Injustice In the novel, The Help, Kathryn Stockett uses the theme of injustice to visualize the harshness of that time period, how strictly their society is viewed, and how the maids were being mistreated. Throughout the novel, Stockett uses the position of the maids to give examples of racial injustice during that time. The maids were mistreated, but in ways so were the white women.
Many of the white women in the story were also affected by similar injustices,“white characters, with their troubled relationships and unloved children, carry burdens equal to those of the black characters.” (Dirty South: The Help and the Problem of Black Bodies) In the novel the women are always caught up in the drama of their friends and being up to date on …show more content…
They were treated as if they didn't have feelings nobody cared if they were sick or tired, they were expected to be at the job. In the novel, Stockett wrote about Mrs. Leefolt and how she wanted to hire builders to build Minny a bathroom in the back yard. This was because Mrs. Leefolt thought that if she used the same bathroom as her maid that she would catch a disease. “Really, you think that by just using a toilet after an African-American, you will get a disease?” (Book Review: ‘The Help’ by Kathryn Stockett) This trend started to be heard around town and all of the women were building bathrooms outside for their maids to prevent their family from getting a disease. The maids were being mistreated because they were being treated like animals and someone needs to do something about this situation. Another way that the maids would be mistreated is they had no voice in society. If a white women spread any rumor about them their reputation was over, and there opinion wasn't listened to by anyone. “Hilly lies about Minny, calls her a thief, and fires her. Then Hilly spreads rumors about Minny being a thief so she has a hard time getting hired.” (Book Review: ‘The Help’ by Kathryn Stockett) Now everyone can stick up for themselves, during that time any African American could get thrown in jail for trying to voice their opinion. Many more example of maids being mistreated were throughout the book, these were two that stood out to
Many of the white women in the story were also affected by similar injustices,“white characters, with their troubled relationships and unloved children, carry burdens equal to those of the black characters.” (Dirty South: The Help and the Problem of Black Bodies) In the novel the women are always caught up in the drama of their friends and being up to date on …show more content…
They were treated as if they didn't have feelings nobody cared if they were sick or tired, they were expected to be at the job. In the novel, Stockett wrote about Mrs. Leefolt and how she wanted to hire builders to build Minny a bathroom in the back yard. This was because Mrs. Leefolt thought that if she used the same bathroom as her maid that she would catch a disease. “Really, you think that by just using a toilet after an African-American, you will get a disease?” (Book Review: ‘The Help’ by Kathryn Stockett) This trend started to be heard around town and all of the women were building bathrooms outside for their maids to prevent their family from getting a disease. The maids were being mistreated because they were being treated like animals and someone needs to do something about this situation. Another way that the maids would be mistreated is they had no voice in society. If a white women spread any rumor about them their reputation was over, and there opinion wasn't listened to by anyone. “Hilly lies about Minny, calls her a thief, and fires her. Then Hilly spreads rumors about Minny being a thief so she has a hard time getting hired.” (Book Review: ‘The Help’ by Kathryn Stockett) Now everyone can stick up for themselves, during that time any African American could get thrown in jail for trying to voice their opinion. Many more example of maids being mistreated were throughout the book, these were two that stood out to