Political And Social Issues In Kathryn Stockett's The Help
In Kathryn Stockett’s novel, The Help, there are many political and social issues. Stockett uses literary elements to explore each issue throughout the novel. While using these elements, she not only explores the issues in the book, but the novels whole meaning. She uses point of view to show each characters perception of the story and to form a deeper understanding of the events.
Based in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960s, a time where black and whites were separated, racism was an immense social conflict. Martin Luther King Jr. was coming into the spotlight and majority of the nation was all for civil rights, except the people in the South. By using point of view, Stockett uses the views of the characters to portray their lives around …show more content…
Men are expected to work and bring in the money, while the white man’s wife stayed home, and the black man’s wife went to work for the white family. Point of view, being a major literary element used throughout the book, gives the different viewpoints of a man and a woman in the time period where sexism was only acknowledged in the North. Miss Skeeter deals with sexism throughout the book. Miss Skeeter’s father works in their cotton fields while her mother is constantly insulting her and telling her to go find a man instead of a job. Not being like most of her friends, Miss Skeeter acquires a job with the newspaper, but is the only other woman working there besides Mister Golden’s receptionist, Donna. She aspires to become a writer so she sets out on this journey to write a book about the typical life of a maid. Along the way she is told she won’t be able to do it because of her lack of experience. She works long, hard hours interviewing the maids about their jobs, risking being caught and arrested, but finally finishes and publishes the book shortly after Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Miss Skeeter never takes complete credit for the book, but defies the odds and social norms after being offered a job in New
Based in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960s, a time where black and whites were separated, racism was an immense social conflict. Martin Luther King Jr. was coming into the spotlight and majority of the nation was all for civil rights, except the people in the South. By using point of view, Stockett uses the views of the characters to portray their lives around …show more content…
Men are expected to work and bring in the money, while the white man’s wife stayed home, and the black man’s wife went to work for the white family. Point of view, being a major literary element used throughout the book, gives the different viewpoints of a man and a woman in the time period where sexism was only acknowledged in the North. Miss Skeeter deals with sexism throughout the book. Miss Skeeter’s father works in their cotton fields while her mother is constantly insulting her and telling her to go find a man instead of a job. Not being like most of her friends, Miss Skeeter acquires a job with the newspaper, but is the only other woman working there besides Mister Golden’s receptionist, Donna. She aspires to become a writer so she sets out on this journey to write a book about the typical life of a maid. Along the way she is told she won’t be able to do it because of her lack of experience. She works long, hard hours interviewing the maids about their jobs, risking being caught and arrested, but finally finishes and publishes the book shortly after Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Miss Skeeter never takes complete credit for the book, but defies the odds and social norms after being offered a job in New