Aibileen Attempts To Offer The Societal Norm In The Help

The racial discrimination that Aibileen faces in The Help is the main reason that she seeks to alter the societal norm. The reason that Aibileen is subjected to discrimination is because she is black. Because of the color of her skin, Aibileen is alienated by being forced to use a different bathroom than her white employer. “All these houses they’re building without maid’s quarter’s? It’s plain dangerous. Everybody knows they carry different kinds of diseases than we do,” Hilly says (Stockett 10). Hilly is insinuating that African Americans are dirty and disease ridden because of their race. She is believing stereotypes instead of actual facts. Hilly later on convinces Miss Leefolt to construct a separate bathroom in order to protect her and

her family from contracting the diseases that Aibileen is said to carry. This not only makes Abileen embarrassed, but also makes her feel as though she is below her white employer.
In addition to the discrimination Aibileen undergoes with the segregation of the bathroom, she also had to deal with hard work days and low wages.

Aibileen says, “I work for Miss Leefolt eight to four, six days a week except Saturdays. I get paid $43 every Friday which comes to $172 a month” (Stockett 19). Miss Leefolt was one of the many white employers that took part in underpaying their african american employees. The African American maids are barely making minimum wage, while they are expected to work full time. The white employers were allowed to get away with doing this because everyone saw the maids as lesser human beings. Not only did Aibileen and other maids have to put up with unfair wages, they were also faced with poor work conditions. “And my work shoes is so thin, they look like they starving to death. New pair cost seven dollars though, which means i’m on be eating cabbage and tomato till I turn into Br’er Rabbit,” Aibileen says (Stockett 19). Although Aibileen spends most of the week working, she can’t afford to buy new work shoes and feed herself. The members of the bridge club are so adamant about helping underprivileged black children in Africa, yet they are conveniently unaware of the maids that work for them that are in the same type of situation. These accounts of oppression are the main factors that influence Aibileen to seek

change.
Because of the harsh conditions and racism she faces on a daily basis, Aibileen becomes motivated to work toward change.

Although Aibileen has her doubts about going up against the racial superiority belief, she decides to aid Skeeter in writing Help. Aibileen says, “‘And my cousin Shinelle in Cauter County? They burn up her car cause she went down to the voting station’” (Stockett 120). In the 1960s, violence against African Americans was common and frequent. By helping write Help, Aibileen is putting herself at risk to be a target of one of these violent outbursts. The threat of violence is worth it in Aibileen’s mind because she is finally able to call attention upon the unfair conditions she is put through everyday, in hopes that this will cause people to think

differently.
Helping Skeeter write Help makes Aibileen become more open to voicing her views of equality and she tries to prevent Mae Mobley from becoming like her mother by telling her stories about equal rights. Aibileen says, “I want to yell so loud that Baby Girl can hear me that dirty ain’t a color, disease ain’t the negro side of town. I want to stop that moment from coming- and it come in every white child’s life- when they start to think that colored folks are not as good as whites” (Stockett 112). Children are not born with racial prejudices, as pointed out in this quote, but rather they are taught from an elder generation. This is one of the reasons Aibileen tries to teach Mae Mobley equality and prevent her mind from being corrupted by her mother. One way Aibileen does this is by sharing “secret stories” (Stockett 348) with Mae Mobley. These stories teach Mae Mobley about equality and the harshness of racism. Aibileen is trying to break the cycle of racism in the Leefolt residence by offering Mae Mobley alternative ways of thinking about race. Aibileen makes a positive change in her community by both aiding Skeeter in writing Help and helping Mae Mobley understand that people should be judged for their character instead of their race or appearance.