My thirteenth book! I'm so proud of myself
A copy of The Help has been sitting on my sister's book shelf for a little over a year already and I may have paid attention to it once, read the synopsis and misunderstood it- thought it was one of those multi-generational stories- so I thought 'boring' then put it back on the shelf. But it piqued my interest when I saw or read somewhere that they're going to make a movie out of it and Emma Stone will be starring. I love Emma Stone!
The book is about racism in Mississippi in the 1960s and how some people wanted to change the status quo (ie. racial equality), while others opt for the prevailing state of things. Skeeter, a 23-year old journalist-wannabee, is back in her hometown Jackson, Mississippi after graduating from university. Having a career is not exactly what these girls are expected to pursue after graduating from college- they're expected to find a man then settle down. But Skeeter wants a career in journalism and in New York. Wanting to make a change in her society, she decided to put her skills into action and did the proverbial hitting of two birds with one stone- she was able to prove her writing prowess and she was able to make a difference.
Skeeter's interest in the helps was roused by her curiosity over what happened to Constantine, their maid who was the one who practically raised her. She wanted to find out why Constantine suddenly left without an explanation. She notices the way her friends are treating their helps, most especially Hilly who was very vocal in ostracizing the colored people. Through her friends Hilly and Elizabeth, she met Aibileen and Minny- her friends' helps. With Aibileen and Minny's help, Skeeter was able to realize her plan.
I was actually surprised to find out this was set in the 1960s. All the while I thought it was during the 1800s. I mean, 1960s is very near our present time and it is surprising to know that this kind of thing actually existed very proximate to the here and now. Seems so backward for "modern" America.
My favorite character is Miss Celia. She is tacky and Sexbomb-ish but she is lovable! Skeeter comes in second place and Aibileen is third. And I also like Johnny Foote, Celia's husband, because he's kind and even if Celia's some kind of an embarrassment, he still loves and adores her to no end as shown in the ball when Celia got drunk and uttered things and vomited on the floor and still he ran after her. How many men would do that? I imagine men would run towards the other direction when confronted with a similar circumstance. Although Minny is a character, she is not very endearing. Of course it is expected that I hate Hilly and at the end of the book, we all think she deserves that pie.
I enjoyed the book and now I am excited to see it.
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