The three main characters in the novel, The Help, are the white journalist Miss Skeeter and the two black maids Aibileen and Minny. Miss Skeeter wants to write a book about the relationship between black maids and their employers from a helping perspective, something no one has ever done before. Aibileen and Minny help by telling Skeeter their personal stories, knowing how dangerous it was in the 1960s. Over the course of the novel we get to know the women, both in their words and from the points of view of others, as each chapter is narrated by one of the three. In The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, the author uses narration through the three main characters to shape the reader's interpretation of the novel. We say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Skeeter is one of the most influential characters in the novel. She convinces Aibileen, Minny, and several other maids to share their stories so she can put them in her book. The novel itself addresses the topic of racism which has long been a complex topic. Skeeter, being a white writer from Mississippi in the 1960s, for example, may have difficulty writing about racism because not only did she grow up in a racist environment, but more importantly because she seeks to highlight the plight of blacks. Miss Skeeter is described as kind and innocent. At the beginning of the book, she says, “at sixteen I was not only not pretty, I was painfully tall. The kind of height that puts a girl in the back row of class photos with the boys. The kind of tall dress where your mother spends her nights pulling down the hems, tugging at the sleeves of your sweaters, flattening your hair for dances you weren't asked to.” Since Skeeter imagines herself as not beautiful and tall, this might give the reader an innocent view of her. However, it could also mark her as weak and/or in need of saving. Which is ironic because later in the novel she is shown to be the hero. Now his behavior, for example, towards his friends, exaggerates the feeling of weakness. For example, when Miss Skeeter and her friends Hilly and Elizabeth talk to Aibileen while she serves them meat, she begins to notice things she never did before. “Hilly raises his voice about three octaves higher when speaking to black people. Elizabeth smiles as if she were talking to a child." However, when Skeeter realizes how differently his friends treat black people, he never says anything about their bad behavior. Skeeter is well aware that his friends are bothering Aibileen and chooses not to cover it up for her at that moment. Without confronting Hill and Elizabeth, let them continue with their “belief in the natural superiority of whites. Furthermore, Stockett also describes Miss Skeeter as naive. When she asks Aibileen if she wants to help her write the book, Aibileen replies "'Miss Skeeter,' and I say it slowly, try to make it count, 17 I do this with you, I might as well burn my house down." '“. Skeeter doesn't seem to realize how dangerous and scary it can be for people of color to tell their perspective in the relationship between blacks and whites. However, Stockett somehow still portrays Skeeter throughout the novel as a good, well-educated white person and, to some extent, portrayed as the hero of the blacks. Although Minny is one of the main characters and narrators, we as readers mostly see her as the other character in the room. For example, the reader becomes aware of his “terrible terribleness” even before the first chapter of Minny. However, the meaning of “terrible terrible” will only be revealed later. However, what the reader mightunderstand is that he did something with his former employer, Miss Hilly's cake. In some pages of the novel Minny calls Aibileen and tells her “'I won't tell. I won't tell anyone about that cake. But I give her what she deserves!' …There is no game that counters Miss Hilly. 'I will never go looking for work again, Leroy will kill me'”. This is also probably why she is so nervous about becoming a maid for Cecilia because she is afraid of never finding work again. Furthermore, the last sentence of this quote indicates that Minny is being portrayed as a victim. Through Minny's actions, she both obeys and resists white hegemonic culture. Her gesture with the cake shows her resistance against the white system and its values, but she also tries to conform to the white norm by telling herself to “tuck it in.” As a result, it is not surprising to the reader that he does not trust white people. people. There is one example, in particular, that demonstrates this and that is when Miss Skeeter, Aibileen and Minny are discussing the book. "'What makes you think black people need your help?' Minny stands up, scratching her chair. “Why do you care about this?” You white.'” Minny hesitates to trust Skeeter and the reader understands this perfectly. Stockett uses Minny's past experiences with white people to help the reader understand how scary it was for black people to step out of line even if it's for a good cause. such as sharing their stories with Sheeter. The use of narration through Minny's narration gives the reader a small glimpse into the hardships and struggles faced by people of color in the 1960s. Aibileen is portrayed as a stereotypical waitress throughout the novel and, in some cases, the construction of blackness by southern whites is also shown several times in the book. She is very fond of Mae Mobley, the little white girl she takes care of. It even goes to the point that when Mae Mobley and Aibileen discuss how many children Aibileen has, Mae Mobley says "I know, I'm your real baby. However, Aibileen is not only portrayed as the stereotypical waitress, the construction of blackness by southern whites is shown more." times in the book. An example is when Mae Mobley goes into Aibileen's bathroom and her mother yells at her “this is dirty out here, Mae Mobley. You will get diseases! No no no!”. In the novel, whites and blacks were supposed to have separate bathrooms because according to the whites, blacks were dirty. This in itself tells one of the many contradictions that occur in the novel. On the one hand, black people can't use white bathrooms because they are sick and dirty. On the other hand, white people want them to clean their homes, cook food, and take care of their children. Furthermore, Aibileen compares herself to a cockroach: 21 That night, after dinner, that cockroach and I look at each other across the kitchen floor. He's big, an inch and a half. He's black. Blacker than me. This may indicate that not only do whites have a condescending attitude towards blacks, but Aibileen also despises herself. Comparing yourself to an insect, a parasite means recognizing yourself as dirty and potentially harmful. The interpretation the reader gets from the way Aibileen's story is told is that black people are just like everyone else, and because of how cruel white people were, Aibileen begins to despise herself. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, Stockett uses narration through the three main characters to describe how the reader interprets the novel. For example, Miss Skeeter is sometimes portrayed as week or in need of saving, but then Stockett makes it clear that Skeeter is.