THE ANALYSIS OF THE INTRINSIC ELEMENTS IN KATHRYN STOCKETT’S NOVEL THE HELP
A PAPER
BY
SUSI SUSANTI REG. NO. 092202043
DIPLOMA III ENGLISH STUDY PROGRAM FACULTY OF CULTURE STUDY
NORTH SUMATERA UNIVERSITY MEDAN
Approved by
Supervisor,
NIP. 19510907 197902 2 001 Dra. Syahrar Hanum, DPFE
Submitted to Faculty of Culture Study University of North Sumatera
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for Diploma-III in English Study Program
Approved by
Head of English Diploma Study Program,
NIP. 19521126198112 1 001 Dr. Matius C.A. Sembiring, M.A.
Approved by the Diploma-III of English Study Program Faculty of Letters, University of North Sumatera
Accepted by the Board of Examiner in partial of the requirements for the D-III Examination of the Diploma-III of English Study Program, Faculty of Culture Study, University of North Sumatera.
The examination is held on June 2012
Faculty of Culture Study, University of North Sumatera
Dean,
NIP. 19511013197603 1 001 Dr. Syahron Lubis, M.A.
Board of Examiners : Signature
1. Dr. Matius C.A. Sembiring, M.A. (Head of ESP) _________
2. Dra. Syahrar Hanum, DPFE ( Supervisor) _________
AUTHOR’S DECLARATION
I am, SUSI SUSANTI, declare that I am the sole of author of this paper. Except where reference is made in the text of this paper, this paper contains no material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a paper by which I have qualified for or awarded another degree.
No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the main text of this paper. This paper has not been submitted for the award of another degree in any tertiary education.
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COPYRIGHT DECLARATION
Name : SUSI SUSANTI
Title of paper : The Analysis of the Intrinsic Elements in Kathryn Stockett’s Novel The Help
Qualification : D-III/ Ahli Madya
Study Program : English
I am willing that my paper should be available for reproduction at the discretion of the Libertarian of the Diploma III English Study Program Faculty of Culture USU on the understanding that users are made aware of their obligation under law of the Republic of Indonesia.
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ABSTRACT
ABSTRAK
ACKNOWLEGMENTS
Firstly, the writer would like to give thanks to my savior, Jesus Christ for His amazing blessing and mercy in my life. The writer say thank You, Lord for this paper that you are still trust to me so that I can complete this paper. The writer also say thank You, Lord for health, strength, wisdom, and everything that you allow happened in my life. The writer knows that the writer is nothing without You.
Secondly, the writer would like to give deep gratitude to Dr. Syahron Lubis, M.A., as the Dean of the Faculty Culture Study, University of North Sumatera and Dr. Matius C.A. Sembiring, M.A. as the Head of English Diploma Study Program, who give the writer directions and instructions wisely so that I can complete this paper.
Thirdly, the writer would like to express thanks to Dra. Syahyar Hanum, DPFE as the supervisor for the precious learning and so many advice that she gave to me and Drs. Chairul Husni, M.Ed. TESOL as the reader of this paper for his precision in correct my paper.
ago. I know that you will be proud if you see my graduation later. Unfortunately, you are gone before see my graduation. Dad, this paper is yours.
Fifth, the writer would like to give thanks to my friends at campus in Class A (Irma, Siti, Fitry, Julia, Ismi, Zahra, and friends) and Class B (Aina and friends) that I cannot mention it one by one. Thank you guys for your support in complete this paper. The writer also would like to give thanks to my dear younger brother, ‘Aneh’. Thank you dear for your meaningful support and hear my story every day.
The last, the writer would like thanks to people around me that always support me in finishing this paper. I am really apologized because I cannot mention you one by one in this paper. But, my special thanks which I would give to my big family at Marakas 41 (Sista Rotua, Sista Putri, Sista Tora, Little Nova, and Erpina Sitepu). Thank you for your support to me, sists.
Finally, the writer will accept the suggestions and critics that build her up from the readers because the writer knows that this paper is not perfect. Thanks to all of the readers who read and appreciate this paper.
Medan, Wednesday, June 27th, 2012
The writer,
TABLE OF CONTENTS
AUTHOR’S DECLARATION ... i
COPYRIGHT DECLARATION ... ii
ABSTRACT ... iii
ABSTRAK ... iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... v
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... vii
1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study ... 1
1.2 Problems of the Study ... 3
1.3 Scopes of the Study ... 3
1.4 Reasons for Choosing the Topic ... 4
1.5 The Purpose of Writing ... 4
2. REVIEW AND RELATED OF LITERATURE 2.1 What is Novel? 5 2.2 The Intrinsic Elements 2.2.1 The Theme... 11
2.2.2 The Characterization ... 13
2.2.3 The Plot ... 18
2.2.4 The Point of View ... 22
2.2.5 The Style ... 31
2.2.6 The Settings ... 36
4. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
4.1 ... Conc
lusions ... 73
4.2 Suggestions... 76
REFERENCES ... 77
APPENDICES ... 78
BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR ... 78
ABSTRACT
ABSTRAK
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Roberts (1993:1) says, “Literature refers to compositions that tell stories, dramatize situations, express emotions, and analyze and advocate ideas. Before the invention of writing, literary works were necessarily spoken or sung, and were retained only as long as living people performed them.” Taylor (1981:1) says, “Literature, like other arts, is essentially an imaginative act, that is, an act of the writer’s imagination in selecting, ordering and interpreting life-experience.” Literature may be classified into four categories or genres : (1) poetry, (2 prose fiction), (3) drama, (4) nonfiction prose. Usually the first three are classed as imaginative literature. Prose fiction, or narrative fiction, includes myths, parables, romances, novels, and short stories.
elements of a novel are theme, characterization, plot, point of view, style, and settings. Nurgiyantoro (2003:23) says, “Unsur ekstrinsik adalah adalah unsur-unsur yang berada di luar karya sastra itu, tetapi secara tidak langsung mempengaruhi bangunan atau sistem organisme karya sastra.” It means that the extrinsic elements in a novel are the elements that indirectly build the story. The extrinsic elements are biography of the author, psychology (psycohology of the author, psychology of the readers, and the application of psychological principles in the works), environmental of the author such as economy, politics, and social, and so on.
The elements of setting may include culture, historical period, geography, and hour. Along with the theme, the characterization, the plot, the point of view, and the style, the settings is considered one of the fundamental components of fiction. All of them are essentially in a novel. A novel cannot be writing without the intrinsic elements.
In this paper, the writer chooses this topic because she is interested in the story of this novel. This novel tells three women during the formative years of the civil rights movement in Mississippi, where it was dangerous to push the boundaries of segregation for both blacks and whites – though for very different reasons. The Help tells a historical story about women, a story that will make you laugh, and probably cry, and it will likely leave you a better person for having seen it. In pitch-perfect kiss, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women-mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends-view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope. The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don’t. 1.2 The Problem
The problem is to find out the intrinsic elements in Kathryn Stockett’s Novel The Help.
1.3 Scope of the Study
This study is focused on the analysis of the intrinsic elements : the theme, the characterization, the plot, the point of view, the style, and the settings.
The writer chooses this topic because she is interested in the story of this novel which tells three women during the formative years of the civil rights movement in Mississippi, where it was dangerous to push the boundaries of segregation for both blacks and whites – though for very different reasons. 1.5 Purpose of the Study
• To share the information about the intrinsic elements in a novel : the
theme, the characterization, the plot, the point of view, the style, and the settings.
• To give some contribution to the study of literature for readers through this
2. REVIEW AND RELATED OF LITERATURE 2.1 What is Novel?
Watson (1979:158) says, “Novel is a fictional prose narrative of length, usually with a claim to describe the real.” The novel can present something more and more involved the more complex issues. It includes various elements that build the novel's story.
of writing. The novel does generally have a long story but did not rule out the existence of a short novel.
The novel itself is based on the content, objectives and purpose of the author can be divided into several types, namely:
A. Tendentious Novel
Novels of this type often called a novel aim. It was said, because in this novel type of the intended purpose the author deeply felt, for example, to educate, criticize the mistakes that often happened, etc. Example: SALAH ASUHAN, a novel written by Abdul Muis.
B. Historical Novel
Novels of this type have to do with historical events. Characters and background story is taken from historical events. Yet the novel remains a novel, although the figures and the background contained in the novel species is related to historical events but the novel cannot be equated with the records / documentation of history. That's because the literature is made on the imagination of the author who certainly mixed with the attitude and Views of author's life. Example: Untung Surapati, a novel written by Abdul Muis.
C. Novel Custom
traditional author of concern to the author. Novels included in this type such as Sitti Nurbaya, a novel written by Marah Rusli.
D. Children's Novel
It is a kind of novel that tells the lives of children. Because its targets children's novel of this type in workmanship adjust the power of thought the kids too, with simple language. Examples of this type such as a novel Si Dul Anak Betawi written by Aman Dt. Majoindo. Characters in the novels of this type do not have children.
E. Political Novel
It is the background of the novel's political problems. The novel is commonly used as a means to fight for the author's political ideas or as a means of fighting spirit burner community in achieving its political ideals.
F. Psychological Novel
In this novel the author's attention has been spilled on the mental development of the characters. Nature and human nature in general, the upheavals of mind, human actions and character are essentially the most highlighted authors. Example: a novel Belenggu, Armyn Pane works.
The novel is said to include in this type if the contents of the novel is much more to talk about relationships between men and women. Usually this is only a novel type of reading entertainment only and cultivation of the problem is not too deep. Pop novels of today many developing normally included in this type. Example: a novel Karmila works Marga T.
Novel Intrinsic Elements
Intrinsic elements are the elements that build up in the literary works of literature itself. The purpose of the elements those are included in the literary work itself. In general, the intrinsic elements of literary works including novels include theme, plot, characterizations, setting, tension, the atmosphere, the central narrative, and style.
A. Theme
The theme is the basic story that dominated the subject matter of a literary work (Suharianto: 2005). The theme was the starting point in compiling the work of literary authors. This theme is to be conveyed and solved by the author through his story. The theme became the basis of development of the whole story, the theme was nature animates all parts of the story from beginning to end.
B. Storyline plot or plots
intact (Suharianto: 2005). The flow of the story consists of five parts: exposition / introduction, wiring, climbing, peak or climax, and denouement.
C. Characterizations
Literature is a story which tells the story of human life with all the miscellaneous life. With that understanding there would have been required as a manifestation of the human figure and his life to be told. The characters in this story will do its job to be "a source story". Figure is a living thing (humans) who have physical and temperament.
Characterizations
Characterizations often called disposition, which is depiction of the characters. This depiction includes a state of physical and spiritual leaders. The situation is a form of birth jazzed figures and who the characters, circumstances of birth includes live view of the characters, character attitudes, beliefs, customs, etc.
D. Background
the story. According Nurgiyantoro (2004:227-233), background can be divided into three main elements, namely setting the place, time setting, social setting.
E. Voltage
Suspense or tension is part of the story that makes the reader excited to continue reading the story. Desire arose because the author seemed promising the reader will find something that readers expect. While foreshadowing is part of the story that gives an idea of something that will happen. So, voltage is inseparable, in other words the presence voltage it created tension.
F. Atmosphere
As well as the time and place in a story, the atmosphere is also a thing that always accompany an event. The atmosphere can be defined as any experienced event experienced by a character in a story. For example a sad atmosphere, fun, and so forth.
G. Center Narration
The story is a picture that displays the life of character. Positioning of characters to display the author of stories about the life of the characters in the story telling is what is called the center (point of view) or sometimes also called the point of view. In general, the central narrative is categorized into 4 types, ie author as the main story, the author come into play but not as a main character, the author of all present, and author of observers.
H. Style of Language
making works of literature not only a wish to inform readers of what is experienced by the characters, but the authors also intend to invite the reader to feel what is experienced by the characters in the story. Because desire is a style that is used in literature are often different from the style of language in everyday life. In other words the style of language can be interpreted as a way (speaking) taken by the writer to convey thoughts or intentions.
2.2 The Intrinsic Elements 2.2.1 The Theme
Yelland (1983:189) says, “The theme is the central thought in a literary work.” It means that the theme is the central idea in a literary work. In a novel, the theme is the main idea which developed in a plot. All of almost ideas in our live can be theme, even though in practically the theme that we will find like ambitious, loyalty, jealousy, frustration, patience, and so on.
conveyed. Themes became the basis for developing the whole story, so he is animating the whole story.
To find the theme of a fiction, we must conclude from the whole of the story in a novel. It was not easy to find the theme in a novel. But, we don’t need worried about it because now we have the solution for it. Frederick (1967:323) says, “Remember that theme hunting is possibly the most enjoyable and rewarding ; part of short story, but it is also the most dangerous, and the most open to wild error. If you want to find meaning, you must put yourself in the writer’s hands and efface part of yourself. Otherwise every story, regrettably, will sound exactly like you.”
or messages, themes often explore historically common or cross-culturally recognizable ideas and are almost always implied rather than stated explicitly. Along with plot, character, setting, and style, theme is considered one of the fundamental components of fiction.
2.2.2 The Characterization
Characterization is the method used by a writer to develop a character. The method includes (1) showing the character's appearance, (2) displaying the character's actions, (3) revealing the character's thoughts, (4) letting the character speak, and (5) getting the reactions of others.
Roberts, Edgar V and Henry E. Jacobs (1987:131) say, “In fiction, a character may be defined as a verbal representation of a human being. Through action, speech, description, and commentary, authors portray characters who are worth caring about, rooting for, and even loving, although there are also characters you may laugh at, dislike, or even hate.”
In some works, especially essay and lyric, the author reveals a certain quality from their own private. In another works, the author tries to position themselves on background of the story and provide the real characters (like in a novel or drama) in a story.
the character interesting regardless of whether or not we sympathized with him or her. (Reader and Woods, 1987:51)
(= Para tokoh dalam sebuah novel yang baik itu menarik, menimbulkan rasa ingin tahu, konsisten, meyakinkan, kompleks, dan realistis. Bila seorang pengarang telah menciptakan seorang tokoh yang sangat hidup atau berpribadi, maka kita sebagai pembaca, akan menganggap tokoh itu menarik, terlepas dari apakah kita menyukainya atau tidak.)
A character in a novel is not a real human being and has no life outside the literary composition, however well the illusion of reality has been created by the author. Taylor (1981:62) says, “A character is a mere construction of words meant to express an idea or view of experience and must be considered in relation to other features of the composition, such as action and settings, before its full significance can be appreciated.” An author first conceives of a fictional framework, then selects and organizes incidents from the random and shapeless accidental details of life according to an interpretative principle, in order to build up a coherent pattern and express a theme.
In a novel, characters function to give substance to the fiction. Assessment of the story is a measurement about successful or unsuccessful of the author to fills up the story with characters which described as the real human being in order to the readers can experience their ideas and emotions.
CHARACTER TRAITS
In studying a literary character, begin by determining the character’s outstanding traits. Roberts, Edgar V and Henry E. Jacobs (1987:132) say, “A trait is a quality of mind or habitual mode of behavior, such as never repaying borrowed money, or avoiding eye contact, or always thinking oneself the center of attention.” A trait may be a person’s primary characteristic (not only in fiction, but also in life). The characters may be ambitious or lazy, serene or anxious, aggressive or fearful, thoughtful or inconsiderate, open or secretive, confident or self-doubting, kind or cruel, quiet or noisy, visionary or practical, careful or careless, impartial or biased, straightforward or underhanded, “winners” or “losers,” and so on.
TYPES OF CHARACTERS: ROUND AND FLAT
The British novelist and critic E.M. Forster, in his critical work Aspects of the Novels, calls the two major types “round” and “flat”.
Roberts, Edgar V and Henry E. Jacobs (1987:133) say, “The basic trait of round characters is that they recognize, change with, or adjust to circumstances. The round character ― profits from experience and undergoes a change or
alteration, which may be shown in (1) an action or actions, (2) the realization of new strength and therefore the affirmation of previous decisions, (3) the acceptance of a new condition, or (4) the discovery of unrecognized truths.” It means that the round character is a character who shows many different faces; often presented in depth and with great detail.
FLAT CHARACTERS
Roberts, Edgar V and Henry E. Jacobs (1987:134) say, “In contrast, flat characters do not grow. They remain the same because they may be stupid or insensitive or lacking in knowledge or insight. They end where they begin and are static, not dynamic. Static character means a character who does not change in any significant way during the course of the work. Dynamic character means a character who changes in some significant way during the course of the work. They usually highlight the development of the round characters. Usually, flat characters are minor (e.g., relatives, acquaintances, functionaries), although not all minor characters are necessarily flat.”
What characters do is our best way to understand what they are. For example, walking in the woods is recreation for most people, and it shows little about their characters.
As with ordinary human beings, fictional characters do not necessarily understand how they may be changing or why they do the things they do. Nevertheless, their actions express their characters.
Actions may also signal qualities such as naiveté, weakness, deceit, a scheming personality, strong inner conflicts, or a realization or growth of some sort.
B. Descriptions, both personal and environmental.
Appearance and environment reveal much about a character’s social and economic status, of course, but they also tell us more about character traits.
C. Dramatic statements and thoughts.
Although the speeches of most characters are functional ― essential to keep the story moving along ― they provide material from which you can draw
conclusions. Often, characters use speech to hide their motives, though we as readers should see through such a ploy.
D. Statements by other characters.
By studying what characters say about each other, you can enhance your understanding of the character being discussed. Ironically, the characters doing the talking often indicate something other than what they intend, perhaps because of prejudice, stupidity, or foolishness.
What the author, speaking with the authorial voice, says about a character is usually accurate, and the authorial voice can be accepted factually. However, when the authorial voice interprets actions and characteristics, the author himself or herself assumes the role of a reader or critic, and any opinions may be questioned.
As you read literature, there are two other important terms to keep in mind for describing people: protagonist and antagonist. The protagonist is the major character with whom we generally sympathize. The antagonist is the character with whom the protagonist is in conflict, generally not a sympathetic character. 2.2.3 The Plot
Plot is a literary term defined as the events that makes up the story, particularly as they relate to one another in a pattern, in a sequence, through cause and effect, or by coincidence. One is generally interested in how well this pattern of events accomplishes some artistic or emotional effect.
Stanford (2003:30) says, “Plot is the sequence of events and actions in a literary work.” Most readers begin by describing external actions, those that, through the writer’s description, we can see and hear.
between the protagonist and opposing groups, forces, ideas, and choices―all of which make up a collective antagonist. The conflict may be carried out wherever human beings spend their lives, such as a kitchen, a bedroom, a restaurant, a town square, a farm, an estate, a workshop, or a battlefield. The conflict may also take place internally, within the mind of the protagonist. (Robert, 1965:52)
Plot consists of four parts, namely: a. Choice of events strung together by time. b. Events that are interesting.
c. Events which naturally leads to events that are equally interesting. d. Events that indicate the reasons and consequences.
Total unity of the four parts is what we usually call a plot. Broadly speaking, there are three main elements of plot: event - the reason (cause and effect) - a result.
We can describe the plot in two ways: (1) in terms of the dominant human activity, which establish or give rise to self-motivated readers, or (2) in a way more technical. In the first way we can arrange the plot (a) in the surrounding conflict, (b) around a mystery; (c) surrounding the search or pursuit; (d) round trip, or the last (e) around the test.
A novel often has the aim that is coherent and unified, and it can be achieved by the preparation of such a dominant element that has been discussed on the types plot above.
century), and "multiple" (many novels have more than one plot line, sometimes interconnected and sometimes in cases like this, we must choose the main plot and sub-sub plot for analytical purposes).
The author communicates something through his characters. These figures carry out their respective roles so that the resulting flow is called a conflict situation. According to Rosenthal (1958:134) there are three kinds of conflict are:
a. between man and the forces of nature or society; b. between one individual and another individual;
c. between the forces struggling within a single individual.
Plot and story carry out the functions which differ from one novel to another novel. The story is never static because of the development of the story should be no change.
Structure
a. Introduction is the beginning of a work, which usually suggest the setting (time and place) and shows one or more of the main characters.
b. Complication is events or actions that establish the conflict in a literary work.
c. Climax is the turning point, often signified by a character’s making a significant decision or taking action to resolve a conflict.
d. Conclusion is the ending of a work, which often shows the effects of the climactic action or decision.
Conflict
As you read a literary work and think about the structure of the plot ― and particularly as you focus on the complications and climax ― keep in mind that
nearly all fiction and drama, focus on a conflict, a struggle between internal and external forces in a literary work.
In addition to conflicts inside the mind, literary works may focus on conflicts between individuals, between an individual and a social force (a community, school, church, workplace), and between an individual and a natural force (disease, fire, flood, cold, famine). It’s important to note that conflicts do not necessarily belong in just one category.
implications of this choice usually represent the conclusion of the literary work. (Stanford, 2003:29)
Irony of Situation
The actions and events in a work may generate a sense of irony. Stanford (2003:29) says, “Irony of situation is a discrepancy between what is said and what is done or between what is expected and what actually happens.” It also occurs when a character expects one thing to happen and instead something else happens.
2.2.4 The Point of View
One of the most important ways in which writers knit their stories together, and also an important way in which they try to interest and engage readers, is the careful control of point of view. Point of view is the voice of the story, the speaker who does the narrating. It is the way the reality of a story is made to seem authentic. It may be regarded as the story’s focus, the angle of vision from which things are not only seen and reported but also judged.
A story may be told by a fictions “observer” who tells us what he or she saw, heard, concluded, and thought. This speaker, or narrator ― terms that are interchangeable ― may sometimes seem to be the author speaking directly using
The author important point of view is the third person. The third-person point of view may be (1) limited, with the focus being on one particular character and what he or she does, says, hears, thinks, and otherwise experiences, (2) omniscient, with the possibility that the thoughts and behaviors of all the character are open and fully known by the speaker, and (3) dramatic, or objective, in which the story is confined only to the reporting of actions and speeches, with no commentary and no revelation of the thoughts of any of the characters unless the characters themselves make these revelations dramatically.
Point of view is one of the many ways in which authors make fiction vital. By controlling point of view, an author helps us make reasonable inferences about the story’s actions. Authors use point of view to raise some of the same questions in their fiction that perplex us in life. We need to evaluate what fictional narrators as well as real people tell us, for what they say is affected by their limitations, attitudes, opinions, and degree of candidness. For readers, the perception of a fictional point of view can be as complex as life itself, and it may be as difficult ― in fiction as in life ― to evaluate our sources of information.
experience and presents only the most important details to create the maximum possible impact. It may also be considered as a way of seeing, the perspective into which the work of art is cast.
Bear in mind that authors, like painters, try not only to make their works vital and interesting, but also to bring their presentations alive. The situation is like that of actors performing a play: The actors are always themselves, but in their roles they impersonate the characters they act, and temporarily become them.
Authors, too, impersonate characters who do the talking, with the difference that authors also create these impersonations.
CONDITIONS THAT AFFECT POINT OF VIEW
Point of view depends on two major factors. First is the situation of the narrator as an observer. How much is she or her privileged to know? How accurate and complete is his or her observation? What are the narrator’s particular qualifications or limitations to be an observer or commentator? Second is the narrator’s closeness, distance, and involvement in the actions. From what position, both physical and psychological, does the narrator observe the action? Are the narrator’s words colored by any particular interest or direct involvement in the action itself or in the outcome? Does the narrator seem to have any persuasive purpose, beyond serving as the recorder or observer? In a story, the author develops point of view in light of these same considerations.
In the various works you read you will encounter a wide variety of points of view. To begin your analysis, first determine the work’s grammatical voice. Then you should study the ways in which the subject, characterization, dialogue, and form interact with the point of view.
First-Person Point of View
If the voice of the work is an “I” the author is using the first-person point of view ― the impersonation of a fictional narrator or speaker.
Of all the points of view, the first person is potentially the most independent of the author, for such a speaker is often given a unique identity, with name, job, and economic and social positions. Quite often, however, the author may create a relatively neutral, uninvolved narrator who still uses the first person voice.
First-person speakers might reports events as though they have acquired their knowledge in a number of ways:
What they have done, said, heard, and thought (firsthand experience).
What they have observed others do and say (firsthand witness).
What others have told them (second-hand testimony and hearsay).
What they are able to imagine a character or characters might do or think, given the situation.
When you encounter a first-person narrative, determine the narrator’s position and ability, prejudices or self-interest, and judgement of their readers or listeners. When they describe their own experiences, they have great authority and sometimes great power. Whatever their involvement, however, they are to be seen as one of the means by which authors create an authentic, life-like aura around their stories.
Second-Person Point of View
The second-person point of view, the least common of the points of view, offers the writer two major possibilities. In the first, a narrator tells a present and involved listener what he or she has done and said at a past time. The actions might be a simple retelling of events, as when a parent tells a child about an action of the child during infancy, or a doctor tells a patient with amnesia about events before the causative injury. The actions might also be subject to dispute and interpretation, as when a prosecuting attorney describes a crime for which a defendant is on trial, or a spouse lists grievances against an alienated spouse in a custody or divorce case.
In ad dition, some n arrators follow the u sag e ― common in colloq uial
speech ― of the indefinite “you.” In such a narration, speakers use “you” to refer not to a specific reader or listener bur rather to anyone at all ― in this way
avoiding the more formal use of words like “one,” “a person,” or “people.” (incidentally, the selection of “you” is non-gender specific, because it eliminates the need for the pronouns “he,” “she,” “he or she,” and the like.)
Third-Person Point of View
If events in the work are described in the third person (he, she, it, they), the author is using the third-person point of view. It is not always easy to characterize the voice in this point of view. Sometimes the speaker may use an “I” and be seemingly identical with the author, but at other times the author may create a distinct authorial voice. There are three variants of the third-person point of view: dramatic or objective, omniscient, and limited omniscient.
DRAMATIC or OBJECTIVE
moving vehicles, or even in outer space ― to tell us what is happening and what
is being sad.
The dramatic presentation is limited only to what is said and what happens. There is no attempt to draw conclusions or make interpretations, because the presupposition underlying the dramatic point of view is that readers, like a jury, can form their own interpretations if they are given the right evidence.
OMNISCIENT
The third-person point of view is omniscient (all-knowing) when the speaker not only presents action and dialogue, but also is able to report what goes on in the minds of the characters. The real world does not permit us to know absolutely what other people are thinking. However, we are always making assumptions about the mental activities of others, and these assumptions are the basis of the omniscient point of view. Authors use it freely but judiciously to explain responses, thoughts, feelings, and plans ― and additional dimension that
aids in the development of character.
LIMITED, OR LIMITED OMNISCIENT
More common than the omniscient point of view is the limited third person, or limited omniscient third-person point of view, in which the author confines or limits attention to a major character.
In some works, an author may shift the point of view in order to sustain interest, create suspense, or put the burden of response entirely upon readers.
Suppose you hear a friend talk angrily about an argument with a roommate and later hear the roommate describe the same disagreement. Primarily, they are being told from two distinct points of view. When you inform your own opinion about the disagreement, you take into account who is recounting the incident. In much the same way, readers think carefully about point of view in literary works.
Author and Speaker
Distinguishing author from speaker in a literary work is essential. Unlike roommates describing an argument, poets, playwrights, writers of fiction, and sometimes even writers of nonfiction are not necessarily telling personal stories. Although authors often do write about incidents or people from their own lives, they write through a created voice that is not necessarily identical to their own.
Narrator
Just as the voice in a poem is called the speaker, the voice that tells a story (in a novel or short fiction) is called the narrator. (Sometimes a play has a narrator. Usually, however, a play unfolds directly from the character’s dialogue, along with the playwright’s stage directions.)
think. A variation is the limited omniscient narrator, who sees into the mind of only one character. Obviously, when the thoughts of only one character are reported, readers know more about the character than any other and see the events of the story ― as well as the other characters ― through that character’s eyes.
Sometimes the narrator is also a character in the story. in this case, the narrator uses the first person (“I” or “we”). First-person narrators can, of course, report only what is in their own minds or what they see or hear. Omniscient, limited omniscient, and first-person narrators may also make evaluations ― for example, they may state that a character is brave or silly or that an action was wise or foolhardy. As readers, we must consider the source of such judgments. Is the narrator reliable or unreliable? Is there reason to think that the narrator is suppressing information, is lying outright, or is simply incapable of seeing and understanding certain facts? Even if the narrator is reliable, keep in mind that the events are rep o rted from that p erson’s p oint of v iew ― a different v iewp oint
might lead to a very different story.
Sometimes the narrator is objective, like a sound camera that reports what it sees and hears.
People in Nonfiction
Nonfiction ― essays, articles, letters, journals, documents ― does not
2.2.5 The Style
Style is the way an author chooses words; arranges them in lines, sentences, paragraphs, or stanzas; and conveys meaning through the use of imagery, rhythm, rhyme, figurative language, irony, and other devices. Along with plot, character, theme, and setting, style is considered one of the fundamental components of fiction.
Robert (1965:264) says, “Style, derived from the Latin word stilus (a writing instrument), means the way writers assemble words to tell the story, develop the argument, dramatize the play, or compose the poem.” Style is individual, because all authors put words together uniquely to fit the specific conditions in specific works. Different styles convey different outlooks on life. Writers, too, vary manner to suit various purposes. Therefore, in judging style the important criterion is its adaptability. The more appropriately the words fit the situation, the better the style.
DICTION: CHOICE OF WORDS
Robert (1965:47) says, “Diction refers to a writer’s selection of words.” The selection should be accurate and explicit, so that all actions, scenes, and ideas are clear. Stanford (2003:47) says, “Diction (choice of words) helps to establish a writer’s style and tone.” Some writers, for example, choose to use many descriptive words, whereas some use almost none.
One aspect of word choice is the degree of formality. There are three levels of diction: formal or high, neutral or middle, and informal or low. Formal or high diction consists of standard and also “elegant” words (frequently polysyllabic), the retention of correct word order, and the absence of contractions. The sentence “It is I,” for example, is formal.
Neutral or middle diction is ordinary, everyday, but still standard vocabulary, shunning longer words but using contractions when necessary. The sentence “It’s me” is an example of what many people say in preference to the more formal “It is I” when identifying themselves on the telephone.
Informal or low diction may range from colloquial ― the language of relaxed, common activities ― to the level of substandard or slang expressions. A
person speaking to a close friend uses diction that would not be appropriate in public and formal situations, and even in some social situations. Low style language is thus appropriate for dialogue in stories, depending on who is speaking, and for stories told in the first-person point of view as though the speaker is talking directly to sympathetic and relaxed close friends.
Specific-General and Concrete-Abstract Language
While specific-general refers to categories, concrete-abstract refers to qua lities of conditions. Concrete words describe qualities of immediate perception. If you say “Ice cream is cold,” the word cold is concrete because it describes a condition that you may feel, just as you may taste ice cream’s sweetness and feel its creamy texture. Abstract words refer to broader, less palpable qualities; they may therefore apply to many separate things. If we describe ice cream as good, we are abstract, because good is far removed from ice cream itself and conveys no descriptive information about it.
Usually, narrative and descriptive writing features specific and concrete words. We can easily visualize passages containing words about specific actions, scenes, and objects, for with more specificity and concreteness there is less ambiguity. Because exactness and vividness are goals of most fiction, specific and concrete words are the writer’s basic tools, and general and abstract words are used only sparingly, if at all. The point is not that abstract and general words have no place at all, but rather that words should be appropriate in the context. Good writers can control style to match their purposes.
Denotation and Connotation
Similarly, both cat and kitten are close to each other denotatively, but kitten connotes more playfulness and cuteness than cat.
RHETORIC
Robert (1965:268) says, “Rhetoric refers to the art of persuasive writing and, more broadly, to the general art of writing.” There are several ways to study the rhetorical qualities of a passage. Some relatively easy approaches are (a) counting various elements in a passage and (b) analyzing the types of sentences.
Counting
Counting various elements is a quick and easy way to begin the study of style. The number of words in a sentence; the number of verbs, adjectives, prepositions, and adverbs in a passage; or the number of syllables in relation to the total number of words ― can provide valuable clues about the style,
especially if the countr is related to other aspects of the passage.
Sentence Types
You can also study the rhetorical qualities of a passage by determining the sorts of the sentences it contains. The basic sentence types: 1. Simple sentences contain one subject and one verb, together with modifiers and complements. They are short, and are most appropriate for actions and declarations. Often they are idiomatic, particularly in dialogue.
2. Compound sentences contain two simple sentences joined by a conjunction (and, but, for, or, nor, or yet) and a comma, or by a semicolon without a conjunction. Frequently, compound sentences are formed by three or four simple sentences joined by conjunctions.
Example: Later he felt the need to talk but no one wanted to hear about it. (Hemingway)
3. Complex sentences contain a main clause and a subordinate clause. Because of the subordinate clause, the complex sentence is suitable for describing cause-and-effect relationships in narrative, and also for analysis and reflection.
Example: It was the Wawanash River, which every spring overflowed its banks. (Munro)
4. Compound-complex sentences contain two main clauses and a subordinate clause. In practice, many authors produce sentences that contain a number of main and subordinate clauses.
Example: Sometimes he was silent for the rest of the evening; and if he spoke, it was usually to hint some criticism of her household arrangements, suggest some change in the domestic administration, to ask, a little nervously, if she didn’t think Joyce’s nursery governess was rather young and flighty, or if she herself always saw to it that Peter ― whose throat was delicate ― was properly wrapped up when he went to school. (Wharton)
Parallelism
I grew, day by day, more moody, more irritable, more regardless of the feelings of others.
STYLE IN GENERAL
If a story is good, you probably do not notice its style, for clear expressions and easy reading are marks of a writer’s success. By studying style, however, you can discover and appreciate the author’s achievement. The action described in a particular passage, the relationship of the passage to the entire work, the level of the diction, the vividness of the descriptions ― all these can enter into an assessment of the passage. The more you consider stories for style, the more you will discover your own analytical power.
2.2.6 The Settings
WHAT IS SETTING?
Setting is the natural, manufactured, political, cultural, and temporal environment, including everything that characters know and own. Characters may be either helped or hurt by their surroundings, and they may fight about possessions and goals.
Types of Settings
NATURE AND THE OUTDOORS
darkness, calm, wind, rain, snow, storm, heat, cold) ― any or all of which may
influence character and action.
OBJECTS OF HUMAN MANUFACTURE AND CONSTRUCTION
To reveal or highlight qualities of character, and also to make fiction lifelike, authors include details about buildings and objects of human manufacture and construction. Houses, both interiors and exteriors, are common, as are possessions such as walking sticks, fences, park benches, toys, automobiles, phonograph records, necklaces, hair ribbons, cash registers, and so on. Objects also enter directly into fictional action and character.
CULTURAL CONDITIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS
Just as a physical setting influences characters, so do cultural conditions and assumptions.
THE LITERARY USES OF SETTING
Author use setting to create meaning, just as painters include backgrounds and objects to render ideas.
To study the setting in a story, discover the important details, and then try to explain their function. Depending on the author’s purpose, the amount of detail may vary.
SETTING AND CREDIBILITY
One of the major purposes of setting in fiction is to lend realism, or verisimilitude to the story. As the description of location and objects becomes particular and detailed, the events of the work become more believable.
SETTING AND CHARACTER
Setting may intersect with character as a means by which authors underscore the importance of place, circumstance, and time on human growth and change.
SETTING AND ORGANIZATION
Authors often use setting to organize the story. Another organizational application of place, time, and object is the framing or enclosing setting, when an author opens with a particular description and then returns to the same setting at the end. In such ways, framing creates a formal completeness, just as it may underscore the author’s ideas about the human condition.
SETTING AND SYMBOL
SETTING AND ATMOSPHERE
Setting also helps to create atmosphere or mood. Most actions require no more than a functional description of setting. Thus, taking a walk in a forest needs just the statement that there are trees. However, if you find descriptions of shapes, light and shadows, animals, wind, and sounds, you may be sure that the author is creating an atmosphere or mood for the action. There are many ways to develop moods. Descriptions of bright colors (red, orange, yellow) may contribute to a mood of happiness. References to smells and sounds further bring the setting to life by asking additional sensory responses from the reader. The setting of a story in a small town or large city, or green or snow-covered fields, or middle-class or lower-class residences, may evoke responses to these places that contribute to the work’s atmosphere.
SETTING AND IRONY
3. THE ANALYSIS OF THE INTRINSIC ELEMENTS IN KATHRYN STOCKETT’S NOVEL THE HELP
3.1The Theme
The Help Theme of Race
Race is not a neutral concept in The Help – 1960s Jackson, Mississippi is one heck of a segregated society. Still firmly stuck in th strict rules, laws, and norms restricting the lives of the black townspeople. These rules also restrict white people who want to cross the color line.
how dangerous it can be to challenge the stereotypes and dissolve the lines that are meant to separate people from each other on the basis of skin color.
Jim Crow In A Nutshell
By the mid-1880s, a new generation of southern blacks—the first to be born after Emancipation—had begun to come of age. Many had vivid memories of Radical Reconstruction, a period of biracial democracy in which blacks seized which they lived. And even as the radical era came to an end, black citizens continued to vie for greater freedom, often boldly challenging centuries of anti-black traditions.
These "new negroes" troubled the white South, which sought to reclaim the power it had lost after the Civil War. White lawmakers, business-owners, employers, landlords, educators, religious leaders, and politicians enforced new, more stringent patterns of racial etiquette to control black citizens who defied southern racial mores. By the end of the nineteenth century, institution in the American South.
from, and tested the limits of a system created to control every aspect of their lives.
Race Quotes
Quote #1
"A bill that requires every white home to have a separate bathroom for the colored help. I've even notified the surgeon general of Mississippi to see if he'll endorse the idea. I'll pass." (1.32)
Much of the racism in The Help is institutional. Laws like the one Hilly wants passed, which is shown endorsed by the Surgeon General, legalize discriminatory practices and reinforce racist opinions.
Quote #2
I knew he wasn't married to Constantine's mother, because that was against the law. (5.121)
Skeeter remembers when Constantine told her that her father was a white man. From at least 1630 until the mid 1960s, many states in the U.S. forbade interracial marriages.
Quote #3
This passage points out that kids are born with racial prejudices, it's something they're taught from the older generation. Aibileen works hard to keep Mae Mobley's mind from being polluted.
Quote #4
"You know colored folks ain't allowed in that library." (11.21)
Before the novel ends, the library in question will open its doors to black people. Finally, a bit of progress.
Quote #5
"These is white rules. I don't know which ones you following and which ones you ain't. (11.81)
We look at each other for a second. "I'm tired of rules," I say. (12.82)
In Aibileen and Skeeter's early interviews, Aibileen is terrified of saying the wrong thing. In her experience, the friendliest white person can snap and change in a moment's notice if the wrong rule is broken.
Quote #6
Hilly raises her voice about three octaves when talking to black people. Elizabeth smiles like she's talking to a child, although certainly not her own. I'm starting to notice things. (12.57)
Quote #7
[…] I'm proud a what I'm selling. I can't help it. We all telling stories that need to be told. (16.3)
Aibileen believes that revealing her perspective, and encouraging the other maids to reveal theirs, will help dissipate some of the racial tension in the town.
Quote #8
"What am I doing? I must be crazy, giving a white woman the sworn secrets of the colored race to a white lady. […] Feel like I'm talking behind my own back." (17.50)
Minny is afraid that if she tells her secrets, they will only be used against her. Quote #9
Is this really happening? Is a white woman really beating up a white man to save me? Or did he shake my brain pan loose and I'm over there dead on the ground… (24.95)
Quote #10
This one's for the white lady. Tell her we love her like, like she's our own family. (29.107)
Working on Help and going up against Hilly makes Skeeter an outcast in the white community. But it sure earns her acceptance into the black community. Minny begins to understand that Celia Rae Foote is more than just a white lady – she's a tough, big-hearted woman who will do just about anything for Minny. 3.2 The Characterization
Major Characters
Eugenia "Skeeter" 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.
“Miss Skeeter real tall and skinny. Her hair yellow and cut short above her shoulders cause she get the frizz year round. She twenty-three or so, same as Miss Leefolt and the rest of em. She set her pocketbook on the chair, kind a itch around in her clothes a second. She wearing a white lace blouse buttoned up like a nun, flat shoes so I reckon she don’t look any taller. Her blue skirt gaps open in the waist. Miss Skeeter always look like somebody else told her what to wear.” (P.4)
“I turn up the lane that leads to Longleaf, my family’s cotton plantation.” (P.54)
“Surrounding our yard lie ten thousand acres of Daddy’s cotton fileds, the plants green and strong, tall as my waist.” (P.55)
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.
“And then I’ll go to New York the next morning.” (P.436) Aibileen
realizes she has more to offer in life than being a maid and finds the courage to try something new.
“Mae Mobley was born on a early Sunday morning in August, 1960. A church baby we like to call it. Taking care a white babies, that’s what I do, along with all the cooking and cleaning. I done raised seventeen kids in my lifetime. I know how to get them babies to sleep, stop crying, and go in the toilet bowl before they mamas even get out a bet in the morning.” (P.1)
“But I ain’t never seen a baby yell like Mae Mobley Leefolt. First day I walk in the door, there she be, red-hot and hollering with the colic, fighting that bottle like it’s a rotten turnip. Miss Leefolt, she look terrified a her own child. “What am I doing wrong? Why I can’t stop it?” It? That was my first hint: something is wrong with this situation. So I took that pink, screaming baby in my arms. Bounced her on my hip to get the gas moving and it didn’t take two minutes fore Baby Girl stopped her crying, got to smiling up at me l ike she do. But Miss Leefolt, she don’t pick up her own baby for the rest a the day.” (P.1)
Throughout the novel 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.
“I ain’t gone be able to get no other job as a maid, not with Miss Leefolt and Miss Hilly calling me a thief. Mae Mobley was my last white baby. And here I just bought this new uniform.” (P.444)
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 short and big, got shiny black curls. She setting with her legs splayed, her thick arms crossed. She seventeen years younger than I am. Minny could probably lift this bus up over her head if she wanted to. Old lady like me’s lucky to have her as a friend.” (P.13)
“Mama, fix me something to eat. I’m hungry. ” That’s what my youngest girl, Kindra, who’s five said to me last night. With a hand on her hip and her foot stuck out. I have five kids and I take pride that I taught them yes ma’am and please before they could even say cookie.” (P.51)
“I’m standing in Miss Celia’s kitchen thinking about last night, what with Kindra and her mouth, Benny and his asthma, my husband Leroy coming home drunk two times last week.” (P.51)
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.
A newcomer to Jackson, Celia desperately wants to belong to the Junior League but finds herself unwelcome because she married Hilly's ex-boyfriend, Johnny Foote. Celia hires Minny to secretly cook and to clean so Johnny does not discover her lack of womanly skills. Celia's backwoods upbringing and glamorous Hollywood looks cause her to be an outcast in the women's community to which she tries so desperately to belong. Celia eventually discovers that the love of her husband and good friend, Minny, are enough for her.
Celia represents the theme of growth and initiation. She is completely isolated from the community of Jackson, and her loneliness leads to desperate acts, such as phoning the society women repeatedly, showing up at their homes uninvited, and making a fool of herself at the Benefit, the biggest social event of the year. Through her rejection, though, she learns to stand up for herself. Celia defends herself and Minny one afternoon against an intruder, and the violent encounter propels her to take even more initiative in her life. She tells Johnny the truth about her many miscarriages and further entrusts Minny as a friend. Celia evolves from an outsider terrified of not belonging into a braver woman grateful for her roles as wife and friend. She learns that the society women aren't worth her degradation.
Minor Characters
Elizabeth Leefolt
by her own daughter, Mae Mobley. Elizabeth cares about appearances and will do anything to protect her reputation.
Mae Mobley Leefolt
Elizabeth's child whom Aibileen calls "Baby Girl." She yearns for her mother's attention but is rejected and turns to Aibileen for comfort. Mae Mobley is confused by what she sees in her loving Aibileen and what she is told by her teacher Miss Taylor, who says black people are beneath white people.
Johnny Foote
Successful businessman and Jackson native. He is Hilly's ex-boyfriend. He married Celia because they thought she was pregnant, but he is now an attentive and loving husband. He seems to love Celia for who she is and cares little about keeping up appearances.
Leroy
Minny's abusive husband who is often drunk. He reigns over their house with threats and violence.
Charlotte Phelan
Skeeter's overbearing mother who is losing a battle with cancer. She reinforces the ideas of what it means to be a white Southern woman. She tries to control every aspect of Skeeter's appearance and her life but her efforts backfire.
Constantine
Pascagoula
The Phelan family's current maid. Stuart Whitworth
The good-looking son of a state senator. He is Hilly's husband's cousin. Stuart's heart has been broken by a promiscuous Southern belle, but he finds room in it for Skeeter until he discovers that she may support civil rights.
Elaine Stein
Senior editor with Harper & Row, Publishers, in New York. She is stern and honest with Skeeter about the writing world, and she reluctantly guides her career.
Louvenia Brown
Church friend of Minny and Aibileen. Her grandson is beaten and blinded for using a white bathroom in town.
Yule May
Hilly's maid. She attended Jackson College and is now saving to send her twin boys to Tougaloo College.
Lulabelle Bates
Constantine's daughter. She was born fair enough to pass for white even though both of her parents are black. Constantine decides the pressure of trying to raise a light-skinned child in a black community is too much; and to assure Lulabelle's future, she drops her off at an orphanage when she is four years old.
Mae Mobley's preschool teacher. She is racist and teaches the children that black children are not smart enough to attend school and that black faces are dirty and bad. Aibileen tries to counter the message for Mae Mobley with kindness and love for all people, regardless of skin color.
Lou Anne
Another member of the Junior League and friend of Elizabeth and Hilly. Louvenia is her maid and Lou Anne, who suffers from depression, swears her gratitude and devotion to her for helping her through her illness. She crosses Hilly and surprises Skeeter, who mistakenly assumed Lou Anne was just like the rest of Hilly's crowd.
3.2 The Plot Plot summary
The Help is set in the early 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi, and told
ob is tending the Leefolt household and caring for their toddler, Mae Mobley. Minny is Aibileen's confrontational friend who frequently tells her employers what she thinks of them, resulting in having being fired from nineteen jobs. Minny's most recent employer was Mrs. Walters, mother of Hilly Holbrook. Hilly is the social leader of the community, and head of the Junior League. She is the nemesis of all three main characters.
Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan is the daughter of a prominent white family whose cotton farm employs many African-Americans in the fields, as well as in the household. Skeeter has just finished college and comes home with dreams of becoming a writer. Her mother's dream is for Skeeter to get married. Skeeter frequently wonders about the sudden disappearance of Constantine, the maid who raised her. She had been writing to Skeeter while she was away at college and her last letter promised a surprise upon her homecoming. Skeeter's family tells her that Constantine abruptly quit, then went to live with relatives in Chicago. Skeeter does not believe that Constantine would just leave and continually pursues anyone she thinks has information about her to come forth, but no one will discuss the former maid.
The dangers of undertaking writing a book about African-Americans speaking out in the South during the early '60s hover constantly over the three women.
Racial issues of overcoming long-standing barriers in customs and laws are experienced by all of the characters. The lives and morals of Southern socialites are also explored.
3.4 The Point of View The Help Narrator:
Third Person (Omniscient)
The Help features three first-person narrators: Aibileen Clark (eleven chapters), Minny Jackson (nine chapters), and Skeeter Phelan (thirteen chapters). Author Kathryn Stockett says,
“I started writing it the day after Sept. 11. I was living in New York City. We didn't have any phone service and we didn't have any mail. Like a lot of writers do, I started to write in a voice that I missed. I was really homesick – I couldn't even call my family and tell them I was fine. So I started writing in the voice of Demetrie, the maid I had growing up.”
“Her heart sank when Stockett gave her the manuscript to read, worried that she might appear as a character like Mammy from Gone With the Wind. "And then I read it and I couldn't stop reading it. It was brilliant."
As we discuss in "Characters," Skeeter has parallels with Stockett herself. She seems to be the last of the narrators to come to life. Motoko Rich of the New York Times reports,
She added Skeeter, she said, because she worried that readers wouldn't trust her if she only wrote about black characters. "I just didn't think that would ever be allowed to sit on the shelf," she said. "So I threw Skeeter in the mix and I felt a little better about it, because I was showing a white perspective as well."
Chapter 25, "The Benefit" (the only chapter with a title) is the only chapter told in the third person. This third-person perspective is necessary for that chapter. It is most concerned with Celia Foote – how others react to her extreme sexiness and her extreme nervousness. We would have loved to get a glimpse inside Celia's head, but Celia wouldn't have been able to capture all the nuances the third-person narrator captures, since Celia herself isn't aware of much of what's going on in the scene. Plus, Celia wouldn't have been able to reveal that it's Hilly's mother who punks Hilly with Minny's auctioned chocolate pie.
3.5 The Style The Help Style
stories in African American English or African American Vernacular. Contemporary linguists argue that
