Mae Mobley: “Colored folks are dirty. Black is not good.”
Aibleen: Little girl, who is teaching you these things?
Mae Mobley: Our teacher in school – Miss Taylor
This is the conversation that one of the protagonists has
with the little girl she takes care of. Aibee
thinks, “What person out there don’t remember their first grade
teacher?” Totally agree! Like Aibleen, my jaw tightens and fists get clenched.
The Help is a gripping tale of what it was like to be a
colored maid during the civil rights movement of 1960s. It talks about color
discrimination and the heinous aspects attached with it, through the lives of
housemaids in racially conflicted area – Jackson in Mississipi. “Don’t judge
by the color, love all the people”, is what this book determines to tell
through the three voices. These bold voices take turn in filling the pages all
along. Aibleen - with a balanced mind, Minny – the sassier of the three and Skeeter
– though a white, pledge to make life easier for the colored and do not turn
back to the prevailing situation and all keeping her life at stake. Skeeter is
the example of “The pen is mightier than the sword” as she gets down to
that weapon to change the situation around her. No spoilers here. These women are strong minded in their own
ways. Together they bring in devastating sadness, tickling humour and
ultimately a shining hope.
How this discrimination exploited the lives of
harmless people, ruining their households and forever instilling fear in their
minds, glares bright and make our heart bleed. Stockett beautifully weaves the
tale showing us not only the ugly truth that existed in that society but also
appreciating the brighter sunshine that prevailed in some white households.
After I finished I almost ended up whispering “You is kind, You is Smart, and
You is important” to my daughter.
Coming to the conversation in the beginning of the post, color
discrimination is the last thing you want to hear at the age when your mind
along with the body is developing. These minds, now innocent, will turn into an
adult with the same thought process, building a narrative which they hear or
been used to. Children have a raw emotion and that should not be spoiled with a
negative narrative. Though we have come a long way and certainly our minds have
broadened, there exists remnant of this ugly truth in few sections of our
society. There is a dire need to erase such beliefs from our children’s mind
and I am very happy to know that the authors are working on it. I recently
purchased a book which talks about the concept of embracing the self,
irrespective of difference in the shade of our skin.
‘Brown like Dosas, Samosas
and Sticky chikki’ by Rebecca Manari tells an illustrious tale through a little
girl who loves her own skin color even though the Antagonist conjures different
tricks. As parents, we want to teach our children to love themselves and their
bodies just as they are. This book will stand by that for sure!
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