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Spelling/grammar fix(es)
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Jackson, Mississippi, 1962. Aibileen Clark is a black women who works as a maid to the white Leefolt family. In addition to having raised her own son, she has raised dozens of white children. After the death of said son two years ago, Aibileen takes some solace in raising Mae Mobley, an infant who's mother neglects her. Aibileen can't do much about how Mae Mobley is treated, so she does whatever she can to give the young girl the love and attention her mother won't provide.
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Jackson, Mississippi, 1962. Aibileen Clark is a black women who works as a maid to the white Leefolt family. In addition to having raised her own son, she has raised dozens of white children. After the death of said son two years ago, Aibileen takes some solace in raising Mae Mobley, an infant who's whose mother neglects her. Aibileen can't do much about how Mae Mobley is treated, so she does whatever she can to give the young girl the love and attention her mother won't provide.
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trope about IU colorism
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* RuleAbidingRebel: Even with DeliberateValuesDissonance regarding her [[ButNotTooBlack "not too radical"]] view of Civil Rights, Skeeter is sometimes portrayed as a brave and progressive Civil Rights hero for writing a book that exposes rich white ladies' treatment of their black domestic help, but considering how during this time period a number of whites were actively marching and protesting beside black Civil Rights protesters, and actively pushing for integration and the abolishment of Jim Crow laws that keep blacks down, her single book passive-aggressively showing a sobering mirror to some white ladies' treatment of their black servants isn't really that rebellious.
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* RuleAbidingRebel: Even with DeliberateValuesDissonance regarding her [[ButNotTooBlack "not too radical"]] radical" view of Civil Rights, Skeeter is sometimes portrayed as a brave and progressive Civil Rights hero for writing a book that exposes rich white ladies' treatment of their black domestic help, but considering how during this time period a number of whites were actively marching and protesting beside black Civil Rights protesters, and actively pushing for integration and the abolishment of Jim Crow laws that keep blacks down, her single book passive-aggressively showing a sobering mirror to some white ladies' treatment of their black servants isn't really that rebellious.
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Tropes shared by both the novel and its movie adaptation should go on this page. Tropes specific to just the movie should go on its respective page.
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The year is 1962, the location Jackson, Mississippi. Aibileen Clark is a black women who works as a maid to the white Leefolt family. In addition to having raised her own son, she has raised dozens of white children. After the death of said son two years ago, Aibileen takes some solace in raising Mae Mobley, an infant who's mother neglects her. Aibileen can't do much about how Mae Mobley is treated, so she does whatever she can to give the young girl the love and attention her mother won't provide.
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None
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* AbusiveParents: Elizabeth Leefolt to her daughter, Mae Mobley. She treats her more like a nuisance than her own daughter, and dreads ever having to deal with her. The only time she pays her any attention is to scold her or even slap her around. The one time Elizabeth's own mother shows up and interacts with her makes it clear where she gets it from.
* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Mrs. Walters can't help but laugh when she realizes the [[IAteWhat "terrible awful"]] that Minny did to Hilly.
* TheAlcoholic: Minny initially believes Celia to be this because all she does is sit around while Minny works, and has a secret stash of empty bottles. [[spoiler:She's actually pregnant but trying to avoid another miscarriage and drinks what she believes is "catch tonic" to help her pregnancy stick.]]
* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Mrs. Walters can't help but laugh when she realizes the [[IAteWhat "terrible awful"]] that Minny did to Hilly.
* TheAlcoholic: Minny initially believes Celia to be this because all she does is sit around while Minny works, and has a secret stash of empty bottles. [[spoiler:She's actually pregnant but trying to avoid another miscarriage and drinks what she believes is "catch tonic" to help her pregnancy stick.]]
to:
* AbusiveParents: Elizabeth Leefolt to treats her daughter, Mae Mobley. She treats her Mobley, more like a nuisance than a human. When she does bother to pay her own daughter, and dreads ever having to deal with her. The only time she pays her daughter any attention is attention, it's usually to scold her or even slap her around. The one around; the only time she actively takes a part in raising Mae Mobley is taking over her potty training, and that was only after seeing Mae Mobley use the bathroom specifically built for Aibileen. Elizabeth's own mother shows up makes a single and brief appearance, but the way the mother interacts with her makes it clear where she Elizabeth gets it her negligence from.
* ActuallyPrettyFunny: [[spoiler:Hilly's mother, Mrs.Walters Walters, can't help but laugh when she realizes the [[IAteWhat "terrible awful"]] learns that Minny did to Hilly.
baked some of her own feces in the chocolate pie. The same pie Hilly had already scarfed down two large slices of.]]
* TheAlcoholic: Minny initially believes Celia to bethis a heavy drinker because all she does is sit around while Minny works, the house, and has possess a secret stash of empty bottles. [[spoiler:She's [[spoiler:Celia's actually pregnant but and trying to avoid another miscarriage miscarriage. Her apparent laziness was so she could avoid anything strenuous, and drinks the empty bottles once held- what she believes is believed to be- a "catch tonic" to help her pregnancy stick.tonic.]]
* ActuallyPrettyFunny: [[spoiler:Hilly's mother, Mrs.
* TheAlcoholic: Minny initially believes Celia to be
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* AlphaBitch: Hilly Holbrook is this for the entire town of Jackson, Mississippi--president of the Junior League, she not only commands all her colleagues with an iron fist, but if she wants to ruin your life, she knows just where to go. Skeeter is part of her GirlPosse until she rebels.
* ArmorPiercingResponse: When Hilly confronts Skeeter about the book, she guilt-trips her and threatens to destroy her reputation. But when Hilly ominously threatens that she has "plans" for Minny, Skeeter quietly but sharply fires back at her.
* ArmorPiercingResponse: When Hilly confronts Skeeter about the book, she guilt-trips her and threatens to destroy her reputation. But when Hilly ominously threatens that she has "plans" for Minny, Skeeter quietly but sharply fires back at her.
to:
* AlphaBitch: Hilly Holbrook is this for the entire town president of Jackson, Mississippi--president of both the Jackson Junior League and the Ladies League, and she not only commands all of her colleagues with an iron fist, but fist. She can deftly manipulate conversations or situations to get her own way, and if she wants you get on her bad side, she's petty and vindictive enough to ruin your life, she knows just where to go. Skeeter is part the life of whoever crossed her. She even has her GirlPosse until she rebels.
own posse of sycophants, chief among them being Elizabeth.
* ArmorPiercingResponse: When Hilly confronts Skeeter about the book,she guilt-trips Hilly guilt trips her and threatens to destroy her reputation. But when Hilly ominously threatens that she has "plans" for Minny, Skeeter quietly but sharply fires back at her.reminds Hilly that- if she does that- it won't be long until people figure out that [[spoiler:she actually ate a pie with feces in it]].
* ArmorPiercingResponse: When Hilly confronts Skeeter about the book,
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'''Hilly:''' …That was ''NOT ME!''
* AuthorAvatar: Skeeter is essentially stand-in for Stockett, the author. In so far as a major storyline centers on her and that the conflict of the book centered around discussion of race roles is amplified by having it be set in the 1960s, rather than the 2000s when Stockett performed her research.
* AuthorAvatar: Skeeter is essentially stand-in for Stockett, the author. In so far as a major storyline centers on her and that the conflict of the book centered around discussion of race roles is amplified by having it be set in the 1960s, rather than the 2000s when Stockett performed her research.
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* AuthorAvatar: Skeeter is
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** Minny has to deal with an abusive husband that only avoids hitting her when she is pregnant.
** Hilly's husband clearly resents his wife and doesn't find her as sexy as Celia (clearly part of her envy) and she carries a torch for ex-boyfriend Johnny Foote (married to Celia).
** At the Benefit Gala in the book, the men who check out Celia qualify. They think about first loves, what-ifs, about how awful their wives are, and are annoyed by their prudish AlphaBitch or BetaBitch wives.
** Hilly's husband clearly resents his wife and doesn't find her as sexy as Celia (clearly part of her envy) and she carries a torch for ex-boyfriend Johnny Foote (married to Celia).
** At the Benefit Gala in the book, the men who check out Celia qualify. They think about first loves, what-ifs, about how awful their wives are, and are annoyed by their prudish AlphaBitch or BetaBitch wives.
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** Minny has to deal with an abusive abusive, alcoholic husband that only avoids hitting her when she is she's pregnant.
** Hilly's husband clearly resents his wife and doesn't find her as sexy as Celia(clearly part of her envy) and she still carries a torch for Johnny Foote, an ex-boyfriend Johnny Foote (married that is currently married to Celia).
Celia.
** At the BenefitGala in the book, ball, the men who check out Celia qualify. They all think about first loves, loves and what-ifs, about how awful their wives are, and are annoyed by their prudish AlphaBitch or BetaBitch wives.
** Hilly's husband clearly resents his wife and doesn't find her as sexy as Celia
** At the Benefit
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Minor edits.
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The year is 1962, the location Jackson, Mississippi. Aibileen Clark is a black women who works as a maid to the white Leefolt family. In addition to having raised her own son, she has raised dozens of white children. After the death of her son two years ago, Aibileen takes some solace in raising Mae Mobley, an infant who's neglected by her mother, Elizabeth. Aibileen can't do much about how Mae Mobley is treated, so she does whatever she can to give the young girl the love and attention Elizabeth won't provide.
Minny Jackson is another black maid who is well-known for her excellent cooking and smart mouth. When she's fired yet again, she finds herself unable to find work, in part because of her reputation for sharp tongue and also because her previous employer, Hilly Holbrook, spread lies about her being a thief. With an alcoholic husband and three children to feed, Minny literally can't afford to be unemployed. With no other options, Minny takes up a job working for Celia and Johnny Foote, a married couple that recently moved into the neighborhood and aren't aware of Minny's reputation.
Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan is a white women whose parents own a cotton farm. Though she has a college degree under her belt, she finds herself unable to get out from under her mother's thumb. Her mother keeps pestering her about finding a husband, but what Skeeter would really like to snag is a career in journalism. Based on the advice of a book publisher, Skeeter obtains a job as a domestic advice columnist in order to build up her portfolio and consider writing a nonfiction book about a specific topic.
The topic Skeeter eventually lands one is a charged one: what it's like to be a black maid working for white families. Despite the danger to themselves, Aibileen and Minny eventually come around to being interviewed by Skeeter. With each secret meeting, all three women run the risk of being found out and having their lives upended. Only time will tell if Skeeter's book of interviews will bring about change for the better or for the worse.
''The Help'' is a 2009 historical novel by Kathryn Stockett. Though initially ignored up release, the book slowly gained high praise by both critics and casual readers. Its eventual popularity lead to a film adaptation being greenlit, with the film premiering in August 2011.
Tropes shared by both the novel and its movie adaptation should go on this page. Tropes specific to just the movie should go on [[Film/TheHelp its respective page]].
Minny Jackson is another black maid who is well-known for her excellent cooking and smart mouth. When she's fired yet again, she finds herself unable to find work, in part because of her reputation for sharp tongue and also because her previous employer, Hilly Holbrook, spread lies about her being a thief. With an alcoholic husband and three children to feed, Minny literally can't afford to be unemployed. With no other options, Minny takes up a job working for Celia and Johnny Foote, a married couple that recently moved into the neighborhood and aren't aware of Minny's reputation.
Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan is a white women whose parents own a cotton farm. Though she has a college degree under her belt, she finds herself unable to get out from under her mother's thumb. Her mother keeps pestering her about finding a husband, but what Skeeter would really like to snag is a career in journalism. Based on the advice of a book publisher, Skeeter obtains a job as a domestic advice columnist in order to build up her portfolio and consider writing a nonfiction book about a specific topic.
The topic Skeeter eventually lands one is a charged one: what it's like to be a black maid working for white families. Despite the danger to themselves, Aibileen and Minny eventually come around to being interviewed by Skeeter. With each secret meeting, all three women run the risk of being found out and having their lives upended. Only time will tell if Skeeter's book of interviews will bring about change for the better or for the worse.
''The Help'' is a 2009 historical novel by Kathryn Stockett. Though initially ignored up release, the book slowly gained high praise by both critics and casual readers. Its eventual popularity lead to a film adaptation being greenlit, with the film premiering in August 2011.
Tropes shared by both the novel and its movie adaptation should go on this page. Tropes specific to just the movie should go on [[Film/TheHelp its respective page]].
to:
The year is 1962, the location Jackson, Mississippi. Aibileen Clark is a black women who works as a maid to the white Leefolt family. In addition to having raised her own son, she has raised dozens of white children. After the death of her said son two years ago, Aibileen takes some solace in raising Mae Mobley, an infant who's neglected by her mother, Elizabeth. mother neglects her. Aibileen can't do much about how Mae Mobley is treated, so she does whatever she can to give the young girl the love and attention Elizabeth her mother won't provide.
Minny Jackson is another black maid who is well-known for her excellent cooking and smart mouth. When she's fired yet again, she finds herself unable to find work,in part half because of her reputation for sharp tongue and also half because her previous employer, Hilly Holbrook, spread lies about her being a thief. With an alcoholic husband and three children to feed, Minny literally can't afford to be unemployed. With no other options, Minny takes up a job working for Celia and Johnny Foote, a married couple that recently moved into the neighborhood neighborhood. Minny gets more than she bargained for in Celia, who asks for cooking lessons and aren't aware of requests that they keep Minny's reputation.
employment from Johnny.
Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan is a white women whose parents own a cotton farm. Though she has a college degree under her belt, she finds herself unable to get out from under her mother's thumb. Her mother keeps pestering her about finding a husband, but what Skeeter would really like to snag is acareer in journalism. journalism career. Based on the advice of from a book publisher, Skeeter obtains a job as a domestic advice columnist in order to build up her portfolio and consider considers writing a nonfiction book about a specific topic.
The topic Skeeter eventually landsone on is a charged one: what it's like to be a black maid working for white families. Despite the danger to themselves, Aibileen and Minny eventually come around to being interviewed by Skeeter. With each secret meeting, all three women run the risk of being found out and having their lives upended. Only time will tell if Skeeter's book of interviews will bring about change for the better or for the worse.
''The Help'' is a 2009 historical novel by Kathryn Stockett. Though initially ignoredup upon release, the book slowly gained book's high praise by both critics and casual readers. Its eventual popularity readers lead to [[Film/TheHelp a film adaptation adaptation]] being greenlit, with the greenlit. The film premiering would premiere in August 2011.
Tropes shared by both the novel and its movie adaptation should go on this page. Tropes specific to just the movie should go on[[Film/TheHelp its respective page]].page.
Minny Jackson is another black maid who is well-known for her excellent cooking and smart mouth. When she's fired yet again, she finds herself unable to find work,
Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan is a white women whose parents own a cotton farm. Though she has a college degree under her belt, she finds herself unable to get out from under her mother's thumb. Her mother keeps pestering her about finding a husband, but what Skeeter would really like to snag is a
The topic Skeeter eventually lands
''The Help'' is a 2009 historical novel by Kathryn Stockett. Though initially ignored
Tropes shared by both the novel and its movie adaptation should go on this page. Tropes specific to just the movie should go on
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Minor edit.
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Minny Jackson is another black maid who is well-known for her excellent cooking and smart mouth. When she's fired yet again, she finds herself unable to find work, in part because of her reputation for talking back and also because her previous employer, Hilly Holbrook, spread lies about her being a thief. With an alcoholic husband and three children to feed, Minny literally can't afford to be unemployed. With no other options, Minny takes up a job working for Celia and Johnny Foote, a married couple that recently moved into the neighborhood and aren't aware of Minny's reputation.
to:
Minny Jackson is another black maid who is well-known for her excellent cooking and smart mouth. When she's fired yet again, she finds herself unable to find work, in part because of her reputation for talking back sharp tongue and also because her previous employer, Hilly Holbrook, spread lies about her being a thief. With an alcoholic husband and three children to feed, Minny literally can't afford to be unemployed. With no other options, Minny takes up a job working for Celia and Johnny Foote, a married couple that recently moved into the neighborhood and aren't aware of Minny's reputation.
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None
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* AbusiveParents: Elizabeth Leefolt to her daughter, Mae Mobley. She treats her more like a nuisance than her own daughter, and dreads ever having to deal with her. The only time she pays her any attention is to scold her or even slap her around.
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* AbusiveParents: Elizabeth Leefolt to her daughter, Mae Mobley. She treats her more like a nuisance than her own daughter, and dreads ever having to deal with her. The only time she pays her any attention is to scold her or even slap her around. The one time Elizabeth's own mother shows up and interacts with her makes it clear where she gets it from.
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Turned into a concrete page.
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[[redirect:Film/TheHelp]]
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The year is 1962, the location Jackson, Mississippi. Aibileen Clark is a black women who works as a maid to the white Leefolt family. In addition to having raised her own son, she has raised dozens of white children. After the death of her son two years ago, Aibileen takes some solace in raising Mae Mobley, an infant who's neglected by her mother, Elizabeth. Aibileen can't do much about how Mae Mobley is treated, so she does whatever she can to give the young girl the love and attention Elizabeth won't provide.
Minny Jackson is another black maid who is well-known for her excellent cooking and smart mouth. When she's fired yet again, she finds herself unable to find work, in part because of her reputation for talking back and also because her previous employer, Hilly Holbrook, spread lies about her being a thief. With an alcoholic husband and three children to feed, Minny literally can't afford to be unemployed. With no other options, Minny takes up a job working for Celia and Johnny Foote, a married couple that recently moved into the neighborhood and aren't aware of Minny's reputation.
Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan is a white women whose parents own a cotton farm. Though she has a college degree under her belt, she finds herself unable to get out from under her mother's thumb. Her mother keeps pestering her about finding a husband, but what Skeeter would really like to snag is a career in journalism. Based on the advice of a book publisher, Skeeter obtains a job as a domestic advice columnist in order to build up her portfolio and consider writing a nonfiction book about a specific topic.
The topic Skeeter eventually lands one is a charged one: what it's like to be a black maid working for white families. Despite the danger to themselves, Aibileen and Minny eventually come around to being interviewed by Skeeter. With each secret meeting, all three women run the risk of being found out and having their lives upended. Only time will tell if Skeeter's book of interviews will bring about change for the better or for the worse.
''The Help'' is a 2009 historical novel by Kathryn Stockett. Though initially ignored up release, the book slowly gained high praise by both critics and casual readers. Its eventual popularity lead to a film adaptation being greenlit, with the film premiering in August 2011.
Tropes shared by both the novel and its movie adaptation should go on this page. Tropes specific to just the movie should go on [[Film/TheHelp its respective page]].
----
!! This novel provides examples of:
* AbusiveParents: Elizabeth Leefolt to her daughter, Mae Mobley. She treats her more like a nuisance than her own daughter, and dreads ever having to deal with her. The only time she pays her any attention is to scold her or even slap her around.
* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Mrs. Walters can't help but laugh when she realizes the [[IAteWhat "terrible awful"]] that Minny did to Hilly.
* TheAlcoholic: Minny initially believes Celia to be this because all she does is sit around while Minny works, and has a secret stash of empty bottles. [[spoiler:She's actually pregnant but trying to avoid another miscarriage and drinks what she believes is "catch tonic" to help her pregnancy stick.]]
* AlliterativeName: Hilly Holbrook's first and last names both start with an "h".
* AlphaBitch: Hilly Holbrook is this for the entire town of Jackson, Mississippi--president of the Junior League, she not only commands all her colleagues with an iron fist, but if she wants to ruin your life, she knows just where to go. Skeeter is part of her GirlPosse until she rebels.
* ArmorPiercingResponse: When Hilly confronts Skeeter about the book, she guilt-trips her and threatens to destroy her reputation. But when Hilly ominously threatens that she has "plans" for Minny, Skeeter quietly but sharply fires back at her.
-->'''Skeeter:''' Careful, Hilly. That's Chapter 12. Don't give yourself away, now.\\
'''Hilly:''' …That was ''NOT ME!''
* AuthorAvatar: Skeeter is essentially stand-in for Stockett, the author. In so far as a major storyline centers on her and that the conflict of the book centered around discussion of race roles is amplified by having it be set in the 1960s, rather than the 2000s when Stockett performed her research.
* AwfulWeddedLife:
** Minny has to deal with an abusive husband that only avoids hitting her when she is pregnant.
** Hilly's husband clearly resents his wife and doesn't find her as sexy as Celia (clearly part of her envy) and she carries a torch for ex-boyfriend Johnny Foote (married to Celia).
** At the Benefit Gala in the book, the men who check out Celia qualify. They think about first loves, what-ifs, about how awful their wives are, and are annoyed by their prudish AlphaBitch or BetaBitch wives.
%%** Elizabeth Leefolt is bullied by her husband.
* BackstabbingTheAlphaBitch: Skeeter's wish to publish her book is generally more about helping the maids' stories be heard and perhaps inspiring some change in the world. With some help from Minny and Aibileen, though, she also takes the opportunity to get back at Hilly. This includes getting strangers to drop off toilets on her front lawn and including the Terrible Awful in the book to send a message: "Everyone who reads this book knows what happened to you, they just don't know it's ''you'', so keep quiet or sell yourself out."
* BatmanGambit: Minny revealed the truth about the "terrible awful" because she knew that Hilly would do everything she could to keep people from realizing it was her, and so she wouldn't be able to retaliate for fear of exposing the truth.
* BerserkButton:
** Minny can't contain her contempt when she thinks Celia is an alcoholic. [[FreudianExcuse Makes sense considering her father and husband are alcoholics.]]
** Celia Foote is as sweet as sugar, so kind and bubbly that Minny doesn't know how to deal with her. When Minny threatens to tell her husband about her drinking, however, Celia ''snaps'' and yells at Minny to leave. [[spoiler:Turns out the "alcohol" was actually a quack doctor's medicine that was supposed to help her stay pregnant, and Celia is using it because she's already had several miscarriages.]]
* BetaBitch: Elizabeth is Hilly's. There's little she does without Hilly's orders or example to follow. She went so far as to ''have her daughter'' just because Hilly had a kid, and both Mae Mobley ''and'' Elizabeth herself [[DeconstructedTrope suffer]] from just how ill-equipped to be a parent the latter is.
* BigBad: Hilly, as she is the main antagonist of the book and the film. She doesn't have an actual position of high power, but she's a known community figure and a wealthy white woman in Civil Rights-era Mississippi. She ostracizes Celia from the whole town, gets Yule May sent to jail for a ring Hilly didn't even care about, keeps Minny from finding work out of pure spite, and in general makes it clear how ready she is to ruin the lives of anyone who pisses her off. Her final act in the book is [[spoiler:framing Aibileen for stealing her spoons, because if she can't throw her in jail for writing the book, she'll throw her in jail for being a thief.]]
* BitchInSheepsClothing
** Hilly. She keeps up a facade of being a kind, professional president of the League, and orchestrates the Children's Charity Ball. She's actually a manipulative liar willing to ruin anyone who wrongs her even slightly.
** There's also minor character Miss Hester, who had a reputation in town for being a very sweet, kind person, until her maid revealed Miss Hester made her wash her hands with Clorox "for hygienic reasons", which gave her horrible burns.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:The book is published and sees great success. Afterwards, Stuart shows his true colors and breaks up with Skeeter because he disagrees with her views on race and injustice. Skeeter is heartbroken and no longer has any friends to speak of (due to Hilly's manipulations), but her mother "decides" not to die, so Skeeter moves to New York to pursue a wonderful job opportunity at her book's publisher. Minny leaves her abusive husband Leroy for good, and she and her children are all invited to stay with the Footes in a safe, happy house. Celia is still ostracized in Jackson, but realizes that Hilly isn't worth all her trouble, and stays HappilyMarried to Johnny instead of running away. Hilly gets a lot of comeuppance, but realizes based on the small detail of the L-shaped crack in Elizabeth's table that Aibileen is one of the maids in the book; knowing that she can't let anyone know about the pie she ate, she decides to frame Aibileen for theft instead, and while it's implied that nothing will come of the theft charge criminally (due to Aibileen knowing about Hilly and the pie), Aibileen is fired from the Leefolt household and has to leave Mae Mobley, who she's been caring for like her own child for years. However, Aibileen leaves the Leefolt house more invigorated than she's felt for years, happy that she's finally said what she's needed to say and feeling that she's inspired some change.]]
* BlackAndGrayMorality: In the novel, Hilly Holbrook is an out-and-out sociopath, racist, fascist (she tries to destroy/manipulate Skeeter over disagreeing with the Governor and having notes of segregationist laws and says you cannot disagree with the Governor), and adamant segregationist; her insistence that black domestics be compelled by law to use separate bathrooms from their white employers is portrayed as extreme even by the standards of Mississippi in the early 60's. Skeeter, however, while certainly a much better person, is still a segregationist: she acknowledges in her narration that she finds the thought of a romance between a white woman and a black man to be "horrific, disastrous", and at no time in the novel does she ever advocate the abolition of Jim Crow and the end of segregation. She clearly is troubled by the way blacks are being treated by whites in Mississippi in the 60's, especially black maids working in white households and raising white children, and she clearly loved Constantine and comes to love Aibileen and Minny, but she never advocates integration.
* BrickJoke:
** When Minny helps Celia improve her cooking (as they're trying to keep Minny a secret from her husband), Celia suggest burning it to keep him from raising suspicion. Minny don't burn chicken. Later on she burns her chicken after receiving a 46 dollar check (about $338 in 2011 money) for the book.
** Also added to this; Celia's husband later admits that he knew about the whole charade all along... because the first night, the dinner was too good.
* ChekhovsGun: [[spoiler: The L-shaped crack in Elizabeth's table. Such a tiny detail, but it lets Hilly know that Aibileen was one of the maids in the book.]]
* CoolOldLady: Hilly's own mother counts as well. She's frail and doesn't eat much, but she's significantly kinder than her daughter and has a good sense of humor. [[spoiler:After Hilly throws her in a nursing home just for ''laughing'' at what Minny did, her mother buys her one of the chocolate pies just to spite her.]]
* CureYourGays: Skeeter's mom believes in this trope; she asks Skeeter if she's a lesbian. Skeeter is not amused ''at all.''
* DeepSouth: Jackson, Mississippi in the early '60s. Doesn't get much deeper than that. The most extreme example is Celia Foote, who according to Minny sounds like she's from so ''deep'' in the country that "she's got corn growing between her toes". It turns out she's from [[WrongSideOfTheTracks Sugar Ditch]] -- "where the electric current don't run".
* DeliberateValuesDissonance
** Given that it's set in Mississippi in the early 1960s, lots. In particular, at one point Hilly -- who has up to that point casually expressed lots of views that many modern viewers would find intolerably racist -- expresses concern over Skeeter's actions because "there are some real racists around here."
** Also, in the book at least, Skeeter herself acknowledges that the thought that Stuart's previous girlfriend might have [[spoiler:cheated on him with a black man]] horrifies even her, and is relieved when she is reassured that [[spoiler:it was a white man]]; the way Skeeter phrases it seems to suggest that she is trying to reassure the reader that she is not ''too'' radical.
** In addition to the obvious racial issues, there's another example that's PlayedForLaughs: Mrs. Phelan is scandalized by the downright tackiness of buying...''an air conditioner.''
** Mrs. Phelan becomes a much more sympathetic character over the plot. Even still, she worriedly asks if Skeeter has been having "unnatural thoughts" toward other women, which is dismissed as her simply being a worrywart.
* DefectorFromDecadence: Skeeter is a young, wealthy white woman surrounded by friends and family who support the current prejudiced system in Mississippi. She's been silently disagreeing for a while now, but when she gets the idea to publish a book about the stories of black maids in her head, she decides to go for it, and becomes more vocal about how she really feels. Much of this is fueled by her tender relationship with her former maid Constantine, whose disappearance (and everyone's refusal to talk about it) angers her greatly.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Pretty much everything Hilly does. Sending Yule May to prison for ''four years'' because she's friends with the judge's wife, even though petty thievery should only get six months (Yule May stole a near-worthless heirloom to help pay her children's way to college), putting Minny out of a job by ensuring that no one else will hire her (except ultimately Celia, who isn't subject to Hilly's influence), and making Minny's husband's boss fire ''him'', which nearly ''causes him to kill her''.
* DomesticAbuse:
** Leroy is abusive to Minny. [[spoiler:She leaves him by the end]].
** To a lesser extent, Louvenia's employer is emotionally abused by her husband for being depressed and suicidal and she mentions that she would have been sent for electro-shock or a lobotomy if Louvenia hadn't helped pull her out of her depression.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: In Minny's case, she suffers the brunt of Hilly's cruelty, having worked for her mother, and has a drunken brute for a husband. Her distaste for white people isn't helped when she's hired by Celia Foote, who seems to be a vapid DumbBlonde who wants to use Minny's cooking to impress her husband. Minny initially takes the job out of desperation, but comes to realize that Celia is also one of the most genuinely nice and unprejudiced people around, and in the end, [[spoiler:she has a job set for life, working for two kind people that consider her not merely a friend, but an ''equal'']].
* EthnicMenialLabor: Highlighted in Aibileen's narrative. The bathroom the Leefolts are making for her (to keep her from their own bathroom) is built by a pair of black men, one of which seems far too old to do what he's doing. They share an incredibly awkward scene in which one of them has to ask Aibileen where he can make water, and Aibileen has to tell him to go in the backyard. Aibileen's own son Treelore was an intelligent boy who valued writing more than anything, but had to work a laborious job that was always too much for him. Said job actually got him killed.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Even [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain Hilly]] seems to regard the KKK negatively.
* ExtremeDoormat: Elizabeth, who's constantly bossed around by Hilly, cowed by her husband, and is practically a chew toy to her domineering and extravagant mother. With such a pushover personality, it's no wonder she never realizes Aibileen dedicates some pages in the book to her very own home life.
* FirstGirlWins: This has a GenderFlipped subversion. [[spoiler:It seems like Stuart, the first man that Skeeter dates, is going to end up being her love interest from then on in the film, but he leaves her after she tells him about the book.]]
* FormerFriendOfAlphaBitch: This trope comes into play after Skeeter is cast out of Hilly's social circle.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: When Miss Celia is first introduced in the book, she's described as being similar to Creator/MarilynMonroe. [[spoiler:Now consider what problem she had concerning trying to have a baby...]]
* GirlPosse: Skeeter and Elizabeth are this for Hilly, at least at the beginning, although Skeeter rebels over the course of the story.
* GodzillaThreshold: Minny only accepts Celia's sketchy job invitation to travel far out of her way every day to clean Celia's husband's enormous mansion out in the middle of nowhere and teach Celia how to cook while her husband is away (and Celia stresses that Minny can't let her husband know she's there, leading Minny to fear that he's abusive or some kind of reclusive murderer), because she's just been fired by [[RichBitch Hilly]], who had Minny blacklisted, so she doesn't have any other options. It ends up working out pretty well for her in the end, though.
* GoldDigger: Subverted. As a girl from the WrongSideOfTheTracks marrying a wealthy man, Celia is assumed by many to be this, but it turns out she doesn't care about the money and really did marry Johnny for love.
* GoldenMeanFallacy: In the book, due to DeliberateValuesDissonance Skeeter keeps mentally reassuring the reader that while she wants to expose white women's excessive cruelty to their black employees (to further her own writing career) she's not ''too'' extreme about it; she's not for integration, black enfranchisement, and she's ''horrified'' by the mere ''thought'' of interracial relationships. But considering abuse toward black employees is partly enabled by Jim Crow laws, her mentality can be summed up as, "Legal oppression of black people isn't ''that'' bad as long as white employers aren't too ''mean'' about it."
* GoodCannotComprehendEvil: Celia is overwhelmingly sweet and friendly, and can't seem to comprehend why people don't like her; Minny essentially has to sit down and explain the malicious gossip that's spread up about her, and once she does so, Celia is convinced she can just explain it away. It takes a while to settle in that many of the other women in the town (especially Hilly) are every bit as [[JerkWithAHeartOfJerk superficial and mean-spirited]] as they act, and the realization seems to leave her rather shell-shocked.
* GreenEyedMonster: From what we see when Elizabeth Leefolt overlooks Aibileen comforting her daughter after slapping her in Hilly's defense, Elizabeth appeared to be jealous of Aibileen's and Mae Mobley's bonding, not just out of racism under Hilly's wing, but also how Aibileen is a better mother-figure towards Mae Mobley than her.
** Though she'll never admit it, Hilly gives off signs that she's jealous of Celia for marrying Johnny, who Hilly had previously dated.
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Celia Foote keeps her hair dyed various shades of gold and yellow, and she's hands-down the kindest character in the book.
* HappilyMarried:
** Celia and Johnny. All Johnny wants from Celia is for her to be happy. He doesn't care that she can't cook, properly take care of their house or that [[spoiler: she had multiple miscarriages trying to give him children]]. Their first scene together where Johnny sneaks behind Celia and pulls her in close [[EstablishingCharacterMoment establishes]] their relationship pretty well.
** Skeeter's parents apply to a lesser extent, they are clearly close to one another and enjoy Ole Miss football.
* HateSink: Hilly Holbrook, a seemingly sensible debutante and community leader, has an insanely disgusting and putrid racist outlook on life--such as considering Black people to be diseased. Such is the case when she refuses to let her mother's own maid Minny use the bathroom at their house and then heartlessly and angrily fires her when Minny sneaks in there to use it, but then only pretends to to rile Hilly up. Later, she exploits Minny's apparent groveling by consuming a pie that Minny made her only to find out that she literally got Hilly to "eat [Minny's] shit"--a fact which even Hilly's own mother laughs histerically at her for and Hilly is further humiliated with when it's published in Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan's book name redacted. Hilly also demonizes her own fellow socialites such as Celia Foote for being an outcast and Elizabeth Leefolt who is forced to reluctantly fire her maid Aibileen Clark for an apparent theft. Aibileen then snaps at Hilly for how awful and disrespected she truly is by everyone for using fear to yield her power and reduced to a dejected wretch because of it too.
* HiddenDepths: Lou Ann, a member of Hilly's GirlPosse is originally dismissed by Skeeter as nothing more then a kiss up to Hilly and is as silly, shallow, and vain as the rest. As the book progresses however, glimpses are given to show that she is in fact very different to what is first assumed.
* HistoryRepeats: [[spoiler: Some time ago, Mrs. Phelan fired Constantine in order to not look bad in front of the Daughters of America, despite knowing her maid's been a [[ParentalSubstitute mother figure]] to her daughter Skeeter. In the present, [[AlphaBitch Hilly]] pressures [[BetaBitch Elizabeth]] to fire Aibileen under false pretenses of theft, despite how much it will break poor Mae Mobley's heart to lose her [[FamilyOfChoice surrogate mother]].]]
* InnocentlyInsensitive: During her interview, Minny asking Celia when she and her husband were planning on having kids. [[spoiler: She doesn't know that Celia has had three previous miscarriages and would also lose the one she was pregnant with later on.]]
* InsecureLoveInterest: Celia is this to Johnny because he's from a rich, well-to-do family while she's "white trash" from Sugar Ditch and doesn't know how to cook, clean, [[spoiler:and can't bear him children]].
* IntrepidReporter: Skeeter's book amounts to this, revealing many white ladies' mistreatment of their black domestic help.
* ItsAllAboutMe:
** Hilly and her GirlPosse, naturally.
** Skeeter is a less obvious version of this. While interviewing dozens of black women for her book, she is ''bored'' hearing the same old story about low pay, long hours, horrific working conditions, struggling to feed their families (even though seeing their faces and learning their names should, in theory, evoke empathy) but becomes very interested in the parts where the black women bonding with white children, like her and Constantine. She's also only writing the book to advance her own writing career. She also remembers Constantine very fondly, but only as her own friend and confidant. She's pretty indifferent about every part of Constantine's life that didn't revolve around her.
* JealousParent: Elizabeth Leefolt is the Selfish type, as after slapping around her daughter, she resentfully looks on with annoynace and contempt at Aibileen comforting her child.
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: [[spoiler: Stuart. His first meeting with Skeeter goes horribly, but he comes back to apologize, explaining that he's still heartbroken from his ex-fiancee cheating on him. Afterwards, he and Skeeter have a genuinely loving relationship, and he supports her writing job. However, once the book is actually ''published'', it becomes evident that he's just as prejudiced as most people in the era. He breaks up with Skeeter and calls her "selfish" for the change she wants.]]
* LadyDrunk: [[spoiler:Subverted. Celia buys a lot of whisky bottles and drinks them when she doesn't know Minny is watching, causing Minny to assume she is this. The bottles are actually full of a Choctaw remedy supposed to help against Celia's inability to carry to term.]]
* LaserGuidedKarma: Hilly, in the form of the "Terrible Awful" that Minny condemns her to as a direct punishment for telling all the white GirlPosse type women in Jackson that Minny was a thief, forcing Minny to crawl back to her. [[spoiler: While Yule May will be released from prison after her four-year sentence Hilly caused, Ailbleen notes at the end [[AFateWorseThanDeath Hilly is damned to a life sentence of convincing everyone in the world that Chapter 12 wasn't her]].]]
* LawOfInverseFertility: RichBitch Hilly and her GirlPosse pop out kids right and left, while the kind, sweet, and warm Celia [[spoiler:can't have children]].
* LethalChef: Celia, until Minny teaches her how to cook. Minny is horrified to see how inept she is in the kitchen; the only thing she can make is corn pone. When Johnny finally meets Minny, he tells her that he knew all along that she must have had help because the cooking went from horrible to wonderful over one night.
-->'''Johnny:''' You could have at least put some corn pone on the table.
-->'''Minny:''' No, I couldn't let you eat anymore cone pone, Mister Johnny...
* MagicalNegro: Deconstructed. The black characters all have varying shades of this, but they take great pains to show why they act this way and all the pain that comes with it. Aibeleen and Minny both aid the white characters in the same way as other examples of this trope, but they're treated like dirt and long to be free.
* MeaningfulName: Celia means heavenly. Very fitting for the woman who is one of the sweetest characters in the story.
* MistakenForGay: Unable to comprehend why her daughter is still single, fearing she might be considered an OldMaid, Mrs. Phelan awkwardly tries to ask Skeeter if she prefers girls. Skeeter denies it, but later on in the book mentions how the 'cure' her mother makes her drink upsets the stomach. When she begins to date Stuart, her mother is delighted that it apparently worked.
* MoralEventHorizon: In-universe, Skeeter considers her mother to have crossed when she [[spoiler:fired Constantine after ''years'' of loyal service just because Constantine's daughter, a white-passing young woman, dared to attend one of her white parties and then reveal her true ethnicity, embarrassing Mrs. Phelan.]]
* MoreDeadlyThanTheMale: In the book, Minny notes how racist white men will usually come at a black person with a pipe or a gun, beat them up or kill them, then leave it at that. However, racist white ladies will make sure your entire life and the lives of your entire family are utterly destroyed. Through the right whispers to the right people they get you and your husband hired, blacklisted, inescapably unemployed, evicted from your home, get the relatives you're staying with unemployed and blacklisted too, force your family to resort to crime, make sure they get caught and given the maximum sentence in prison, and so on and so forth.
* MostWritersAreWriters: Skeeter has just finished college and comes home with dreams of becoming a writer.
* MRSDegree: Stuart Whitworth asks Skeeter, "Isn't that what all you girls from Ole Miss major in - professional husband hunting?"
* MustHaveCaffeine: Celia is constantly drinking from Coca-Cola bottles. Though she really shouldn't have indulged in so much caffeine during her pregnancy.
* NiceGuy: Johnny Foote from what little is seen of him. His love for Celia is genuine and true; he doesn't care that she can't cook or clean, he just wants her to be happy. He ''begs'' her not to leave him when he finds out she's planning on running away. He's also very kind to Minny and invites her to live with them.
* NostalgiaFilter: Skeeter's mother accuses her memories of Constantine being this. She means that Skeeter overlooked Constantine's bad qualities (like having a child out of wedlock), but the reader can also see that Skeeter idealized Constantine [[MagicalNegro as a wise and perfect second mother to herself]] and doesn't seem to realize that Constantine had a life and family outside of her (which Skeeter never shows any interest in).
* NouveauRiche: Played with; Celia, a 'white trash' girl who married good, is clearly not on the same social level as most of the other women in the story, most of whom make sure to [[PassiveAggressiveKombat passive-aggressively let her know it]], but she's also a lot kinder and generally a better person than nearly all of them.
* ObliviousToTheirOwnDescription: Skeeter's book doesn't lead to the widespread change in how Southern white women treat their black maids as she hoped, because most of them don't even recognize their own behavior in the book. She notes how Hilly, Elizabeth and her posse gasp over how horribly a woman can treat her own daughter, oblivious that the book describes ''exactly'' how Elizabeth treats Mae Mobley.
* OddFriendship: Though she's technically Celia's employee, Celia treats Minny as a friend rather than a servant (for example, joining Minny in the kitchen for lunch rather than having them eat separately per Jim Crow laws). Minny is initially put off by this, but ultimately comes to care for Celia in return.
* ParentalSubstitute: A recurring element in the book is how the titular "Help" are better parents to their boss's children than the bosses who are AbusiveParents or neglectful parents.
* PetTheDog:
** In the book, Aibileen watches Hilly playing with her children, and concedes that, [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes bitch that she is, she's an excellent and loving mother]].
** While setting up the date between Skeeter and Stuart, Hilly tells Skeeter, "I'm not gonna let you miss out on this because your mother convinced you you're not good enough for somebody like him." It's unclear if this is a real problem or if Hilly is misreading the situation, but either way, she's adamant that Skeeter ''is'' worthy, and at least part of her reason for setting the couple up is that she wants Skeeter to be happy (albeit by her own definition of happiness, but she genuinely means well).
* PoorCommunicationKills: Minny believes Celia to be TheAlcoholic because she's so lazy, secretive, and has a secret stash of empty bottles. She even blows up at Celia and leaves. [[spoiler:When Minny decides to return and apologize, she finds Celia hemorrhaging from a violent miscarriage and narrowly saves her life. Afterwards, Celia explains that she's had several miscarriages, hired Minny to do housework partly to avoid any kind of strenuous activity to try to retain her pregnancy, and the bottles were full of what she thought was "catch tonic." Minny calls her out on it, saying all this trouble could have been avoided if Celia told her from the beginning.]]
* PragmaticVillainy: Hilly's final act in the book is [[spoiler:framing Aibileen for stealing her spoons, because if she can't throw her in jail for writing the book, she'll throw her in jail for being a thief. She backs off when Aibileen points out that she still knows a secret that Hilly doesn't want getting out.]]
* RichBitch: Hilly Holbrook. She's bad from about the very ''second'' we meet her, as she's convinced that Minny is trying to steal everything she owns.
* RuleAbidingRebel: Even with DeliberateValuesDissonance regarding her [[ButNotTooBlack "not too radical"]] view of Civil Rights, Skeeter is sometimes portrayed as a brave and progressive Civil Rights hero for writing a book that exposes rich white ladies' treatment of their black domestic help, but considering how during this time period a number of whites were actively marching and protesting beside black Civil Rights protesters, and actively pushing for integration and the abolishment of Jim Crow laws that keep blacks down, her single book passive-aggressively showing a sobering mirror to some white ladies' treatment of their black servants isn't really that rebellious.
* SeriousBusiness: Celia fears that Johnny will catch on to the secret if the food is too good at dinner, so she asks Minny if they should burn the chicken a little. ''Minny doesn't burn chicken.''
* SexualKarma: Implied when Johnny Foote compares being married to Celia after having dated Hilly for a long time as being like moving from Antarctica to Hawaii; he's not just referring to how much warmer Celia's personality is.
* SheCleansUpNicely: Skeeter, especially in the book where she grows her hair out and starts wearing shorter skirts and Pucci prints, not enough to make her be considered "pretty" but it's considered an improvement.
* TheSixties: Beehive hair-do's, Coca-Cola in glass bottles, prime-color television...Unfortunately, the film takes place in Mississippi, right when the Civil Rights movement was beginning.
* SuspiciouslySpecificSermon: A sermon saying that bravery is often just having the courage to do what's right inspires Aibileen to help Skeeter with her book.
* TheReveal:
** Minny gets two regarding Celia. The first is [[spoiler:her husband is really nice and knows Minny is working for them, but just humors Celia by pretending he doesn't know]]. The second is [[spoiler:the seemingly lazy and alcoholic Celia is actually pregnant and drinking what she thinks is catch tonic to keep from getting another miscarriage]].
** Minny also gives one when she reveals what the "Terrible Awful" was: [[spoiler: In retaliation for Hilly firing her, she baked her own feces into a chocolate pie and tricked Hilly into eating two slices before telling her what was in it. [[IAteWhat Hilly's reaction upon finding out]], [[ActuallyPrettyFunny along with her mother's]], is the stuff of legends.]]
* TheUnfavorite: Skeeter seems to be this to her overbearing mother, Charlotte, who seems to be prouder of her son and especially her daughter-in-law. [[spoiler:Charlotte changes her attitude after telling Skeeter the truth about Constantine, and later expresses great pride in her daughter's courage]].
* TokenGoodTeammate:
** Celia seems to be the only white person (aside from Skeeter) that treats the black ladies like real people.
** Lou Ann is also this in the book; her maid describes how Lou Ann not only generally treats her decently, but personally supported her through a family tragedy.
* UnusualEuphemism: Used by Minny when speaking of what she did to Hilly, naming the event the 'Terrible Awful'.
* UptownGirl: Celia and Johnney Foote. She is from Sugar Ditch, an incredibly poor white area and is described as "white trash", he is far wealthier.
* VetinariJobSecurity: Played with for Minny. Abileen notes that the start of the novel that Minny has a mouth, and she's the only black woman who can get away with it because her cooking is so amazing that most white employers tolerate it... for a time. However, they all (except Celia) let her go eventually. She then gets a fully straight case with Johnny and Celia, who promise that she has a job for life with them due to how much she helped Celia.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Hilly is president of the Junior League and orchestrates the Children's Benefit Ball. As such, she's held in high esteem in the community, which makes her all the more dangerous.
* VillainousBreakdown: Hilly completely freaks out when she reads her own chapter in Skeeter's book. After this scene, things just go downhill for her.
* WhiteMansBurden: It's Skeeter, a wealthy young white woman, who uses her job and position to tell the stories of the poor black maids. Minny rather justifiably accuses Skeeter of trying to invoke this trope. In the novel, Skeeter's narration explicitly says, "Because I'm white, I feel it's my duty to help them." There are multiple maids in addition to Minny who call her out on this attitude, however. Of course, those same maids all congratulate her at the end...
* WorkOffTheDebt: A variant. Yule May tells Hilly she will work for free if Hilly will spot her the $75 her family needs to send both their sons to college. Hilly naturally refuses, telling Yule May that God does not approve of giving charity to those who are well and able. [[spoiler: Yule May has to resort to theft and gets arrested; she's sentenced to an unfairly long jail term.]]
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