The Help, by Kathryn Stockett

1. Who was your favorite character? Why?


I wish I could be more unique, but Minny was the standout for me. I laughed out loud, more times than I can recall, when Minny was doing her best to keep her comments to herself in any given instance. Skeeter's mom was the runner-up to Minny. I’m not sure what was funnier: Skeeter’s mom, or Skeeter’s take on her mom; probably the latter.


2. What do you think motivated Hilly? On the one hand she is terribly cruel to Aibileen and her own help, as well as to Skeeter once she realizes that she can't control her. Yet she's a wonderful mother. Do you think that one can be a good mother but, at the same time, a deeply flawed person?

Of course you can be a good mother but deeply flawed. Unfortunately I can’t think of an acceptable excuse for downright ignorance and outright rudeness.

3. Like Hilly, Skeeter's mother is a prime example of someone deeply flawed yet somewhat sympathetic. She seems to care for Skeeter--and she also seems to have very real feelings for Constantine. Yet the ultimatum she gives to Constantine is untenable; and most of her interaction with Skeeter is critical. Do you think Skeeter's mother is a sympathetic or unsympathetic character? Why?

I admire Skeeter’s mom in the moment she decided she wasn’t going to die anymore. And there were glimpses of her strength of character once she became visibly ill. She’d shrug it off and tell it like it was. Yet on the other hand, she didn’t want to tell her daughter the truth…that her illness was more than stomach ulcers; not to mention the real reason for Constantine’s departure. She is definitely not living in reality, and likes to keep everything under her direct influence perfect…on paper.

4. How much of a person's character would you say is shaped by the times in which they live?

I think a person’s character is shaped more by their parents/care-takers than the times in which they live. As much as we avoid it, parts of ourselves become the mirror image of our parents. Fortunately, we have the capacity to overcome weaknesses that we are willing to acknowledge.

5. Did it bother you that Skeeter is willing to overlook so many of Stuart's faults so that she can get married, and that it's not until he literally gets up and walks away that the engagement falls apart?

I didn’t think she was overlooking Stuarts faults at all—unless maybe I overlooked something? First she thought he was a jerk, but then we found out he was just drowning his sorrows. He seems like a sweet-hearted guy when he’s sober! Too bad he kept picking up a drink.

6. Do you believe that Minny was justified in her distrust of white people?

I would’ve been jaded if I were her, too! It didn’t matter if you really broke the law or not, you could be put in jail just based on a white woman’s testimony to the right person.

7. Do you think that had Aibileen stayed working for Miss Elizabeth, that Mae Mobley would have grown up to be racist like her mother? Do you think racism is inherent, or taught?

Nope. And I don’t think she will, even though Aibileen had to leave. [Heartbreaking!] Aibileen made a real impact on Mae Mobley, and she had me cracking up when she blamed her teacher for her racist pretend-play with her brother. I think she was just playing matter-of-factly, not because she thought it was appropriate.

8. From the perspective of a twenty-first century reader, the hairshellac system that Skeeter undergoes seems ludicrous. Yet women still alter their looks in rather peculiar ways as the definition of "beauty" changes with the times. Looking back on your past, what's the most ridiculous beauty regimen you ever underwent?

Curling my bangs into the “wave.”  Not very extreme, but memorable--yes!

9. The author manages to paint Aibileen with a quiet grace and an aura of wisdom about her. How do you think she does this?

Aibileen is the most level-headed out of all the characters in the book. She tries not to overstep her “bounds,” but quietly plants the seed of change when she can. She also has a good perspective on children and a genuine concern for others who might be taken advantage of, or undergoing a trial in their lives.

10. What did you think about Minny's pie for Miss Hilly? Would you have gone as far as Minny did for revenge?

Heck no! It would have been sufficient to simply suggest the possibility just to mess with Hilly, but I wouldn’t even have the guts to do that!