in the book 'the help' what does the title suggest the author's message?

Question

this is for a summer reading

Answer 1

The term "the help" is an old-fashioned way of naming people who come to work in your house, such as housekeepers, maids and nannies. In the South (in this book Mississippi) the "help" were generally African American women who lived in lower-class neighborhoods and took the bus and walked to get to the homes of their employers. This is still the time of segregation and blacks were not at all treated equally. Think about how these women are treated by their white employers. These women in the book of course help around the house and help take care of the children, but in the story note how these women truly love the children and are trying to do more to show love to the families. This is just prior to the era of the civil rights movement and the rise of Martin Luther King's message to bring African-Americans to true equality. Think about the idea that a term like "the help" implies that these hard-working women have no individual identities. What is the author saying about blacks and whites in this era - think about what happens in the book.