Racial Exploitation in The Help

A mind map analysis of themes in The Help: The White Savior Complex, privilege, the Magical Negro, poverty porn, and more. For Literary/Critical Studies II - Spring 2020.

Links

Roxane Gay's 2011 Review of The Help

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story

(right)

Stockett describes the black maid that was apart of her childhood. It seems to be a similar relationship to Skeeter and Constantine and Aibilene and Mae Foley.

In 2016, Taylor bough and renovated an antebellum home on the former Wyolah Planation in Mississippi.

"any type of media, be it written, photographed or filmed, which exploits the poor's condition in order to generate the necessary sympathy for selling newspapers or increasing charitable donations or support for a given cause"

(left)

Stockett was sued by Ablene Cooper, a maid of Stockett's brother. Cooper claims that the character Aibilene is based off of herself, and her life story was stolen without her knowlege.

"Abilene’s lawyer, Edward Sanders, says: ‘It’s not about money for Abilene. It’s about hypocrisy. The Help’s big appeal is to white people. It makes them feel good because it’s about a white woman who reaches across the racial divide to help poor black servants."

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