The Help Final Essay

Submitted By El-Harris
Words: 637
Pages: 3

Sociological Analysis of a Film

Campbell Jr 1

Brian Campbell Jr
Professor Reardon
SOCS 1001
February 6, 2015
The Help
I recently watched a film called “The Help”, by Tate Taylor, which I’ve actually seen serval times before. It amazes me how much the culture has changed in America for colored people. With me being in a Sociology class, and understanding some of the terminology more clearly, it has giving me a different insight on the culture, gender, and social interaction with people of color.
The film starts with a caucasian young lady, Eugenia Phelan also known as
“Skeeter”, who is wanting to pursue her dream as a writer. She’s living in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960’s where segregation is still happening. According to the film, “No colored barber shall serve as a barber to white women or girls”. “Books shall not be interchangeable between the whites and colored schools, but shall continue to be used by the race first using them”. This culture is a sad issue that is affecting people of color while caucasians are living a much easier lifestyle. I could not only imagine being in a place where I could get punished for such silly rules as the two listed above.
The film continues with Skeeter questioning her parents about Constantine, a maid the family hired to help take care of her while she was growing up. Her parents hesitated time after time before explaining the reason they had to fire her. Skeeter was devastated after finding out the truth, but I think she viewed Constantine as her second mother and that inspired her to have such a deviance idea to reach out to other maids

Sociological Analysis of a Film

Campbell Jr 2

to write about their lives as being “the help”. Skeeter’s idea was dangerous, but it was something that needed to be done. “Any person printing, publishing or circulating written matter urging for public acceptance or social equality between whites and negros is subject to imprisonment” stated Aibileen, one of the maids.
It took Skeeter several attempts to get the maids to talk. The maids were all so afraid of what might happen to them or their families if they ever got caught. No one wanted to take the risk of losing a child like Aibileen did. This was because colored people in their area where being shot, hung, and killed everyday. The KKK exist and they were burning down colored people’s homes as well.
Aibileen