Initial Honors Summer Readings Interviews

Aunt Kathy: The Help

Starting out my interview, I had no idea of what to expect. Initially I had thought that my aunt would choose, The Girl From the Sea of Cortez by Peter Benchley. I had remembered her mentioning it before and I had also been told that she would probably choose that book because my aunt had said previously that it had changed her life. It was a surprise when she chose The Help instead.

The Help is written from the perspective of a group of African American maids who work in white families homes and from the perspective of one Caucasian, aspiring writer woman who is trying to impress a well-known publisher for a magazine who she admires very much. She writes a controversial article about the stories and opinions of the African American maids while keeping the whole thing a secret because of the hash opposition and dangers that surround not only her, but all of the maids as well.

The story takes place during the early 1960’s. This was a time when African Americans and Caucasian people were very segregated from each other because of the common “separate but equal” belief and the Jim Crowe laws that were in place. There was a small number of people who had the opposite opinions and disagreed with the common belief, but because of the potentially vary harsh and dangerous consequences that they faced for any kind of action taken for change, very few actually took that risk.

My grandmother was one of the few people who did not share the common “separate but equal” belief at the time. She was similar to the main character, Skeeter, in her beliefs however my grandmother could not afford to take any dangerous risks in an attempt to change the unfair times like Skeeter did. My grandmother was a single mother with three small children who had no one else but her to take care of them.

“This book allowed me to see what it was like for my mom at the time that it took place which made me feel even more close to her and know what it must have been like now that I am an adult and have a better perspective.” This book made an impact on my aunt’s life because it gave her the comfort of feeling close to her mother while my aunt was going through a divorce and it gave her a better perspective on how to live her life as well.