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Essay / Issues of Race, Gender, and Class in The Help by Kathryn Stockett
There has not been a time in our society where people have not been treated differently because of the color of their skin or where they are. they stand in society. In The Help, an effort is made to separate whites and blacks in every way possible, which is very similar to what was happening in 1962 in Jackson, Mississippi. They have separate bathrooms, the two live in opposite parts of town, and more. The Help is the story of three ordinary women, Aibileen and Minny are two black servants, and white socialite Skeeter has just returned from college and aspires to become a writer. These women come together to work on a book about what it means to be a black maid in Jackson, Mississippi. They are trying to tell their story in a society that has long refused to hear their voices. Kathryn Stockett's gripping and comically poignant story conveys the powerful message that race, gender and class, despite our efforts to change this, will always affect the way people are treated. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay During this time in history, racism is very common and, unfortunately, it still exists today. Many examples of this are shown in various parts of the story. Towards the end of the novel, Skeeter finally discovers the truth about Constantine's sudden disappearance. “'I dragged her into the kitchen and said, Lulabelle, you can't stay here. You have to go on, and oh, she looked at me haughtily. She said: What do you not allow black people of color in your living room if we don't clean? That's when Constantine walks into the kitchen and she looks as shocked as I am. I say, Lulabelle, you get out of this house before I call Mr. Phelan, but she won't move. He says when I thought she was white, I treated her well. He says in Chicago she's part of an underground group, so I tell Constantine, I tell him, "Get your daughter out of my house right now." This shows that there is not much difference between whites and blacks because before finding out who she was, Charlotte thought that Lulabelle was white like all the other ladies there. The problem arises as soon as she discovers that she is Constantine's daughter and that she is black. Charlotte immediately changes her attitude towards Lulabelle and kicks her out of her home. Another situation in which racism manifests itself is when Hilly suspects Aibileen of being involved in the book Skeeter wrote. There were horrible stories about her, so in revenge, Hilly made Elizabeth fire Aibileen by making up a story that she had stolen money when she had no proof. “But she still won’t look at me and I don’t know what to do. I don't know yet how serious it is. Maybe it's not about the silverware, maybe it's really about Miss Leefolt and Chapter Two... "Then it behooves me to inform you that you are fired, Aibileen." Miss Hilly sniffles. " I'll call the police. They know me. » Even though she has no proof, Hilly still had the power to fire Aibileen because Aibileen is black and couldn't answer her. Although racism is the focus of this novel, it is not the only type of discrimination it deals with. Being a woman or a man also determines how you were treated during that time. Women had certain expectations to meet. When Skeeter tries to find.