The Help

When Skeeter leaves for her first interview with Aibileen, she lies to her mother, saying she’s going to church. As she drives to the Black part of town, she’s filled with apprehension. What if they get caught? This time, she parks down the street from Aibileen’s house to avoid raising suspicion. When she sits down on Aibileen’s sofa, it’s clear that Aibileen is nervous too. Aibileen has never had a white person inside her house before. Aibileen’s hands shake while she serves tea and cookies, and Skeeter hardly gets any information before Aibileen runs from the room to vomit. Aibileen feels she isn’t ready to talk yet, and Skeeter promises to think about ways to make the interviews easier in the future before heading home.

A few days later, Skeeter goes to bridge club at Hilly’s, where Elizabeth passes on a note from Aibileen that says: “I know how to make the teapot stop rattling” (148). Elizabeth read the message, but thinks it is regarding the Miss Myrna column, and doesn’t suspect anything. Aibileen’s idea is to write her stories and read them aloud to Skeeter. Skeeter is doubtful of Aibileen’s writing abilities but agrees to give it a try. The next time she goes to Aibileen’s house, she tries to put Aibileen at ease by suggesting they sit in the kitchen and bringing Cokes for each of them. Skeeter types while Aibileen reads. Since Aibileen writes her prayers each night, she’s a more skilled writer than Skeeter expected. Aibileen opens up about getting fired on her first day of work at age 13, and the deep shame she felt when she returned home with a clean uniform. She also shares about the day she realized she could make the children she looked after feel proud of themselves, and how this gave her a sense of purpose. She continues her stories while Skeeter types as fast as she can; they’ve found a system that works.

Skeeter goes to Aibileen’s house every other night. She tells her mother she’s feeding the hungry at church and that the typing she’s doing during the day involves her notes from Bible study. Skeeter edits and types while Aibileen reads her writing aloud. She can see that Aibileen’s excitement about the project is growing to match her own. Aibileen eventually opens up more to Skeeter, telling her about the night Treelore died and what it’s like working for Elizabeth. One night, Aibileen expresses a desire to do more reading, but Black people aren’t allowed access to the State Street Library. Skeeter offers to pick up books for Aibileen. When Aibileen comes out with an entire prepared list of titles, she admits that she wanted to ask for a while but wasn’t sure which “white rules” Skeeter follows, and which ones she doesn’t (155).

Skeeter finalizes the 27 pages of Aibileen’s stories and sends them to Elaine Stein in New York. The next week and a half, Skeeter is jumpy while she waits to hear back. She runs through several “what if” scenarios in her mind, wondering what would happen if Hilly and Elizabeth were to find out what she has been doing. At bridge club, Skeeter must act natural around Aibileen. Only a few days ago she was sitting and smoking a cigarette in Aibileen’s kitchen, but now Aibileen is serving her tea and biscuits from a silver tray at Elizabeth’s house. Elizabeth announces she’s pregnant, and although happy for her friend, Skeeter can’t help but notice how little attention Elizabeth currently gives to Mae Mobley. Skeeter also starts to recognize how her friends interact with the help, like how Hilly’s voice gets higher when she tells Aibileen to come pick up some old clothes from her car. Before Skeeter leaves, Hilly once again hands her the Home Help Sanitation Initiative to include in the newsletter.

Later that day, Elaine Stein calls. Martin Luther King Jr. just announced a march on Washington, D.C., and made the cover of Life magazine. In light of the current events, Miss Stein tells Skeeter to write the rest of the book and “write it fast…Before this civil rights thing blows over” (159). Miss Stein wants the book finished by New Year’s. Although she doesn’t promise to publish it, she promises to read and consider it. Skeeter is excited at the prospect of getting published, but her joy soon turns to anxiety at the thought of convincing other maids to talk. Aibileen shares Skeeter’s excitement but echoes the sentiment that the thought of getting more maids feels impossible. In the stress of the moment, Skeeter raises her voice to Aibileen and immediately feels regret. Aibileen already asked 31 other maids, but everyone is too scared. All Aibileen can do is ask them again. Skeeter wants to ask Pascagoula, her family’s maid, but knows it’s a bad idea; her mother would inevitably find out.

A few days later, Skeeter hears from Aibileen: Minny agreed to help. However, she doesn’t trust Skeeter, and has some conditions: Skeeter cannot bring the Cadillac and must face her straight on throughout the interviews. Minny’s intensity during the first interview is somewhat shocking to Skeeter. Minny is blunt and a bit angry when she asks, “What makes you think colored people need your help?” (164). Minny also spells out what could happen if they get caught. Medgar Evers, a NAACP officer who lives close by, had his carport blown up the previous night just for things he said. Minny wants Skeeter to recognize that what they’re doing is dangerous. Skeeter asks questions and writes as Minny responds, although Minny mostly addresses Aibileen rather than Skeeter. After telling a few stories about white families she’s worked for, Minny leaves suddenly and in a huff, saying, “I got to go. You giving me the heart palpitations talking bout this” (165).

Interviews with Minny continue for a few weeks and follow the same basic pattern: Minny rushes into Aibileen’s house, tells her stories, then runs out in a huff. One afternoon, Stuart Whitworth comes unexpectedly to Skeeter’s house. Skeeter’s mother is in a dither because she doesn’t know about their date and can hardly believe a senator’s son is there to see Skeeter. Stuart apologizes to Skeeter, but she stands her ground; all of the embarrassment and hurt he caused on the night of the date comes rushing back. Stuart explains that he really wasn’t ready for a date. He and Patricia van Devender had been engaged, but something awful happened to break them up, though he doesn’t say what. Stuart tells Skeeter she’s the only woman he’s ever met who says exactly what she thinks, and Skeeter can tell from the look in his eyes that he means that in a good way. He asks her to come to dinner with him, and initially, Skeeter says no, remembering how he ignored her for most of the evening during their date and told her she smelled like fertilizer. However, before he drives away, she agrees to go. At the Robert E. Lee restaurant, Stuart listens to Skeeter intently and looks her in the eye while she explains that she wants to be a writer. They talk for a while, and Skeeter can’t help but notice how good Stuart looks and smells. At the end of the night, he kisses her.

A few weeks later, Skeeter goes to the library looking to see if anything has ever been written about domestic help. During her search, she finds a small booklet titled, “Compilation of Jim Crow Laws of the South” (172). As Skeeter reads through the list of laws specifying separations between Black and white people, Skeeter realizes these laws are no different than Hilly’s bathroom initiative. She steals the booklet, tucking it in her satchel before heading to the League meeting.

Skeeter has to rush out of the League meeting early to get the car back to her mother, and in her hurry, accidentally leaves her satchel at the meeting. Hilly soon calls Skeeter to say she has it, and Skeeter knows Hilly will go through the contents without a second thought. Skeeter jumps in the car with her mother, who reluctantly tells Skeeter she’s having routine tests done at the hospital. Skeeter drops off her mother, and although she’s in a rush to get to Hilly’s house, worries as she sees how “frail and inconsequential” her mother looks in the hospital lobby (180). Upon reaching Hilly’s house, Skeeter can tell that Hilly didn’t open the satchel side pocket containing notes from her interviews with Minny and Aibileen; however, the booklet of Jim Crow laws is gone, and although Hilly doesn’t say anything directly, Skeeter can tell she found them.