Throughout the book, it is evident that Minny lacks trust in white folk. Working around Miss Hilly shined light on how corrupt women which hired maids were. After being accused of steeling, Miss Hilly manipulated Minny into thinking no one around town would hire her; attempting to hire Minny for herself. I believe it was completely justified for Minny to take the course of action which she did. Miss Hilly needed a taste of the crap she spits out of her mouth everyday.
In an article I have read about revenge and the people who seek it, it is believed that those who seek revenge tend to be those who are motivated by power, by authority, and by the desire for status. In Minny's case, I do not believe she is quote-on-quote "motivated by power," but rather challenges power. By taking revenge on a white woman, I think Minny feels a sort of satisfaction in knowing she demeaning a woman who is believed to be superior.
Morally and ethically speaking, Minny should not have gone to the extreme she had. According to the comparison between ethics and morals, ethos are the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a group or culture derived from society. On the contrary, morals are principles or habits with respect to right or wrong conduct. Morality is ultimately a personal compass of right and wrong, derived from an individuals beliefs. Although it was not morally along with ethically sound for Minny to feed Miss Hilly feces, doing so allowed Minny to retain her dignity after being disrespected time and time again. The moment that gave Minny pure clarity was when she once and for all told Minny off. "I told her to eat my shit!" (398) Once those words parted from her lips, I believe Minny felt a sense of freedom. She felt dignified and free.
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