The Help is a novel of historical fiction, set in Jackson, Mississippi, in the early 1960s. Its main idea is to show the racial divide between the white and black people who live in this community at this time. Most white households employ black maids; and in these homes, the women work together yet separately, and generally not equally. The story is told by three main characters: black maids Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson, and white journalist and Junior League member Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan. The beginnings of both the civil rights movement and the women’s rights movement can be seen here.

The book was first published in 2009. Readers may interpret it as a cautionary tale. We can see that this is the way American and especially Southern society used to operate. From this distance, we can see the inequity. We can clearly see that human rights were being infringed upon and disrespected.