Characters and Characteristics

MAIN CHARACTER

Eugenia 'Sketeer' Phelan

Skeeter is the 22-year-old privileged daughter of a cotton plantation owner. She returns to Jackson, Mississippi, following her college graduation and finds that her perspective on the division between white Southern households and black maids has changed. Skeeter wants to be a writer, but her mother wants her to be a wife. Skeeter falls for the senator's son but the romance ends when Stuart learns of her civil rights leanings. She approaches an editor in New York City with the idea of writing about black maids in her town and is tentatively given approval. The project begins her transformation from the woman she was raised to be to the independent, brave woman who chooses her own path.

Skeeter's character represents the theme of alienation throughout the novel. For example, she becomes isolated from the community of southern women in which she was raised. She fails at meeting her mother's expectations for what a proper woman should do and creates conflicts within her group of friends because she questions the way things are done. When Skeeter returns from university, she tries to reenter her old life but finds that the life she left behind now looks different. Her alienation eventually leads to self-awareness of her role within the segregated society, which shocks her and motivates her writing project. The writing project also leads to a friendship with Aibileen that never would have been possible if Skeeter hadn't chosen to break from her own community. Eventually, she must choose between her past and her future. Skeeter decides to leave her community and move to New York City to follow her dream of writing.

She is one of the brilliant character in this movie. Even though she is white, she cares about the black people. For her treating people unequally is not good and it is like denying their rights. What can I learn from her is, when we treat other people kindly without looking at skin colour, we would be able to create a peaceful society. When we are free to mingle with any races, there's a lot that we can learn from them. With this way, we can be more understanding with each other and able to overcome problems with an effective way.

Hilly Holbrook

Hilly is Skeeter's childhood friend turned wealthy Jackson socialite. She is the president of the Junior League and married to a future politician. She enforces the need for segregation and punishes anyone who disagrees. Hilly tries to control the white women in Jackson, Mississippi, and holds tight to power through blackmail, and threats. When her social status declines, she becomes desperate and pitiful.

Hilly fights to maintain power throughout the story. As a wealthy white woman in the South, she enjoys a position of great influence, but because her status is often maintained through bullying and threats, friends, such as Skeeter, turn on her. Hilly represents an old world order destined to be destroyed. The Civil Rights Movement is sweeping through the South while Hilly desperately tries to maintain the social division between blacks and whites in Jackson. Her power is eventually diffused as the women she tries to control question whether she has their best intentions at heart or is simply grabbing at more power.

Sometimes, we cannot be too obsessed with the rules stated by the government. For me, as long as we follow the human rights it is okay not to be too strictly with other people. As for Hilly, I wonder why she hated so much the blacks. She looked like there is no chances for the blacks to be equal with the white. Maybe she had a bad memories in the past that make her hates the blacks and maybe she had been teach since she was small that the white people are greater than the blacks. who knows?

Aibileen 

Aibileen is a wise and weathered black maid who has raised seven white children. She works for Elizabeth Leefolt and adores toddler Mae Mobley Leefolt, even though she knows that the loving relationship could hurt them both. Aibileen has changed since her son's death, and she finds that she cannot accept the way things are so easily now. The book she writes with Skeeter and the other maids empowers her to stand up for injustices. She teaches the children she raises that the color of skin does not matter but love and kindness do; but she often feels that the message is countered by the racism in Jackson. Aibileen realizes she has more to offer in life than being a maid and finds the courage to try something new.

Throughout the film Aibileen's character triumphs in the face of adversity, but the growth is a slow, painful process. Even though she is still mourning the loss of her son, she finds solace in her maternal role raising white children. Her identity is determined by her place in society as a maid, but she embraces a central role in the writing project with Skeeter and finds a new identity as a writer, too. Aibileen realizes the danger that could result from her decisions, but she embraces the risk and relies on her faith for guidance. In the end, Aibileen discovers her own courage and talents, which leads her to leave her job as a maid and accept an undetermined path that will lead to more independence.

What can I see is Aibileen try to get rid her memories of her own son by taking care of other people children. As human and ex mother, she really need to feel the love from children. It is on eof her coping mechanism to survive in her own life. Besides, being a strong person really gives you something in back. People will probably seek a new life and learn from mistakes.

Minny

Minny, a black maid and Aibileen's best friend, has five children and is married to Leroy. She is highly regarded for her cooking skills, but her outspokenness often leads to getting fired. Minny develops an uneasy friendship with her employer, Celia Rae, who becomes devoted to her. Celia and Minny gain strength from each other, leading them to take control of their own lives. In the end, Minny decides to leave her abusive husband and chart an unknown course rather than live with the pain he inflicts.

Minny is an individual struggling against society. Her inner nature is often at war against the world. As a black maid she is expected to be submissive and quiet, but Minny is neither. She says what she feels, often speaking out against the injustice she experiences and witnesses. Her individualism leads to conflict with Hilly Holbrook, who has more power in the society, but it also leads to an uneasy friendship with Celia, her employer. Because Celia guarantees her a place in her home, Minny becomes even more brazen and reveals Hilly's great secret, which imbues Minny with a bit of her own power.

In our life, we need to be brave in defending our rights. Do not let others suppress us. But in order to defend our right, we must be prepared for the consequences that we will face. Sometimes, we need to sacrifice something that is very valuable to us such as our job. Bear in our mind, if we did something that is right, we will be rewarded by God at the end.

Dufresne, Marcel. "American Journalism Review."Exposing the Secrets of 
      Mississippi Racism. American Journalism Review, n.d. Web. 25 Mar 2013.