The Help

The film is about a young white woman, Skeeter, who decides to write a controversial book from the point of view of the black maids, “the Help”, in Jackson, Mississippi during “Civil Rights era” of America in the early 1960s. It also features two black maids, Aibileen and Minny in their stories about what they are experiencing and faced with as the work for white families.

Here I don’t want to vigorously criticize racial discrimination. It is not the serious theme of this film that moves me. Instead, it moved me to tears because it feels real and warm. And I still remember the several scenes where my tears came out.

After Skeeter interviewed Aibileen and Minny about their experiences as maids, her book “The Help” got published. Though the book is a success, Aibileen is fired by the housewife whom she worked for just due to her part in the book. When she is saying goodbye to the white kid she takes care of, the little girl begs her to stay with her innocent words and tone. Aibileen gives the kid a hug, holds her face and tells her “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” just as what she always says to the girl, while I can see tears being held in Aibi’s eyes right the moment.

Despite all the prejudice and unfairness she faces in the family including that she even isn’t allowed to use the bathroom the white family use in the house, she loves the kid all the way, as same as the way she loved her own boy. I don’t know about the feeling being raised by a maid. But I can tell what a big part it plays to let kids know they are important when they are still kids. Black maids didn’t get the respect they deserved back then, but they still give LOVE regardlessly.

Another scene is when Minny after fired went to work for Celia, a white girl from less genteel quarters who was shunned by almost everyone in town, Minny had meals at a separate table – “following the rules” but Celia came to join her at her tinny table. And near the ending where Celia and her husband recognizes Minny’s help for Celia and for their life, the husband invites Minny to sit with them together at the fancy dining table. Finally they become a family and more importantly, Minny, after all her grievance, tears and even hurt, gained the respect she wishes for.

I never care about what people think about me as long as they are not who I care about. But I have to admit sometimes it’s just so hard to give no shits – people talk. Even the way they look at you does not give you a good time. To make it worse, when they talk about something you are shamed at, you just want to hide or disappear.

It takes courage not to care. Only after that can you tell your own story.