African Americans and those who dehumanized them. Like those who wanted to bring equality, Skeeter wanted to bring attention to the struggles African Americans faced, so she decided to write a book about the plight of the help. There were some African Americans who were afraid of telling the truth, like Aibileen and Minny, but they soon realized that the truth would eventually help them. Another person who broke the color barrier in the novel was Mrs. Foote. Minny, Aibileen’s friend, needed a job and Mrs. Foote offered her just what she needed. Rather than ignoring Minny, Mrs. Foote asks Minny to teach her how to cook food. Mrs. Foote reversed the roles that were stereotypically accepted between each race. She gave more freedom to Minny than other Southerners typically gave. Not all Americans were in favor of being separate but equal. They were the ones who showed their respect in just the simplest of actions.
The novel, The Help, accurately describes the tensions present in 1960s America. Some African Americans were reluctant to come out with the truth about their struggles while some strongly advocated for equal rights. They struggled for decades to gain the rights they should have had from the start. The Civil Rights Movement divided the nation, showing the different ideas people had in the country. The struggle African Americans went through to gain their basic rights provides a lesson for all to learn.
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