To most young adults, a colossal risk would sneaking out of your window late at night to see the boy of your dreams. To Skeeter, however, a risk she is willing to take is talking to the help and disregarding the Jim Crow laws. The moment Skeeter decides to write about the help, she is putting herself, along with anyone cooperating, in danger. Skeeter does not know that what she's doing is illegal until she steals a book from the library with all the laws.
Between 1877 and the mid 1960's, Jim Crow laws (also known as black codes) were implemented throughout, but not limited to, Southern states. These black codes impeded on the civil rights of colored people. From the very beginning of the book, Hilly had an issue with Aibileen using the white bathroom. According to this article, one Jim Crow law included the following..
Toilets: “Every employer of white or negro males shall provide for such white or negro males reasonably accessible and separate toilet facilities.”
Toilets: “Every employer of white or negro males shall provide for such white or negro males reasonably accessible and separate toilet facilities.”
Jim Crow laws were degrading to all those affected. Even after Miss Elizabeth had a bathroom built for Aibileen only, Aibileen held her pride and stayed the strong woman she is. When Skeeter originally asked Aibileen to be apart of her interview, Aibileen refused. She knew by talking to a white woman, she is putting herself and those around her at risk. Eventually she saw that talking was the only way to bring about change. Both Skeeter and Aibileen are courageous women for taking this huge risk. Disobeying Jim Crow laws may have resulted in imprisonment, or death. Actions speak louder than words, and the actions of Aibileen and Skeeter scream for equality. 
I definitely agree with you about how Skeeter didn't know about the Jim Crow's las when she decided to take a risk and write about the help's opinions about working of a white person. And also I was also impressed with Aibileen reaction to having a separated bathroom. She didn't show any actions and just kept doing what she usually does. But at the end all those risks both Skeeter and Aibilieen took didn't stop them to contuine for the book. I really liked your book. Great!
ReplyDeleteI feel as if Skeeter had nothing to lose if it were to be known that she was the author of the Help. She would be ostracized and shunned by the community but that already happened after the newsletter "typo" so who really cares. If her point was made that black people are equal to whites than it wouldn't be a problem at all. I think Skeeter should have stood up and taken pride in her writing and her feelings towards black people. If even she is not comfortable in stating her opinion on equality than why would anyone else?
ReplyDeleteSkeeter really is not the smartest characters. Maybe she's smarter in other ways, but she lacks that where it seems to matter in this book. At least Aibileen understood that what she was getting into wasn't legal and moreover could get her lynched and killed, because Skeeter evidently didn't quite have the same grasp on the situation. For a character who is written to be the primary "heroine" of the story, she isn't a very interesting character, to me at least.
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