Diction In The Help

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In Kathryn Stockett’s The Help, characters face challenging social issues caused by racial tensions in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi. She uses literary elements such as contrasting diction, symbolism, and irony to represent the growing divide between the races. We are able to distinguish the separation through the differing points of view that switch throughout the entire book. From the beginning, Stockett’s diction illustrates the characters in a candid light. Aibileen’s voice in the very first chapter pays no heed in covering up her employers faults, however never elaborates her opinion on them. Minnie, the total opposite of Aibileen, says the first thing that she thinks of, firing her from many of her situations. On the other hand, Skeeter, who has dreams of becoming a reporter, is pressured from her friends and family to become the ideal southern belle, just like her friends Hilly and Elizabeth. With the diction Stockett uses, we realize Aibileen and Minnie are in the Help, while Skeeter is not. Aibileen’s use of verbs such as “done raised” and “ain’t ever” contribute to the fact she had to drop out of school to join the Help, and provide for her family. Minnie follows a …show more content…
Many times this is their ticket into white only places, including the grocery store and the country club. “Long as I wear my white uniform I am allowed to shop at the Jitney”, Aibileen states. It is a part of their identity as you can see when Skeeter had her first interview with Aibileen. When Skeeter comes across town to the colored portion of the city she realizes she’s “never seen Aibileen in anything but her whites.” Just because Aibileen is not wearing her uniform does not mean she stop feeling like a maid, not even to someone younger than her. However, this isn’t completely Skeeter’s fault as the government of the town was always set on segregating their people, slowly but

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