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Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.

The Power of Writing and Storytelling

Throughout The Help, there are many expectations, social norms, and even laws that remain unsaid but are understood by everyone. However, when that information is written down, it poses a threat to those who perpetuate the unspoken, prejudiced rules of society. The major conflict of the novel centers around the book Skeeter is writing and the fear of the maids who participate that they will be found out. The book focuses on the stories of Black maids who work for white women, which may not seem particularly groundbreaking or controversial. However, once the racist and often abusive behavior of the white women is put into writing, to exist for eternity for anyone to read, those same women lose a modicum of that power. Not only does writing make the system of prejudice transparent for all to see, but it also shames some of the women who are featured in the book, as they do not want to reveal their identity by firing their maids who spoke about them.

The power of writing manifests itself in more personal ways as well. Inspired by her teacher when she had to leave school to begin working, Aibileen writes down her prayers instead of saying them aloud, and somehow, her prayers are often answered, making them seem much more powerful to her friends. Aibileen is then able to use her skill of writing to deliver her stories to Skeeter when she had trouble speaking them aloud from memory alone. This shows that writing gives Aibileen the confidence and power that the rest of society tries to deprive her of. Skeeter is initially skeptical of Aibileen’s plan to write down her stories, likely due to Aibileen’s lack of higher education. However, Aibileen’s writing impresses Skeeter, proving that anyone can assert their power through writing or storytelling as long as they have something to say, regardless of race or background.

The Complexity of People and Relationships

At the beginning of The Help, most characters see each other as fitting into certain boxes that society deems appropriate. However, as Skeeter writes her book, she realizes that people and relationships are far more complicated than any one box can hold. In interviewing the maids for the book, what surprises Skeeter most is their conflicting feelings toward the people they work for. While many of them have unconcealed contempt toward white women such as Hilly, at the same time they feel genuine love for the white children they care for. In some cases, those two emotions may be felt for the same person. Skeeter experiences this herself in her relationship with her mother, Charlotte. Charlotte is often cold and critical toward Skeeter, and Skeeter resents her for firing Constantine. Still, Skeeter cannot help but love her mother and cannot bring herself to reveal what her mother did to Constantine in the book.

As Skeeter learns more about these relationships, she also sees the complexity of individuals, even ones she thought she knew well. Though she may have thought of her friend Lou Anne as a typical society woman, just another one of Hilly’s minions, after the book is published, Skeeter learns that Lou Anne suffers from depression. This, along with Lou Anne’s close friendship with her maid Louvenia, is something she must keep secret as it would not be understood or accepted by the rest of society. Understanding the unique nature of each individual shows the futility of trying to pigeonhole others by race or economic status and how the celebration of people’s differences would make society more fulfilling.

The Deception of Appearances

The most obvious trait by which people are judged in The Help is race. The character of Hilly Holbrook typifies how many white people at the time viewed Black people, as dirty, diseased, and unintelligent. This in turn led to the Jim Crow laws of segregation in both public and private spaces. However, the relationships and characters in The Help show the absurdity of judging people based on how they look. Skeeter is constantly reminded by her mother that she is not conventionally attractive, as she is tall and has unmanageable hair. However, Skeeter is also portrayed as the most open-minded white character in the novel, embodying the idea that someone should not be judged based on appearance alone. Like Skeeter, the child Aibileen cares for, Mae Mobley, is constantly criticized by her mother for being overweight. Both Aibileen and Constantine, Skeeter’s childhood maid, remind the girls in their care that it is what is on the inside that counts. However, this message remains elusive for many members of Jackson society.

Someone who Minny and several other characters judge based on her appearance is Celia Foote. Celia is what most of the other white women in Jackson see as “white trash.” Celia grew up in a run-down, rural area, as revealed by her heavy Southern accent and her inexperience with certain rules of society. Celia desperately wants to fit in yet is ostracized by the white women of Jackson due to her perceived tackiness as well as her marriage to Hilly’s ex-boyfriend. However, Celia is far kinder and less prejudiced than the women she tries so hard to impress. Though Minny first sees Celia as dumb and lazy, Celia proves her strength when she attacks a home intruder, saving Minny’s life and showing there is far more to her than first meets the eye.

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