The Help by Kathryn Stockett | Teen Ink

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

May 29, 2018
By Makenziewuebben BRONZE, Monroe, Wisconsin
Makenziewuebben BRONZE, Monroe, Wisconsin
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

The Help Book Review

It is the early 1960’s in segregated Jackson, Mississippi. Miss Eugenia Phelan -- a 23 year old woman with a cotton trust fund and a college degree -- returns home with the thought of change on her mind. When she decides to document her findings on what it is actually like to be an African American maid, little does she know, she’s about to flip her town on its head.
Throughout this novel, a theme that is very prevalent is that if you want something to change, you have to make it happen. You have to be the one that makes a move, or say something. You can’t rely on other people doing and changing things for you, because that won’t always be the case. The three characters that really bring this theme to life would have to be Aibileen, Miss Skeeter, and Minny. As the book goes on you really see them start to stand up and fight for what they believe in, no matter the consequences. And even though there are a handful of conflicts and problems thrown the way of these three characters, they always seem to find a way to overcome it and stand up for what they know in their heart is right.
Everything from how the book is written, to the characters portrayed in the book, shows us that the author, - Kathryn Stockett,- has very strong feelings towards segregation. Being RrRaised during the early 1970’s in Jackson, Mississippi,. Stockett witnessed first hand the terrible effects of segregation. Later in life Stockett attended and graduated from The University of Alabama then went on to pursue writing for a change,- just like Miss Skeeter. I believe that Stockett reflects her thoughts and feelings about the issues in the book through the portraying of Miss Skeeter. The similarities between the two are uncanny and can not be ignored when analyzing this novel. 
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was a great choice for me, considering that I absolutely love reading realistic fiction. I also really loved this book because it really opened my eyes to what life used to be like in our country and the struggles that African Americans had to deal with. Another reason that this book was a great fit for me was because I have always been very interested studying and digging deeper into American history.
I would totally recommend this book to everyone! I would more specifically recommend this book to young adults because it is a story about overcoming the odds and those are generally books that hook young adults.  This book would also be great for people who enjoy reading realistic fiction. It may also be a great fit for people who like learning and further understanding important historical events. This book was an astonishing look into the lives of African American maids and is sure to be a great read for anyone who picks up the novel. All in all I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a great read.


The author's comments:

This book opened my eyes hugely to what it was like for those people in the 1960's, it made me feel so fortunate to live where i live and have the oppurtunities that I do.


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