Ethical Principles The Help chronicles a recent college graduate named Skeeter, who secretly writes a book exposing the treatment of black maids by white affluent women. The story takes place in 1960s Jackson, Mississippi, during the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. The death of Medgar Evers triggers racial tension and gives the maids of Jackson the courage to retell their personal stories of injustice endured over the years. The movie depicts the frustration of the maids with their female employers and what their lives were like cleaning, cooking, and raising their bosses’ children. The Help shines a light on the racial and social injustice of maids during the era of Jim Crow Laws, illustrating how white women of a privileged …show more content…
She works for Elizabeth, an affluent white woman who is pregnant with her second child, even as she neglects her first child. Aibileen is the liaison between Skeeter, Elizabeth’s best friend, and the other maids. The final scenes of the movie illustrate the racial injustice Aibileen receives when she exposes The Junior League Women’s Society with the book. Hilly, the president of the Junior League, is outraged at the disrespect she believes Aibileen displays in revealing the true character of the white women of Jackson. Hilly accuses Aibileen of stealing silverware, and makes naive Elizabeth fire her on the spot. However, Elizabeth fails to take into account the needs of her daughter who is dependent on Aibileen for nurturing and compassion because Elizabeth herself fails to provide motherly affection. Aibileen begs Elizabeth not to fire her for the sake of the toddler, but to no avail. Aibileen stares injustice in the face when she confronts Hilly and dares her to call the police, knowing that she has been falsely accused. The movie ends with Aibileen walking down a long road with tall trees on both sides with her head held high and her heart filled with pride. She may have lost her job, but not her dignity. She confronted the injustice and mistreatment that sparked the Civil Rights Movement, and in the process was able to free her mind and forgive her enemies. Skeeter Skeeter
Within the first few minutes, the film summarized the church bombing that killed four innocent young girls and explained how it affected the Civil Rights Movement all through a historic song. The first scene of the movie, each victim’s family described their daughters’ childhood and how segregation affect their family. One interesting fact was the father of Denise McClair, one of victims, actually went to school in Tuskegee. The second victim, Carole Roberston, was confused why whites and blacks could not share the same water fountain, restaurant and bathroom. She did
Resilience is a factor that drives her survival and ability to persevere as a result of being a victim of circumstances. It is through her knowledge that acquires over time that enables her to fight back and put herself into a role of power within an environment promoting her oppression. Her mother, Georgia, Fanta and Aminata’s strong wills shows how women can take control of their lives and that they are more than just housewife’s, that they can change the world by standing up for themselves and showing other women the impossible, thus creating a movement resulting in how Aminata tells her story to the Abolitionists and how she destroys the stereotypical gender roles. Thus concluding to The Book of Negroes as an example that portrays female women to be strong and brave. It is through her knowledge she acquires over time that enables her to fight back and put herself into a role of power within a harsh
The Help by Kathryn Stockett takes place in Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960s. Elizabeth Leefolt just had a daughter which she named Mae Mobley Leefolt. Throughout The Help, Miss Leefolt does not show any sort of compassion or love towards Mae Mobley. Aibileen, Miss Leefolt's maid, shows love to Mae Mobley or “Baby Girl” as Aibileen calls her. Aibileen even tries to boost Mae Mobley's self-esteem by telling her this famous quote “‘You is kind. You is smart. You is important’” Aibileen says that to Mae Mobley to make her feel happy showing her love. In The Help, Aibileen's account of the mental and physical abuse and neglect of Mae Mobley proves that the purest and most innocent individuals suffer the most abuse and neglect.
The Film follows the journey of a young woman named Skeeter Phelan. She has just returned from living in New York and somehow her experiences there have changed her view of her home in Jackson Mississippi .Along her journey, she has discovered a new found friend, Aibileen Clark. Aibileen Clark is an African-American maid who has raised seventeen white children in her lifetime, including her recent and last “white baby” Mae Mobley. The book she writes with skeeter and the other African-American maid empowers her to stand up for justice. Aibileen is a great example of the earth mother as she not only she 17 “white baby” but she also taught them that color of skin does not matter, but kindness and love do. An earth mother is considerate and encourages the good things in life instead of the dark soul within. They put other people’s needs before their own despite of having their own personal problems. Like Leigh Anne, Aibileen have also risk her lives of teaching Mae Mobley about racial equality and civil rights. This is a risk as she is breaching the law which can cause her to lose her job and eventually face social penalties. This risk that she had taken was to prove that people were not born to be racist but is eventually taught through generation , "stop that moment from coming – and it come in every child's life – when they start to think that colored folks ain't as good
The story takes place in Mississippi, August 1962, where the main characters, Aibileen, Skeeter, and Minny all live and struggle with their own problems. Skeeter is an up and coming author/journalist who thanks the black people in the service industry and wants their stories to be told to others so that things may start getting better. Aibileen is a black maid who is trying to get over her son’s death while taking care of little Mae Mobley, her employer’s child; she always reminds that child how much she loves her even though she stated this “And I just didn’t feel so accepting anymore.” (Pg.3). Minny had demons to face too as a black maid: domestic abuse from her husband, being called a thief by the community and then fight to find work after that. Even though every one of these women are in danger for trying to make Mississippi better by writing their stories, they are still willing and fight to the end.
There are many important issues in this film regarding, racism, poverty, white supremacy and victim’s rights, capital punishment, drugs and alcohol abuse and religion including the murder rape and violence of two teens. Sister Helen begins to suffer between the parents of the two deceased teen, the prison Chaplin, and many of the African Americans that she works with and lives around who take offence at Mathew’s racism. When Sister Helen visits the
As the story progresses, Aibileen comes even more out of her shell by risking her life for the chance that others in her community will someday be seen as equal. Aibileen’s current baby she is taking care of, Mae Mobley, grows up in a racial family. With this said, Aibileen most definitely does not want “baby girl” to turn out like the rest of the women in Jackson. So as a result, Aibileen’s belief for what is right increases as she starts telling baby girl how everyone is equal, and how she is smart, kind and important. The sad fact is, if Aibileen hadn’t built of the courage to do what was right, her people would not have seen change at
Lives are so different now, compared to when this story took place. Some major things that are different is women’s rights, rights of African Americans, and just American life in general. We need to come to a realization that the world has evolved quickly, and this story perfectly represents that.
The child portrayed in the book, Mae Mobley, is young and innocent. She does not comprehend the racial barriers present in the south and in her own home. In an attempt to develop Mae into an individual compassionate towards others, Aibileen focuses on providing Mae with a structured and influential childhood. While she rears Mae Mobley, Aibileen preaches characteristics of benevolence, self-love, and fairness to Mae in hopes that she will not develop the derogatory and superior mindset of her family and community. Aibileen creates a mission to positively influence the young life of Mae Mobley.
The bus stopped due to an African American was shot. Aibileen and Henry was worried, so they hurry going in their separate way. When Aibileen got to Minny’s house, Minny said that the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) shotted him right in front of his chariot. Minny was worry that it might happen to her if somebody found out that they catches them with Mrs. Skeeter. The only reassurance that Aibileen said was to be careful because they are telling stories like it really happened. The consequences, is that both Aibileen and Minny had to be very careful and cautious of what they were doing with Mrs. Skeeter. They had to do it in secret without anybody finding out because if they did then there will be consequences that they have to pay. Even though at the end people in Jackson, Mississippi thinks it talks about them. Hilly was in denial, saying that it wasn’t about Jackson, Mississippi but a different
The Help Is a film set in the 1960’s regarding the lives of African American house slaves in Jackson, Mississippi. The three main characters in the film; Skeeter, Aibileen, and Minny act against the unfair treatment the receive being housemaids. A white woman named Skeeter Phelan is a member of the Junior League along with other wealthy women in her neighborhood. Skeeter works for the local newspaper and writes articles concerning mainly cleaning tips.
Aibileen is the main character in the book. She is a black maid that works for Miss Leefolt and takes care of her daughter Mae Mobley. In the novel she deals with three main internal conflicts. “That was the day my whole world went black. Air look black, sun look black...” (13). This
The storyline of The Help starts when young Eugenia Phelan, known to her friends as “Skeeter”, returns to her home in Jackson, Mississippi, after graduating college. The time period is during the 1960s and there is high tension because of racism and the Civil Rights Movement. Skeeter is surprised when she does not find her beloved maid, Constantine, at home. What happened to Constantine is a mystery to Skeeter and no one seems to answer her hovering questions.
To explain the movie plot, we must remember that the film takes place in the south during the Civil Rights era. In the
First I just want to say that if I didn’t have to watch this movie for class, then it wouldn’t normally appeal for me to watch it. I didn’t have anything against this movie; I just personally do not like watching movies that have a negative vibe like it did at the end of this movie. I know that this movie was supposed to be based on the true story of Teena Brandon, however, after watching this movie, I looked up the true story and it turned out that the movie was really faithful to the actual real life events that occurred.