired by a new person in the town named Celia Foote. This presents its own unique challenges as Celia is unlike any other white woman that has previously employed Minnie. Minnie's story also involves domestic abuse which at first did not seem to fit her character arc. However, I realized over time that the author purposefully meant for possibly the strongest female character in the book to be the one who suffered through the abuse. It really shows that no one is safe or protected against violence and abusive behavior. Also, Hilly Holbrook was an absolutely horrible character and she got everything she deserved in the end.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Genre: Historical Fiction, Drama, Romance

Author: Kathryn Stockett

Publisher: Penguin Books