How It All Goes Down
- This chapter is narrated by 36-year-old Minny Jackson.
- She's at Celia Rae Foote's for an interview, and is very nervous. She swears if she gets this job she'll "never backtalk again" (3.1).
- Celia turns out to be a Marilyn Monroe look-alike, in her early twenties.
- Celia gives Minny a tour of the humongous house.
- Minny learns she's from Sugar Ditch. According to Minny, "Sugar Ditch is as low as you can go in Mississippi, maybe in the whole United States" (3.29). Celia's never hired a maid before.
- Minny learns that Miss Walters told Celia that Minny's "cooking is the best in town" (3.32).
- Minny can't believe it, since Miss Walters knows about the pie.
- Minny asks Celia when she'll have kids and Celia gets nervous and says, "Oh we're gonna have some kids. […] kids is the only thing living for" (3.38).
- When Celia shows Minny the silver, Minny's sure that Celia heard Hilly's lie and is playing with her.
- For some reason, Celia thinks Minny doesn't want the job. Minny assures her she absolutely does.
- Celia offers to pay Minny twice the amount that Miss Walters paid her.
- The catch is that Celia wants to keep Minny a secret from her husband, Johnny. She wants Johnny to think she can take care of the house and cook by herself.
- Reluctantly, Minny agrees to keep herself a secret from Johnny. Minny makes her promise to tell him by before Christmas.