Eugenia In The Help

In The Help by Kathryn Stockett, the author uses point of view, tone, and flashback to depict Eugenia’s attributes of egalitarianism, bravery, and innate wisdom, as well as her purpose in the story. Eugenia, also known as Skeeter, is an educated and well-off daughter of a plantation owner. She formulates her own ideas against prejudice while surrounded by racism in the people closest to her: her childhood best friend, her boyfriend, and her own mother. Throughout the book, she strengthens her views, and resists white supremacy. Skeeter Phelan’s ideas against prejudice spark change in Jackson through her opinions, voice, and recollections.

From the outset of the novel, Skeeter's compassionate tone toward black people, as well as her egalitarian

attitude, are immediately evident as an intrinsic attribute of her personality. Hilly Holbrook, her longtime friend, introduces a bill requiring colored help to have a separate bathroom, but “Miss Skeeter, she [is] frowning at Miss Hilly… “Maybe we ought to just build you a bathroom outside, Hilly”’ (Stockett 10). Hilly’s proposition disgusts Skeeter who unabashedly calls Hilly out in front of their entire social circle. Not only does her suggestion put Hilly and the maid on the same level, it also implies that Hilly is alone in her need for a segregated bathroom. Elizabeth even asks Hilly to use the same bathroom as Aibileen, exemplifying that the other white ladies do not care about separate bathrooms. This typifies part of Skeeter’s purpose in the novel, to speak against acts of racism she witnesses.
Skeeter’s point of view differs from others in the Jackson community. She grew up in a white family in the upper tier of Jackson society. However, she treats blacks as equals because of her strong relationship with her childhood maid Constantine. Constantine’s teachings, most notably bravery, instilled in Skeeter the bravery necessary to write her novel. She reminisces, “With Constantine’s thumb pressed into my hand, I realized I actually had a choice in what I could believe” (74). Constantine’s thumb pressed into Eugenia’s palm demonstrates the matronly love Constantine feels towards her. She realizes that Constantine’s loving but forceful gesture signifies her ability to renounce her mother’s prejudiced beliefs and formulate her own. Constantine knew that her own daughter, who was born white, would always be ostracized, so she gave her up for adoption. Skeeter is a constant reminder of this child, and Constantine raises her as if she were her own. Skeeter’s upbringing influences her view of both races, which her memories of Constantine strengthen.
Skeeter’s unprejudiced nature results from her relationship with Constantine.

As Skeeter faces moral dilemmas in the story, she recalls lessons from Constantine. She was more of a mother to Eugenia then Mrs. Phelan, who has a hard time looking past Skeeter’s awkward exterior. These flashbacks of Constantine guide Skeeter as she writes her novel, but she is unable to talk to her birth mother for fear of her response. When Skeeter gives in to Hilly and decides to add her “Home Help Sanitation Initiative” to the newsletter. “All [she] can think while [she’s] typing is, what would Constantine think of me” (10, 332)? This guilt or sense of betrayal toward Constantine not only leads her to mistype the initiative, but also depicts her respect and love of Constantine. Her early exposure to the intimate details of Constantine’s life allows her insight into racism from the perspective of the minority, while her skin tone allows her the education and power to promote change. Skeeter models Constantine’s innate wisdom through the flashbacks she experiences in times of moral dilemma. Kathryn Stockett develops the character of Skeeter through point of view, tone, and flashback to create a character capable of thinking

independently.
In Kathryn Stocket’s The Help, the author exemplifies Skeeter’s attributes and purpose through the use of literary devices, notably foreshadow, tone ,and point of view. Skeeter’s life experiences greatly influence the way she views and interacts with the world. These allow her to be a more progressive person in her community. She is able to achieve her purpose in the novel because she has little to gain from remaining in the past; instead, she has everything to gain from a more accepting future. Kathryn Stockett uses Eugenia Phelan to convey her global message by demonstrating that change is necessary, and the majority, those with the most to lose, must be willing to accept and embrace it.