Passing and The Tragic Mulatto Stereotype in “Imitation of Life”

An analysis of the 1959 film Imitation of Life and themes of race and class, passing, social mobility, and escapism.

For Literary/Critical Studies II with Prof. Diane Cohen - Spring 2020.

“The Tragic Mulatto stereotype is a post-antebellum/Jim Crow American literature trope that’s often exploited without care, like in Imitation of Life. The Tragic Mulatto is a mixed-race person who is sad or suicidal because they are socially rejected by the black and white world. This character is typically depicted as a victim, but in the case of Imitation of Life, Sarah Jane is painted as the villain of the film. Both her child and adult characters, for the most part, are very hard to sympathize with because her rebellion is seemingly uncalled for.”

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

In 2016, Taylor bought and renovated an antebellum home on the former Wyolah Plantation 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"​​​​​​​

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 knowledge.

"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."