The Life and Role of Rosa Parks

When Rosa Parks, a name well-known in black history, refused to move to the back of the bus so a white man could have her seat, was arrested and thrown in jail for disorderly conduct. Black people were treated horrible in the south and when black rights were established the way blacks were treated only changed minimally. The movie The Help is a movie based on a book written by Kathryn Stockett, this movie shows what it's like to be a black woman in Jackson, Mississippi. Skeeter Phelan (Emma Stone) wants to expose the way black women are being treated in Jackson, her character as a 23-year-old educated white woman is different from the other white woman. Skeeter is a middle class woman who knows what it is like to have a black maid, but she wants to show the other side and how it is to be a black maid in the south Skeeter develops into a brave and independent woman who shows that she does not need a man.

White women relied on husbands and their maids for everyday life, while Skeeter is not the typical Jackson woman she struggles with finding the courage throughout the movie while helping others find their couraget. The Help, released in 2011, takes place in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960‘s when segregation between whites and blacks was a big issue. Skeeter Phelan a young educated woman returns to Jackson where she lives with her mother. She comes from a middle-class family but chose to become independent and gets a job at the Jackson Journal writing the advice column. Skeeter is also writing a book on the side about how black women are treated in the south, and during the 1960 a book like this has never been written before.

She is taking a big risk in writing this book and takes her friends and the town for an interesting summert Interviewing black women who have worked as maids for a white family since they were 14 years old. Aibileen w (Viola Davis) is the first to be interviewed by Skeeter, shortly after Skeeter is interviewing more and more people. Skeeter‘s mother Charlotte Phelan (Allison Janney) wants Skeeter to be the typical Jackson white woman, finally settling down with a man and starting a family, In Skeeter’s attempts to please her mother she goes out with senator's son who is against what Skeeter is writing about. With many stories to tell Skeeter writes her book and the people of Jackson are consumed with reading it, and only a few people know the book is about Jackson, Mississippi.

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Black women raise white children in the south and they grow up different from other children in the United States Skeeter, raised by a black woman has impacted her life and this shows in the movie, Skeeter raised by Constantine Jefferson (Cicely Tyson) was the maid for the Phelan family for many years Skeeter considers Constantine as the woman who raised her and throughout the movie Skeeter says this many times. Not only does Skeeter believe that Constantine was more of a mother then her real mother, Mae Mobley (Eleanor Henry) daughter of Elizabeth Leefolt, (Ahna O'Reilly) tells her black maid Aibileen Clark that she is her real mother. Being raised by a black woman Skeeter does not see eye to eye with her mother, Skeeter wants to be an independent woman while her mother wants her to settle down with a man and have a family. Skeeter is struggling to find the courage to tell her mother she is not ready to settle down yet, and throughout the movie she gives hints to her mother but is still worried about what her mother will say.

The black maids of Jackson help Skeeter write her book but also help her find her courage. In the beginning of the movie, Skeeter is nervous about writing a book about racial and segregation in Jackson and hiding it from her mother, the town, and where she works Skeeter was turned down at first but when the black women are being treated worse with every day the first volunteer is Aibileen Clark One morning Aibileen goes to change Mae and sees that she was in a dirty dipper all night. This upsets Aibileen and she is ready to tell Skeeter how the women are changing. The white woman of Jackson are changing over the years, Aibileen was the maid for Elizabeth Leefolt's mother and Aibileen liked working for the Leefolt family until Elizabeth hired Aibileen for her own Aibileen wants to help Skeeter even more and has her friends tell.

Skeeter what its like working for their white families, Skeeter’s stories pile up and she begins to feel more confident with herself and the book she is writing The age Skeeter is at now she should be settling down and starting a family while she wants to become self-independent and not have to rely on a man Her mother is pushing her to find a man get married and start a family, on her way to becoming like every other Jackson woman Skeeter goes on a date to make her mother happy and to her surprise she likes him, they continue to date and things are going good, Stuart Whitworth (Chris Lowell) the man Skeeter is seeing works on the oilrigs and believes in the traditional way of a Jackson family.

The women should be stay at home moms and the man should be the “breadwinner" of the family, Skeeter is trying to hide the book she is writing from Stuart and when she tells him about the book he is disappointed in her and sees that they don’t believe in the same thing.  Their relationship ends and at this point Skeeter loses all the confidence she builds up throughout the movie. The black women reminds Skeeter of the goal she had all along and sees that she does not need a man, though the relationship she lost that. The Help has caused debate on weather it is a racist film about the 1960 because black rights was shown through a white person perspective. The Help, told through Skeeter a white Jackson woman although she does not fit in with the rest of the Jackson women.

Critics from Shoomp say, “Skeeter is bold, fearless, and she doesn't buy into the myths that black people are dirty and have diseases that are poison to white people“ implying that she had these characteristics the whole movie, on the other had some could argue she had to find courage in the beginning of the film and loses it at times Skeeter hides that she is writing a book from her mother and everyone in Jackson, she is nervous asking the black women for help but eventually she gets the help she needs, She tells her mom and gets more support building her confidence and courage, and seeing Stuart also help Skeeter’s courage. Towards the end of the movie Stuart finds out about the book and does not approve of what she is doing and leaves her, at this point Skeeter loses what her goal was in the beginning, she got caught up in making her mother happy at the same time of perusing her dreams.

Skeeter phelan is not your typical white Jackson woman, returning to Jackson from college she get a job for the local newspaperr While every other white woman in Jackson is married and starting a family, her mother wishes she could just be like the rest of them, Skeeter is not a cliché because of this, she is breaking the social norms of Jackson and creating a life of her own instead of a life that was set up for here. Skeeter is also not cliché is the way she looks, she is skinny, tall and beautiful but since her hair does not look like every other woman’s hair she believes this is the reason that no man wants hers Skeeter’s morn spends a lot of money on hair straitening system from New York to make Skeeter look “normal” for her fist date with Stuart.

In this movie Skeeter does not show any signs of being cliche, she makes a point to be different from the rest of Jackson. While finding her courage throughout the movie Skeeter overcomes many struggles and with the help from her friends she finds her confidence. She tells her mother that what is really important right now is writing her book instead of finding a husband, she also stands up to her childhood friend who has changed for the worse. Skeeter sees that if the black women can find courage in themselves and tell the truth about how they are being treated Skeeter can also find courage in herself, Skeeter is not they typical Jackson woman and this makes her character not cliché at all.

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