The Help Summary
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Minny pulls quite a stunt in this story. Just try not to make a scene when Grandma Mimi won't tell you what her chocolate cream pie's "secret ingredient" is next Christmas Eve.
| 21st-Century Literature | 21st-Century American Literature |
| American Literature | 21st-Century American Literature All American Literature |
| Author | Stockett - Kathryn Stockett |
| Form | Novel |
| Language | English Language |
| Literature | American Literature |
| Themes | Education Gender Justice and Judgement Literature and Writing Love Race Society and Class The Home Violence |
Transcript
Two of them budding writer Aibileen and firecracker Minny are house maids...in
this book thats basically a kinder name for slave.
The third person telling my story is Skeeter a white journalist with a great idea
for a book...or
dare I say a masterpiece...about
the non-glamorous lives of southern servants.
All right hang on because Im taking you back in time It was 1960s Mississippi
and everyone was looking for a change.
Nasty socialite Hilly Holbrook was working on a proposition to require outside bathrooms for all black servants.
Aw thats sweet.
Aibileen was doing her best to keep little Mae Mobley's mom from crushing her soul. ..
Good luck Aibileen but I think Mae Mobleys name already accomplished that.
Skeeter was pondering the injustice of her world dating a senators son and trying to
pull her book together for a publisher.
And Minnie was having a hard time finding work after Hilly fired her.
Something about a new pie recipe but not one you'd ever want to borrow.
Skeeter and Aibileen teamed up to create their dream book but they struck out big
time getting interview subjects.
Who wants to contribute to a tell-all expose when it can get you fired or
even killed I might not even have existed if horrible Hilly hadn't sent her maid
to the slammer for stealing a ring.
Suddenly Hilly had a big target on her perfectly coifed head and everyone wanted to
tell Skeeter their stories.
The only one who wasnt on Team Skeeter was her boyfriend the civil rights-phobic Stuart. Oh well.
I was worth it.
Minny was instrumental in getting all those maids to speak uppretty impressive considering she was
dealing with an abusive husband and a neurotic new boss Celia who tried to hide
Minny from her husband John.
I guess Celia thought he wouldn't catch on that all of a sudden the house
was miraculously clean and full of fried chicken instead of a bowl of ramen on the table.
Celia needed all the help she could get though and not just with her cooking.
She couldnt have a baby and Hilly had made her a social pariah.
Yet another reason not to date Hillys exes.
A lot of things were revealed at the big Jackson Junior League fundraiser and not
just Hillys fangs.
Celia tried to mend fences with Hilly by buying her a pie and ended up
tearing Hilly's dress and barfing on the floor.
Should've gone with flowers and chocolate...
Minnie told Celia why Hilly was out for their collective blood...
turns out Minnie had previously given Hilly a couple slices of pie with a very special ingredient...love.
Nahhh just kidding it was poop.
Man just when you thought it was safe to enjoy your pastry Turns out that
dump dessert was the key to making Skeeter and Aibileens brainchild a success.
Once that tasty little anecdote was in the book Hilly didn't dare disclose the identities
of the authors or the whole town would know she was full of it...literally
The downside to this little victory was that Hilly set out on a mission to
make everyone else as miserable as she was.
She set off Minny's ticking time bomb of a husband forced Aibileen out of her
job and threatened to sue Skeeter.
But dont worry.
I have a mostly cheerful ending with Skeeter and Minny moving on to brand new
lives and Aibileen planning a future around her writing gift.
All right I'd better stop because I'm getting a little choked up and crying always
wrinkles my pages. NOTE end of file