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Stephanie Theobald

Professor DeBrock

ENG 101

24 September 2019

Analyzing an Argument

In the movie “The Help”, there is a strong argument that resonates in the story of

the treatment of black maids not being treated as equal human beings, but as a

privilege service provided to the upper-class families. The movie takes place in Jackson

Mississippi during the 1960’s. This was a time during the Civil Rights Era. The narrative

in the movie is a young college grad student named Skeeter Phelan who analyzes how

black maids are disrespected amongst the white snobs. Truly, Skeeter feels that all

blacks are not despicable. But, Skeeter’s ideas to do something to change the status of

these women turns into two different events. Skeeter really did not return to her

hometown to cause conflict or challenge the current situation. Skeeter somehow gets

involved anyway. She reaches out to two black maids Aibileen Clark and Minny

Jackson to get their views on assisting prominent white women. It took a little bit of

effort to get them on board with doing the interview because if a maid disobeyed their

boss, they could end in being fired. In time, Skeeter and the maids take a huge gamble

and create a book based on the point of views of these black maids and their

perspective of mistreatment.

The movie begins with Skeeter interviewing at the Jackson Journal and she is

offered a position to write for the Miss Myrna column. The Miss Myrna column is a
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feature about housekeeping. Skeeter realizes she does not know anything about the

cleaning service, so she reaches out to a childhood friend Elizabeth Leefolt to seek

advice from her maid, Aibileen. While interviewing Aibileen about what it is like to work

as a black maid, Skeeter gets an idea specifying the black maids point of view on the

white families they work for. Plus, the adversity they go through on a daily basis.

Skeeter approaches Minny to contribute to the conversation about her outlook of

working for a white family. Minny was hesitant at first to preach her thoughts. But,

when Minny gets fired from a conceited Southern society Hilly Holbrook, she shares her

stories to Skeeter. Although, it wasn’t great for Minny to get fired, this helped Skeeter

get a better inside look on the life of the maids. This opened more doors for other maids

to speak up as well.

One controversy role of the black maids is the raising of the children in these

prominent homes. The mothers of the households claim to have raised their children but

usually it’s the maids behind the scenes, actually doing most of the work. Aibileen has

raised over 17 children throughout her job. Currently, the child that Aibileen takes care

of is for Mae Mobley who is two years old. Mae has a tense relationship with her own

mother. Mae feels Aibileen is her own mother. She listens and obeys Aibileen more

easily than her own mother. During the movie, Mae says “You’re my real mama Albee.”

One scene shows Mae’s real mom scolding her and punishing her by spanking. Aibileen

calms Mae in order to despite the mother of her actions. Unfortunately, Mae’s mother

didn’t know how to raise her. Aibileen is there for Mae in more ways than her mother will

ever be. Its sad that Mae identifies another adult figure as her mom. This also shows

how times have drastically changed.

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Another issue that was identified for disagreement is the attempt of Hilly

Holbrook to get a bill passed through the Home Health Sanitation Initiative to build

outdoor bathrooms for the black maids. Hilly believes that black people carry different

diseases than white people. During one of the scenes, Skeeter states to Hilly “Maybe

we should just build you a separate bathroom outside, Hilly.” Before Skeeter made this

snide comment, Hilly told the group that she is planning on building a separate

bathroom for the maids to “keep her children safe”. This scene shows how the maids

were treated as unequals to the residents of the house. Hilly has no respect for people

that are not white.

Sometimes an argument can lead into revenge. This is the case when Minny

gets fired from Hilly, and Hilly threatens Minny’s ability to ever get a maid job. During a

wicked thunderstorm, Minny refuses to use the outhouse and sneaks into Hilly’s

bathroom. Hilly decides to fire Minny because she disobeyed her wishes. So, Minny

decides to make Hilly one with a special ingredient. The special ingredient is Minny’s

feces baked in the chocolate pie. Minny serves a piece of pie to Hilly and Hilly’s mother

asks for a slice too. Minny tells her mother that it's a “Special pie, just for Miss Hilly."

Directly after that comment, Minny looks at Hilly and says, "Eat my sh*#!" Hilly asks if

Minny's lost her mind, and Minny replies, "No, ma'am, but you is about to. 'Cause you

just did." Hilly's mother hysterically laughs and Hilly is appalled about what just

happened. Minny had no regrets what she did to Hilly.

In several other parts of the movie, the black maids were hasselled by a white

society. The maids had to ride in the back of the bus to work while the superior white
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people sat up front. They were not allowed to be present in the same schools or

churches. Discrimination was absolutley portrayed throughout this movie.

At the end of the movie, the black maids win the fight against the white society.

Skeeter finishes her book called “The Help” and the town of Jackson is entertained by

the novel. Skeeter receives a significant amount of cash for the book sales, and in

return shares the wealth with Aibileen and Minny. Aibileen and Minny can now aim on a

clear dream and greater power for healing.

The argument in the movie “The Help” is forceful because Skeeter Phelan

defines the wrongdoing of the white families mistreating the black maids. Skeeter is a

white girl who comes from an exceptional family. However, she has formed her own

opinion and respect for black people because she was raised by a black maid. The

setting of the movie taking place in the 1960’s in Mississippi illustrates the segregation

of the lower class blacks versus the upper class whites.

The dispute is demonstrated where white women are valued in society by their

ability to bear children however, the fostering and neutering of their children are

provided by black women. White women have a bitter hate toward black maids

because they are being replaced, and the children have no interest in their real moms.

Another challenge between the white female housewives and the black maids is

how they are observed differently. They act if blacks are diseased and invading the

society so heavily that they installed bathrooms outside their homes. These women

were treated like animals. Also, the blacks lived in panic by stepping on any of

boundaries with the white women could ruin their lives.

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But, this is all turns around on the positive side for Aibileen and Minny when their

voice is prevailed to the narrator Skeeter. After Skeeter talks to Aiblleen and Minny

about their jobs, Skeeter realizes it’s her family and friends mistreating them this

way. .Skeeter felt that her own white friends ditch her through this experience, and the

black community accepted her. She learned the validity in the memoirs of these brave

women when they shared their stories. So, the truth is to be heard and Skeeter reveals

all of this in a book. The argument was won by the support of Skeeter, Minny and

Aibileen by revealing the facts of the white women discriminating the black women. The

strengths, beliefs and values of the black women are portrayed strongly in the book.

Now, they can be free from ridicule and pain, which can be turned into peace and

harmony.