The Help Film Analysis

The Help film directed by Tate Taylor portrays the hardships that African Americans and women in the 1960s faced. A prominent character in the diminished, Skeeter, returns to her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi after college. Upon arriving, she views the racial and gender injustice that faces her hometown. Eventually, she decides to interview black women who regularly take care of white families. In doing this, the maids gain their voice and Skeeter break away from social norms. The film largely depicts the segregation that many African Americans faced. These segregation laws were unjustly and limited the natural rights of African Americans. The individuals in the film express the lack of natural rights due to laws as a result there are subsequent

As one becomes accustomed to laws that bind them impartially to the state some “develop an unconscious bitterness” (King). After Aibileen’s son was murdered and dumped like chattel in front of a colored hospital she states that “ a bitter seed was planted inside of [her].” Aibileen then begins to abhor white people. She loses hope in humanity and becomes scornful. She blames her “nature [that] somehow [it] has given [her] a lowdown dirty deal” (Hurston). In addition, a consequence as a result of inequity is ignorance from the population. This is presented by Hilly Holbrook. Her rude and brash character exudes a racist personality. She states to the rest of the women at bridge club that colored people “carry different diseases” than white folks. The prejudice they hold towards blacks effects white folks, where they overlook scientific facts. It is utterly impossible for blacks to have different diseases than them since they are all but one race: humans. A third consequence that is showed is intense racial prejudice. White Folks in the film appear to be overly racist because of the strict racial rules in Jackson. This creates a tense atmosphere where white people feel it is their right to silence the black people that voice out their rights. This is seen with Medgar Wiley Evers a famous civil rights activist, who called for the abolishment of prejudiced statutes. He receives much backlash from the white community as a result, he is shot by a white supremacist. The divided white community wish not to “encourage them" (The Help). The only way they can stop the black community from taking action against these injustices is to kill one of their leaders who encourages them to do so. Ergo, this inequality creates negative effects on the population which causes a tense