The close bond between black caretakers and white children (Aibileen and Mae Mobley, as well as Skeeter and Constantine) show that nurturing love is not limited to blood relationships. The Help takes a close look at many types of love, some of them unlikely and fraught with difficulties. Though Skeeter's mother often bosses her daughter, she also stands up for her at critical moments, such as during her conflicts with Hilly and Stuart. Skeeter later discovers that this critical edge is tempered by love her mother has cancer, and she wants to make sure her daughter has a good life after she is gone. Skeeter has a difficult but loving relationship with her mother, who is constantly pressuring her daughter to dress better and catch a man. For example, Aibileen acts as a mother to Mae Mobley, not only taking care of her day-to-day needs but also teaching her to be kind to others and to always have respect for herself. There's also an indication that mother-daughter relationships are not necessarily dependent on blood ties. The Help examines several different types of mother-daughter relationships.Įlizabeth Leefolt has a strained relationship with her mother, who is aloof and demanding she continues this unhealthy dynamic by being neglectful and critical of her own daughter, Mae Mobley.

Mothers and daughters have difficult but deeply loving relationships. It's possible, through effort and understanding, to begin to heal the wounds of racism. Through her efforts to be a mouthpiece for the black maids of Jackson, Skeeter develops a close friendship with Aibileen and Minny. In addition to anecdotes about rude or abusive employers, we hear stories of maids who have very close relationships with the white families for whom they work. The Help also suggests that it is possible to cross this racial divide. While this is meant to lend authenticity to their voices, it also makes them sound uneducated and makes it somewhat difficult to relate to them. When writing from the perspective of the black maids Aibileen and Minny, Stockett uses an antiquated form of speech. Perhaps most damaging of all, black people are constantly exposed to social messages telling them that they are dirty, lazy, and in all respects less than white people.Įven the way the book is written hearkens back to this central theme. Racism manifests in the lives of the black maids in a number of ways: they are denied opportunities for educational or professional advancement, they perform repetitive work for white families, they must curtail their speech to prevent violence, and they must use separate facilities.

Kathryn stockett's the help