Divided by Colour, Connected by Gender: An Analysis of Black and White Women’s Lives in Stockett’s The Help (2009)

Abstract

This work deals with Kathryn Stockett’s novel The Help (2009), it aims at analyzing the depiction of black maids that worked in the American south during the civil war era in the 1960’s. The research focuses on the complex relationship between black workers and their white employers, shedding light on the impact of differences in race, gender, and power. This study examines the way that Stockett uses slave narrative techniques and different symbolism to portray the struggle and resilience of black women, and the hidden parts of those white women’s lives that no one dared to address. The research is divided into two chapters, the first chapter mainly deals with an introduction to slavery and slave narratives which focuses on the theoretical framework by discussing the historical and social context of the 1960’s, it also provides a detailed examination of slave narratives as a literary genre. As for the second chapter, it deals with the characterization within the help, exploring the different life experiences of the main characters and their relationships, highlighting how the novel reflecting systematic oppression while offering a narrative of solidarity and courage at the same time. Precisely, this work seeks to contribute to the discourse on race, identity, and specifically the portrayal of black vs white women concept in that era within literary studies.