The movie The Help takes place in 1960s Jackson, Mississippi and illustrates the lives of black maids working for white families during the era of segregation. It depicts the racial inequalities and stereotypes they faced, such as being required to use separate bathrooms. The main characters are Skeeter, a white woman who wants to interview the maids; Aibileen, a longtime maid; and Minny, a maid known for speaking her mind. Skeeter works with Aibileen and Minny to publish a book anonymously telling the stories of maids and challenge the stereotypes.
1. Stereotypes In The Help
The Help is a movie based off of the inequalities of segregation in Mississippi in the 1960s. The film
correctly illustrates the life of black maids who worked in white households. The film is fictional, but
it is indeed factual. There is no inaccurate information, though many things, including the violence
and brutality during this period, was minimized. There were many popular stereotypes that were
both challenged and reinforced. For example, there was a stereotype that if you weren't actively
dating, then you were homosexual. There was also a stereotype that black people carried diseases and
weren't to use the same restrooms as whites.
The main characters of The Help include Aibleen Clark, Eugenia 'Skeeter' Phelan, Hilly Holbrook,
and Minny
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2. Analysis Of The Book ' The Help '
Annabelle Hopper Ms. Whelan English lll 24 August 2015 Choice One; The Help One image in the
book The Help is the outside bathroom that Hilly Holbrook suggests. Hilly says "That's exactly why
I've designed the Home Help Sanitation Initiative, a disease–preventative measure." Hilly Holbrook
(Pg 10) This image represents the theme of racial prejudice. Racial prejudice is the negative
demeanor toward a group of people based on skin color. You already have this negative opinion
on these people without ever having an experience with them. This is how most of the women in
The Help act. This racial prejudice develops from an early age. This is because their mothers raise
their children this way and it keeps being passed down, until someone like Skeeter breaks the
chain. This outside bathroom represents the lack of respect and view they have on black women.
They think so less of them that they prevent them from using the same restroom. A quote showing
that these white women don't accept or respect blacks is "A bill that requires every white home
to have a separate bathroom for the colored help. I 've even notified the surgeon general of
Mississippi to see if he 'll endorse the idea. I 'll pass." Hilly Holbrook (Pg 10). Another quote
showing how racially prejudice these women are is "All these houses they're building without
maid's quarters? It's just plain dangerous. Everybody knows they carry different kinds of diseases
than we do." Hilly Holbrook (Pg 10) This statement
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3. Movie Review: The Help
The Help– The Movie A Critical Analysis The Help has been one of the most eminent movies
released in 2011. It's been an exceptional piece of work if analyzed in the spectrum of complete
entertainment. From storytelling to genre, the movie has performed reasonably in many areas.
Although there have been various criticisms on the movie when it comes to basic plot, however
overall the movie manages to reveal its actual meaning yet being an entertaining at the same time.
The movie was nominated in Oscars in four categories including Best picture. In a nutshell, it is a
captivating movie with exceptional cinematography and emotional reverberation. Although the
actresses failed to actually adopt and reflect the Southern accent. But disappointingly, where it has
done well with the basic elements of movie making, the movie has appeared rather ineffective in its
messages. As far as the previous savior–based Oscar movies are concerned, it struggles a lot to
shame racism. With blurred colored lines, the movie actually ends up making the Whites good about
themselves. In short, The Help represents a failing of both originality and moral grounding. After
analyzing the plot of the story, one can see the major contradiction with the actual history of Civil
rights movement. The actual history is represents an extensive series physical violence and sexual
abuses when it comes to domestic house workers. Even these areas were moderately discussed in
the actual novel as well. On the
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4. Set in the early 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi, The Help, written by Kathryn Stockett and produced
as a movie by Tate Taylor, provides viewers insight into the world of an African
–American
housemaid, or the help, during the controversial time of the Civil Rights Movement. In Jackson,
Mississippi, African–Americans face racial prejudice and unjust treatment compared to the white
people, and many women of color spend their whole lives caring for white families despite very
little pay. Skeeter, a twenty–three year old white woman, holds a desire to help the maids gain a
voice as she is unbelieving of the myths about them. Wanting a change in the way black people are
perceived, she finds herself with the idea to write a controversial book, "Help," in which she
interviews African–American maids, among those maids being Aibileen and Minny, concerning
their time working for white families. Overall, in both the novel and movie rendition of The Help,
Skeeter unites together with the black help despite racial prejudice to give them a voice, showing
viewers that collaborating together towards a common goal can lead to social awareness. Towards
the beginning of The Help in both the book and movie interpretation, viewers soon figure out that
Skeeter is avid towards making a career for herself through writing. After applying for an editing job
at a Elaine Stein's publishing company and being told that she did not have enough experience,
Skeeter finds herself with the idea to write The
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5. The Help by Kathryn Stockett Essay
The Help
The book , The Help by Kathryn Stockett, is about a women named Aibileen who is a black maid.
She is taking care of her 17th white baby now. She works for a woman named Miss Leefolt.
Aibileen has never disobeyed an order in her life and never intends to do so. Her friend Minny is
the exact opposite. When she is around her boss, she has to hold herself back from sassing them
all the time. Skeeter Phelan is different than the rest of the white ladies. She thinks that blacks
aren't all that bad. She decides to write a book about the lives of maids for white ladies. Otherwise
known as the Help. She with the help of Aibileen and Minny hope to create a book that starts a
revolution about what white people think about blacks. Each of...show more content...
"I try to contribute to the conversation. 'Definitely Raleigh if it's a boy.' "– (Page 183) Skeeter didn't
contribute to the conversation too much because she wasn't comfortable with her friends. I think
that overall, there is lots of variety to the three. The three girls working together begins to create
the solution to the main conflict. The main conflict in this case is blacks are being treated in a
way that is not fair. They are being treated as if they are disease carrying things. Skeeter wants to
change that perspective on people. That's why she wants to write a book on how black maids are
treated in Mississippi. "I turn and hear Pascagoula's knock on my door. That's when the idea hit me.
No. I couldn't. That would be . . . crossing the line." – (Page 104) This was foreshadowing what
Skeeter would do next. It let the reader know what was going to happen. Minny and Aibileen are
there to help Skeeter with her book. They are the interviews. At first, the book starts out with
Aibileen doing a normal day of work. She notices the Skeeter isn't like all the other ladies. She's
more polite. When Skeeter gets a job at the local newspaper she starts to go to Aibileen for help with
the Miss Myrna articles. She is even willing to pay her to help her. " 'For your help,' I say quietly, '
I've put away five dollars for every article. It's up to thirty–five dollars now.' " (Page 126) This shows
that Skeeter is quite
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6. The Help Film Techniques
The Help The Help is an inspiring movie, centralized on themes of showing courage in the midst of
adversity and racial desegregation. The selection of actors with specific attributes, lighting/camera
angles, and music, allows the movie to entertain in detail, and highlight the prime issues of the
1960s. With the movie being directed with these specifities in mind, the author, Kathryn Stockett,
is able to successfully relay her message in the screenplay. The acting plays a crucial role in the
way the audience perceives the characters. Skeeter Phelan (Emma Stone), Hilly Holbrook (Bryce
Dallas Howard), and Celia Foote (Jessica Chastain) are wide–smiled, younger–aged, petite, white
women, whereas Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis), and Octavia Spencer...show more content...
There aren't very many special effects involved which added a natural, country feel to the movie.
When Hilly drove her car to Skeeter's house the camera shot from above with an open angle. The
scene continues with their conversation, where Hilly is filmed from above Skeeter's head
shooting down on her, whereas Skeeter is filmed from Hilly's shoulder height looking up at her.
This shows that Hilly is inferior to Skeeter. The camerawork also employs zooms, such as when
Aibileen is leaving in the final scene, and Mae Mobley recites the three sentences Aibileen taught
her. This increases the importance of the scene, and gives introspect into the intimacy of their
relationship. The camerawork creates an optimistic viewpoint when the camera incorporates wide
angles, for example, when Minny is looking at Celia's house for the first time, or when Skeeter is
talking to her job editor in New York. A low
–to–high tilt shot was used when the movie was
introducing Celia Lightfoot that drew attention to Celia's physique. Music is an important element
as it aids in setting the mood for the scene. In the final scene, Aibileen is leaving Mae Mobley,
which is A mellow tune, such as Mary J Bliges' "The living proof," sets an attitude of vindication
after a pyrrhic victory, but also gives the viewer hope. Upbeat, country songs such as "Jackson" by
Johnny Cash were played to add buoyance. When Minny was gave hilly the
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7. Summary Of ' The Help '
09/15/2015
ENG142
"The Help" Annotated Bibliography
Tiffin University
Pulg, Claudia. "'The Help': It's Fine Work All Around." USA Today. Web. 9 Aug (2011)
.
In her review, Claudia was basically focused on how the movie was based on racism and that in
this time in the 1960's that the movie would not be a great movie to see. Claudia, states this
statement because of all issues that were going on with the civil rights at the time and how their
services as maids were taken for granted. While in the process the women who were maids went
to meet with Sly to them their stories a bond was created by Skeeter, Aibileen, and Minny and
from there they build a sisterhood. Claudia also praises the fact that everyone did a great job in
playing the characters. This article is a great resource because it pointed out how the maids were
taken advantage of and this would be a great way to get specific details.
Motoko, Rich. ""The Help': A Southern Mirrored Window." The New York Times. Web. 2 Nov
(2009)
< http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/books/03help.html?pagewanted=all>
Motoko Rich, states that the novel is basically about the relationships between African American and
their employers in the 1960's in Mississippi. In her review, she explained who were the narrators
of the novel. Aibileen and Minny and Skeeter. She continued with how Skeeter was desperate and
very eager and wanted to impress the editor at the publishing house in New York with a book idea
and how she
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8. Historical Events In The Movie The Help
Introduction Slavery was a very big part in the United States history and not a very good part of
history either. The movie takes place in 1960s in Mississippi. A southern society girl Skeeter
returns from college with dreams of being a writer. She turns her small town on its ear by
choosing to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent white
families. Only Aibileen, the housekeeper of Skeeter's best friend, will talk at first. But as the pair
continues the collaboration, more women decide to come forward, and as it turns out, they have
quite a lot to say. The help is very mistreated and work long days and go home to working long
nights to keep the their own house going.
Three Important Historical Events There has many historical events that happened during this
movie. One of them was when Medgar Evers, a civil rights activist, was killed. Also, another one
was when Medgar Evens brother Charles Evers was brutally gun downed at his home. They kicked
all the black people off the busses and took the rest of the white people home. Another historical
events was "the help"; these people were maids and caretakers of white families. "The help" was
always black people during this time too. Another event was Jim Crow laws, which were state and
local laws...show more content...
This shows us their side of this time. We can see and relate to how hard an average day of their
live is. They wake up really early get their kids ready for the day, then they catch the bus to work,
wake up and get the children of the white people ready for the day. Then they clean, do all the
chores for them and just about anything else they tell them to do. Then after putting the white
children to sleep they finally go home and put their own children to sleep. After they put their own
children to sleep they clean and get their own house in order. They worked so hard and through this
movie we go to see it in a different
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9. A Social Psychological View of the Help
The movie, The Help, is based on the book written by Kathryn Stockett. It was released in 2011
and directed by Tate Taylor (Taylor, 2017). The Help is set in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960's,
and it is about the experiences black women had as maids for white families. These women
decided to risk it all and tell their stories in an effort to show what is was really like for them
(Taylor, 2011). The Help illustrates how these women foughtracism and prejudice by becoming
unified with one another. This paper will address how prejudice, discrimination, stereotyping, and
inequality affect the characters and their relationships in the story.
Prejudice
Prejudice is defined as "negative feelings toward...show more content...
When she knocked on the door, the women at bridge club unsuccessfully hid from her. When she
went to the window, she spotted a few of them and at first did not understand that they were hiding
from her. She slowly realized they were trying to avoid her. When she got back home she told
Minny, "They made me stand there like I was the vacuum salesman" (Taylor, 2011). This is just one
example in the movie of prejudice that is bordering on discrimination.
Discrimination
Aside from being prejudice toward anyone different from herself, Hilly Holbrook also exemplified
discrimination in the story. Discrimination is similar to prejudice, but it is defined as "behavior
directed against persons because of their membership in a particular group" (Kassin, Fein, &
Markus, 2014). Hilly was prejudice toward Celia, mainly through her own negative beliefs about her.
She did not demonstrate many acts of discrimination toward Celia, but she did when it came to the
maids.
In the beginning of the movie, she was shown in her bathroom marking the toilet paper with a
pencil (Taylor, 2011). That was her way of making sure that her maid, which was Minny at the
time, did not use their bathroom inside of the house. She had a separate outhouse for Minny to use.
Hilly was also a member of the White Citizens Council. She developed a Home Help Sanitation
Initiative, which promoted a law that would require every home in the state to have a separate
bathroom
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10. Skeeter Phelan In The Help
Like all the white characters in The Help, Skeeter Phelan was raised by a black nanny.
Constantine, a wise, comforting, and trusted adult, became a better mentor to Skeeter than her
parents ever were. Early on Constantine teaches Skeeter that being different is nothing to be
ashamed of, asking her "Are you gone believe what them fools say about you?" Constantine
teaches Skeeter to follow her heart, but has a hard time taking her own advice, feeling she has
few choices and limited power. Skeeter's peers expect her to have their values, following the lead of
Hilly Holbrook, the queen bee. Early on, when Skeeter gets the job of writing the Miss Myrna's
Household Hints column for the local paper, she asks advice from the help, a logical move. Her
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11. Slavery in the Movie The Help Essay
The term "The Help" according to dictionary.com means the action of helping someone to do
something. Which refers to the duty of a person that helps keep a household clean and organized.
Back when racism was still openly accepted by society, black women were the only candidates
available for this type of job, because it was very difficult for them to find jobs. The job of being
"The Help" in the house for rich white folks includes taking care of the kids, the house, and worry
about preparing 3 meals a day for the white family they work for. The term of "The Help" doesn't
exist anymore in today's world, well at least nobody uses that team for it anymore, instead in today's
society it is refer to as a Nanny. And instead of it being just...show more content...
Aibileen was being treated like as if she wasn't a human, because she wasn't allowed to use the
same bathroom in the house that she cleans and takes care of every singe day, but instead was
built her own separate bathroom. She was treated bad and was also paid badly. The money she
was being paid is not even enough for her to put together a household and to pay bills. While all
this was going on, she found a way to fight back by helping a young girl write a book that exposes
how "The Helps" were being treated in the households they take care of. Nowadays, society don't
use the term "The Help" to describe a person that is hired to take care of a household of a person
that was hired to give an helping hand. Instead they call them a Nanny. The job of a Nanny is still
the same as that of "The Help" from back in the days, but the only difference is that they get more
respect from whoever hires them and they get a better pay and living condition. Plus it is not
only black women that are involved in these types of work anymore. Nowadays it varies in terms
of races. In an interview that my partner and me had with a Nanny named Rita Asento where we
found out that things are very different now compare to the olden days. During the interview the
Nanny was asked to describe her occupation and what she does, she gave the following answer, "I
take care of an old white lady. I was hired by her son to take care of her in her home because she
didn't want to go
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13. Analysis of The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Based upon the 2009 New York Times bestseller novel by Kathryn Stockett, the Help was produced
as a film in 2011.The Help is based upon the segregated post–WWII era in the southern town of
Jackson, Mississippi. The film depicts the young protagonist, Skeeter, along with her friends, family
and white employers. We come to see the challenges and limitations imposed on the domestic
servants shown over the the summer of 1963.The viewer is taken on a journey through the steamy
and volatile summer months on the cusp of social change in the deep south. The parallel conflict is
depicted both internally with each character and externally with the waves of change beginning to
roll into our nation. We learn that, as the author subtitles her novel, 'that change begins with a
whisper'. The social revolution is more than the large sweeping policy changes, but is truely found in
the bravery and strength of individuals who convey tremendous courage in silent protest. The movies
conveys the daily prejudice, abuse, and silent suffering black men and women faced in the 1960's.
It further shows the steps toward, both large and small, toward change. One of the main historical
topics that was in the film were the Jim Crow laws. Racial segregation occurred between 1876
through 1965 through social, political and economic separation. Mississippi had the largest black
minority of any states of the US; only five percent of eligible African–Americans were registered to
vote. As for economic
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14. The Help: Film Analysis
Part 1 – In American author's 2009 book, The Help, the primary thesis is the relationship between
Black maids and white households in Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960s. The story is
really told from three perspectives, Aibileen and Minny are Black women, both maids, and
Skeeter is the nickname of Eugenia Phelan, daughter of a prominent White family. Skeeter has
just finished school and hopes to become a writer. In general, the relationship between the Black
maids and the White employers is six sided: On one side we have the White employers who have
three views: 1) Their personal and private beliefs that can range from extreme scorn and bias to
kindness regarding race; 2) Their public persona that must have the "proper" attitude about Blacks
and "the help," and 3) Their employer attitude, which is condescending and parental. The Black
view also has three segments: 1) Their personal and private beliefs that usually range from
understanding not all Whites are the same and an extreme love and empathy for the White children
for whom they care; 2) The public persona that is deferential, polite, and stoic to their White bosses;
and 3) Their attitude and view among the Black community, which usually separates the "poor and
ignorant but rich" White souls from the Black view of family and common sense. All in all, the
relationship is contentious, phony, and based on economic advantage. Part 2 Skeeter is one of the
only White characters in the book with an open mind. This
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15. The Help Essay
The Help The movie The Help is based off of the beloved book by Kathryn Stockett, The Help.
The film is a drama taking place in Jackson, Mississippi, during the 1960s. Lead actresses include
Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, and Octavia Spencer. The movie begins with Eugenia
'Skeeter' Phelan being accepted for a job at the Jackson newspaper as a journalist for the cleaning
column. Phelan, who dreams of being a writer, meets with her friend Elizabeth Leefolt's African
American maid, Aibileen Clark. Phelan aspires to reveal the truth about the racism taking place in
Jackson, and wishes to collect some of Clark's stories. Clark, however, has mixed feelings about
sharing these stories, because she knows the violence and suffering that could result if anyone caught
her telling stories about her employers. After Clark's best friend, Minny Jackson, is...show more
content...
The maids wear simple blue dresses with a white apron, white socks, and black shoes. The wealthy,
popular women wear dresses with floral print throughout, and refrain from revealing too much.
Strings of pearls and pearl earrings worn by the characters reflect popular sixties jewelry. Finally, the
distinguished hairstyles of the characters exemplify the setting remarkably well. The women wear
their hair bumped up and voluminous, and normally less than shoulder–length, with the ends flipped
and curled. Headbands and bows make excellent sixties accessories in this film. These costumes
signify status and divide between race and add to the theme of the film. I have awarded The Help
with five out of five stars because it is the perfect blend for a movie. It includes heartbreaking
stories, unbelievable humor, and thrilling drama. In the end, this movie will leave you thinking about
it for hours. It's an unforgettable experience that one just has to know for
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16. The Help Essay
The Help by Kathryn Stockett 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. Skeeter was unlike her friends because of the fact that she
went to college and is unmarried. Skeeter is a part of a group that meets to play bridge once a
week. Skeeter's friends Hilly Holbrook and Elizabeth Leefolt are in the bridge group. Hilly is the
president of the Junior Women's League, which Skeeter writes the newsletter for. Hilly is known for
being quite manipulative and the kind to always get what she wants. Skeeter, Elizabeth, and Hilly
were all very close in high school but Skeeter became distant from them because of their differences.
Both Hilly...show more content...
She cares for Elizabeth's child and does all of the work around the house. As Aibileen and Skeeter
work together to answer the "Miss Myrna" questions, Skeeter gets the idea to write a book about
domestic maids. Skeeter submits her idea to Harper & Row Publishing and the company expressed
interest. The company said that they would consider publishing under a few conditions– Skeeter had
to include at least twelve maids and finish the book before the New Year. Aibileen convinced her
candid friend, Minny (Hilly's mother's former maid), to get involved in the story but Skeeter still
needed ten more. With tensions created by the Civil Rights Movement, Skeeter struggled to find
maids that would agree to take such a risk, but when Hilly takes things a little too far, eleven maids
from Aibileen's church agreed to tell Skeeter their
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17. The Help: Comparing The Book And Movie
The Help is a film that was released in 2011 and adapted from the novel of the same name by
Kathryn Stockett that was published in 2009 ("The Help (film)"). The director of the film The
Help is Tate Taylor. Taylor had only directed a short film and one movie before directing The
Help. He is childhood friends with the author of the book and this is the only reason that Taylor
was able to direct this movie. Before directing The Help Taylor had not received any notable
achievements, this movie is what started his mainstream success. After directing The Help Taylor
received numerous awards. Tate Taylor was not creditable and qualified to direct this movie. He is
friends with the author of the book and she gave him rights to make the film before the book was
even published ("Tate Taylor")....show more content...
The film tells the story of Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, Aibileen Clark, and Minny Jackson played
by Emma Stone, Viola Davis, and Octavia Spencer respectively. Skeeter is a journalist, and
Aibileen and Minny are both African American maids. Skeeter decides to write a book from the
point of view of "the help", or the African American maids, to describe the racism they face while
working for white families ("The Help (film"). The book allows the African American maids to tell
their personal stories and let others know what they experience as black maids. The book Skeeter
writes is also a way for these maids to contribute to the Civil Rights movement, and show people how
they are treated, and that they should be treated as human
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18. Examples Of Ethics In The Movie The Help
Neiel Edmonds Dr. Elaine Sykes English Composition 102.008 1 October 2014 In the film The
Help directed by, African American women were solely looked up to as role models in the white
community because of what they were capable of. Throughout the film white females learned many
things from their black maids, which eventually turned out to be a lesson for most of them. When
viewing the film, the lessons started to turn out to be ethical. Three major lessons were the
importance of humility, dare to be different and the ultimate issue how to properly raise a child.
During the era of the civil rights movement, raising a child was one of the most important, while also
the most challenging thing to do. In the film, The Help, we could infer that...show more content...
This lesson is prevalent throughout the entire film. These maids lived in a society where social
status means everything to everyone, and you can't live the dream you want because it's not
right in the eyes of others. Both Aibileen and Minny displayed courage, by the end pushed their
way to make a better life for themselves. At the time, they were as loyal as can be to the families
they were taking care of, but eventually a person cannot be trapped all their life, so with that said
Aibeleen took the risk of putting herself in the real world where she wasn't told what to do, she
also didn't forget where she came from. This sends a message and dictates that you should chase
your dream. It also says don't let you circumstance get in the way of your succession. Skeeter being
the writer she was could see that both Aibleen and Minny had more courage than anyone she had
ever known, because they took the risk to speak up for themselves. This ties into the idea of strong
sisterhood the film portrays. Throughout the film woman stick together and become powerful.
Confidence and power is just what this movie needed along with strong black woman to support the
idea. While being different, they stood strong and obtained courage. Its fact that when people come
together period that it's a stronger
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19. Movie Review: the Help Essay
"The Help"
An emotionally stirring movie taking place in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s, "The Help" stars
Emma Stone, Viola Davis, and Octavia Spencer as three women who share a common motive. This
racially tense setting creates the perfect foundation for a drama film such as this. The characters'
personalities in combination with the emotion of the plot develop a socially accurate depiction of
the struggles faced by the people of the time. While the racial aspect of the movie is dominant,
viewers may also find compassion and friendship within the conversations and encounters of its
characters. It is commonplace for white families to have black maids serving them at this time.
Aibileen (Davis) is a strong–willed maid who is...show more content...
Most dresses fell below the knees and were patterned in floral prints and clean hemlines. The maids
were shown wearing their uniforms for the majority of the movie, which also displayed modest
hemlines and were a pale grey color. The men of Jackson, Mississippi– the few that were shown, at
least– were shown wearing clean–lined suits and cuffed trousers. These middle class people who
dressed to impress successfully created an air of cleanliness and uniformity. The sets of "The
Help" were so well designed and accurately portrayed that they probably drew feelings of nostalgia
from audience members who grew up in the time. Linoleum tiles and paneled walls created an
ideal setting for a ranch house of a family of middle class status. Elizabeth's house looked like it was
taken from a Good Housekeeping magazine of the sixties. The clean lines and wooden ranch tables
made the viewer absorb the atmosphere and feel as though they were living in the time. The
women's homes had plenty of floral wallpaper and patterned rugs to add to this feeling. Overall,
"The Help" provides an insightful storyline taking place in the roughness of the simmering racial
prejudices of the 1960s. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and felt like I knew the strong characters
on a personal level and lived through the pain of the time with them. The sets and costumes were
well designed and came together to play a crucial role in the formation of the plot. I recommend this
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20. Feminism In The Help
The Help is a movie based on the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. This film attempts to
portray what it was like to be a black maid during this time period and show many of the racism
issues, such as the Jim Crow Laws. White women are used in the movie to help display how
poorly treated black people were during this time. The movie is based on three main women, Hilly,
Celia and Elizabeth, their Help and Skeeter, a southern society woman, who wanted to interview
black women who had spent most of their lives caring for white families.
Skeeter was raised in the wealthy southern hospitality, like all their other friends. She had just
recently graduated from college and had ambitions to become a writer. Skeeter having grown up
with having a...show more content...
The Jim Crow laws and how the maids were treated was not as brutal as it actually was during the
1960s. The Help did not show the level of true violence that was occurring. "Civil Rights activist
Rosa Parks was almost raped while working as a maid, the film does a disservice to history by
forgetting and white–washing these kinds of historic realities" (Gen Progress). Sexual violence,
among black women was ramped during this period. The movie distorts white men, having them
rarely appear in this movie. "The passivity and near absence of white men in this movie
diminishes the influence, impact, and existence of white male power and domination during that
time" (Aprilscissors). Men played a very key part during the 1960s and they were almost
completely left out, which causes it to be inaccurate. The Help gives a general idea of the Civil
Rights movement, but lacks depth in the area of violence, men and the way black people were
treated during the
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