You might consider the following three characters as you examine how innocence is lost through various conflicts in The Help:

Celia Foote: Celia doesn't come from the same privileged background as the other wives, and at first she believes that she can integrate herself into the already-established group led by Hilly. Furthermore, she believes that there is some innate value in being part of this group of women. Instead, Celia finds herself excluded and ridiculed by the wives and must tragically face several miscarriages alone.

Mae Mobley Leefolt: Mae Mobley is only two years old, but she must learn to navigate her own mother's critical eye from an early age. Elizabeth Leefolt avoids physical contact with her young daughter and verbally abuses her. Mae Mobley finds solace and true acceptance in Aibileen, who tries to instill within Mae Mobley a sense of personal value and significance.

Skeeter: Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan comes from a wealthy Southern family and has never really questioned some of her family's values or privilege. Skeeter is shocked when she learns that her mother dismissed Skeeter's beloved maid, Constantine, who was like a second mother to her throughout her childhood, over a "colored thing." This forces Skeeter to reconsider the naivety of her childhood and the way she has always viewed her family's status in Jackson.