Discussing The Help Movie (2011): Sociology of Literature (Racism)

Dianti Puji Rahayu

13-530-0024

Agita Praoniska Putri 13-530-0074

Riris Aldila H.N.

13-530-0100

Literature 2, English Education Program, Adi Buana University

diantipuji_rahayu@yahoo.com
gitabingitz@gmail.com
ririsaldila@gmail.com
Abstract
The discussion about the sociology of literature, writers using The Help movie as a material for
discuss about the sociology of literature, especially about racism. This paper has three parts. First
part is introduction, explain about a discussion of The Help movie using sociology of literature,
especially about racism. In the discussion part, explain about the sociology of literature, racism,
The Help movie, and scenes which it show about racism in The Help movie. In the conclusion
part, explain about the conclusion of this paper there is the presence of movies with the theme of
racism as The Help, can be used as reference for the community in changing negative views
about blacks, think better, and be more humane fellow human beings.
Key words: Sociology of literature, racism, The Help movie
Introduction
Humans are scattered throughout the earth and lives in all sorts of natural Area, shows a
multicolored physically obvious. Feature birth such as skin color, hair color and shape, form part
of the face and so that appears in the eyes evoke the notion of "race". Race later described as a
class of people who exhibit various characteristics specific body with a great frequency.
The conception of the human body characteristics of different colors that have caused a
lot of grief and misery. Even today, the problem of racism remains a polemic something for the
country's multi-ethnic, including the United States. Although currently Barack Obama, who is
black citizens, has successfully established itself as the number one in the superpower, but a
racial issue is still there.

Delivery of messages about issues in the community, including the issue of racism, not
only can be delivered through a variety of news, both in print and electronic media, but can also
be delivered through a movie.
Various issues and interesting information both fictional and fact often made in reference
movie of the latest and packaged as attractive as possible. Various theme of the movie has now
started various kinds, ranging from movie-themed motivation, tragedy, racism, until the movie
adaptation of the best-selling novels. Researchers selected movie is the The Help movie. The
Help is a movie in 2011 which was written, produced and directed by Tate Taylor.
The Help movie is not a movie based on true story from someone, but it is true the
century when it was rife-proliferation "slavery". Either slavery whites against blacks, and also
the freedom of the white women.
This is part of the picture about racism that was filming. Racism or skin color differences
become a major problem in the United States. When that African-Americans are still
marginalized and always undifferentiated existence.
In The Help movie, racial discrimination is shown by the white women who become the
employer toward the black women who become the maid. There is the problem between black
people and white people. Skeeter requires Aibileen and her friends to help her makes a book
about the treatment from their employers. The book Become a best seller. The employers buy
and read the book. They are very angry.
Discussing the The Help movie, the writers will use the sociology of literature. Sociology
of literature is an understanding of the literature in the context of social problems. So, from this
movie, the writers will discuss of social problems about racism.

Discussion
Sociology of literature
The sociology of literature is a specialized area of study the which focuses its attention
upon the relation between a literary work and the social structure in the which it is created. It
reveals that the existence of a literary creation has the determined social situations. As there is a
reciprocal relationship between a literary phenomenon and social structure, sociological study of
literature Proves very useful to understand the socio-economic situations, political issues, the
world view and creativity of the writers, the system of the social and political organization, the
relations between thoughts and cultural Certain configurations in the which they occur and
determinants of a literary work. The present chapter attempts to discuss the theoretical premises
of the sociology of literature. It consists of the nature and scope of sociology and its relationship
with literature, the historical development of the sociology of literature, the nature of the
sociology of literature, its theoretical approaches and methods and the areas and determinants of
literature.
Racism
Racism is the belief that a particular race is superior or inferior to another, that a person's
social and moral traits are predetermined by his or her inborn biological characteristics. Racial
separatism is the belief, most of the time based on racism, that different races should Werner
segregated and apart from one another.
The other definitions such as: there are simple definitions of racism. First, Racism is poor
treatment of or violence against people because of Reviews their race. Second, Racism is the
belief that some races of people are better than others.
In Australia, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (1998) defines it as:
"Racism is an ideology that gives expression to myths about other racial and ethnic groups that
devaluesand renders inferior Reviews those groups, that Reflects and is perpetuated by deeply
rooted historical, social, cultural and power inequalities in society."

Racist behavior may be direct (overt) or indirect (covert) in nature. Direct racial
discrimination is the unfair or unequal treatment of a person or a group on racial grounds. An
example would be an employer who will not hire someone on the basis of Reviews their cultural
or linguistic background. This type of discrimination is typically deliberate. Indirect racial
discrimination is a seemingly equitable on the surface, but in practice disadvantages people from
particular groups. For example, a rule that says that all students must not wear anything on their
heads could result in discrimination against students whose religion requires the wearing of
headwear. Indirect racial discrimination can occur even when there is no intention to
discriminate.

The Help movie

The Help movie is an American movie and directed by Tate Taylor.It represented Jackson
in the 1960s. The movie is adapted of Kathryn Stockett's novel (2009) with the same name.
The Help is a movie that raised the issue of racial discrimination as its theme. The movie
is set in the '60s have raised a simple example of an issue of race discrimination, namely racial
discrimination committed by mothers of households in the city named Jackson (capital of the
State of Mississippi) to The Helpers they are skinned people black. The story of this movie
begins with a scene interviews with a black housekeeper named Aibileen (Viola Davis). It is told
that she had for years spent her time as a housekeeper from white employers (employer now
named Elizabeth). She also worked as a nanny of her employer, and many white babies
fosterage.
At first, such discrimination does not appear on the lives of Aibileen and the employer (or
maybe less shown). Until one day, Elizabeth began to be affected by the neighbors, Hilly (Bryce
Dallas Howard), a housewife who may be said to be the leader of the community of housewives
in the city of Jackson. Hilly has opinion that their helpers blacks should be made a special toilet
in the house, because she was afraid of helpers will transmit a disease if they use the same toilet
with her employer. Hill itself has a black housekeeper named Minny (Octavia Spencer), who one
day she was fired as calculated using the toilet.

The mothers of these households apparently successfully influenced by Hilly (including

Elizabeth) and they then built a special toilet for aides who were black. Eugene "Skeeter" Phelan
(Emma Stone), a single woman who has just returned to Jackson after several years of study
outside the city saw it as an injustice. Skeeter, who is a newspaper journalist then intend to create
a book containing the testimonies of the housekeeper black unfair treatment from employers.

The Help movie: Racism

In the The Help movie there are some scenes that showed a picture of racism in the
movie:
First,

Hilly was giving a sign on the toilet paper Meenie, her assistant, so she knows whether
Minny using its own toilet or toilet belonging to Hilly.
The meaning of the scene is Hilly did it because she thought that black people slob and
have diseases, so that they should not use the same toilet with white people. Additionally, Hilly
had a prejudice against Minny, she does not trust her maid, because if the toilet paper is not
marked, Minny will use the same toilet with him.

Second,

Elizabeth: Hilly, I wish you'd just go use the bathroom

Hilly: I'm fine
Elaine Stein: Oh, she's just upset Because the nigra uses the guest bath and so do we
Elizabeth: Just go use mine and Raleigh's
Hilly: If Aibileen uses the guest bath, I'm sure she uses yours, too.
Hilly urinary incontinence and declined the offer Elizabeth to urinate in a toilet and
bathroom Elizabeth. Because according to Hilly, both bathrooms are certainly also used by
Aibileen, aide of Elizabeth.
The meaning of the scene is Hilly Elizabeth declined the offer because she is prejudiced
that blacks have more disease than whites. As well as Hilly also did not like the thought that
requires whites to share a toilet with black people who have the disease more.

Third,

Hilly: Minny, are you in there?

Minny: Yes, ma'am
Hilly: And just what are you doing?
Minny (pressing the flush button)
Hilly: Get off my toilet! You are fired, Minny Jackson!
Minny try to use the toilet belonging to her employer, Hilly. But it was known by Hilly.
Minny then presses the flush button to outwit Hilly. Hilly angry and fired because she thought
Minny Minny has used the toilet.
The meaning of the scene is that Hilly was disgusted if she had to use the toilet along
with Minny, her maid. Minny feel not receive the treatment Hilly, but she still respecting Hilly as
an employer. So she does not use the toilet, but instead work on Hilly by pressing the flush
button on the toilet, as if she had used it. Hostility Hilly shared toilet evidenced by saying, "get
off my toilet", and when Minny pressed the flush button, Hilly said, "you are fired, Minny
Jackson!", Indicating she fired Minny because she was prejudiced Minny has used the toilet.

Fourth,

Mae Mobley: That's Aibee's bathroom, Mama. Hey, Aibee!

Elizabeth: no, no, no, honey. Promise me you will not go in there, OK?
Elizabeth: Is not it so nice to have your own, Aibileen?
Mae Mobly tried to approach specific to an Aibileen toilet, but were forbidden by her
mother, Elizabeth. After Aibileen out of the toilet, Elizabeth asked about feelings Aibileen has its
own toilet.
The meaning of the scene is Elizabeth who initially did not have any prejudice in blacks,
be prejudiced because the influence of Hilly. Elizabeth did not want her daughter, Mae Mobly
contracting diseases that exist in Aibileen (blacks), it is shown by the words Elizabeth, "No, no,
no, honey. Promise me you will not go in there, OK? ". The remark indicates that she forbade
Mae Mobly to go to the toilet Aibileen. And began the rise of racism in Elizabeth indicated by
the questions submitted to Aibileen, "Is not it so nice to have your own, Aibileen?".

Fifth,

Hilly: I knew she was a thief the day she started.

Hilly was walking with her friends and discuss the aides, Yule Mae that has been
suspected as a thief of the early work.
The meaning of the scene is to pique Hilly against Skeeter since has changed the content
of the announcement in the newspaper is typed Skeeter, with a long coat changes the "old coat"
into a toilet old "commodes" does not make revenge against Skeeter. But she actually bestows
her frustration with prejudice to her new maid, Yule Mae which has been suspected as a thief of
the early work.
Sixth,

Hilly: Aibileen, are you enjoying your new bathroom over at Elizabeth's'? Nice to have your
own. Is not it, Aibileen?
Aibileen: Yes, ma'am. And I thank you.

Hilly: Separate, but equal. That's what Ross Barnett says, and you can not argue with the
governor.
Skeeter: Well, certainly not in M Mississippi, the birthplace of modern-day government.
Hilly asked regarding comfort Aibileen new toilet that made by her employer. Skeeter
tries defend Aibileen by responding to Hilly, "well certainly, but not in Mississippi, birth place of
modern-day government".
The meaning of the scene is that Mississippi is a city that has a modern government. The
point here is modern, governments have not discriminate people based on race or color. Skeeter
words that say, "well certainly, but not in Mississippi, birth place of modern-day government",
interpreted as an allusion to the system of laws that regulate the blacks in Mississippi. Because in
fact, the rule in Mississippi is not very modern as yet open-minded on the issue of racism.
Seventh,

It says "colored signifying separation public facilities used by white people and black
leather.
The meaning of the scene is the separation performed by white people against black
people not only in their homes, but existing public facilities in the city is also a proof of racism in
the environment of the city.

Eighth,

Helper: I worked for Miss Jolene's mother till the day she died. Then her daughter, Miss
Nancy, asked me to come and work for her. Miss Nancy is a real sweet lady. But Miss Jolene's
ma done put it not in her will I Got to work for Miss Jolene. Miss Jolene's a mean woman. Mean
for sport. Lord, I tried to find another job. But in everybody's mind the French family and Miss
Jolene owned me. Owned me.
Maid of Jolene French which gives recognition of her employer attitudes against her
while she worked.
The meaning of the scene is that of the recognition of the attendant, she felt that black
people only regarded as property owned by white people. The maid statement is, "But
everybody's mind in the French family and Miss Jolene owned me. Owned me ".
The Help movie can be seen how the structure and social institutions that exist in society
Jackson. Black or colored community is considered to have stratification lower than the white
community. All decisions and control held by the whites. The white people control the
government, law, policy and the lives of black people. The black man is considered to have a
different disease with white people and could spread, coupled with the fact that most blacks are
at low social class who work as domestic servants or laborers and work to those of whites. Not
only white person in the town of Jackson to discriminate and assume social stratification blacks
is lower, but the local government does it, with the establishment of a law that says "whoever
slit, publish, or disseminate written as for encourage the public to accept equality between whites
and blacks will be punished ", it proves that racial discrimination exist in every layer of society.

Conclusion
In the The Help movie there are scenes that show racism. In the movie can be seen the
behaviors that allow racism among whites to blacks. Racism emerging from the scene of the
movie The Help: First, when Hilly had a prejudice against black people that they are slovenly
and have diseases. Second, when the scene Hilly talking to her friends about the black people
who have a disease that should not use the same toilet with white people. Third, their behavior is
discrimination shown by the processes for separating whites with blacks. Separation occurs
causing the white people who initially did not have a prejudice that blacks were inferior and
slovenly, becoming appears in the mind of whites.
Racism is an action that does not end when only one cause is lost. Because racism
emerging from negative prejudices whites to black people. As long as negative thoughts about
black people is still strong in the minds of society, it will be difficult to eliminate racism.
The presence of the The Help movie to show the next generation that racism exists, never
happened, and the impact affects the social life of black people. The issue of racism was still
exists today, but is minor compared to the early 1960s.
With the movies with the theme of racism as The Help, can be used as reference for the
community in changing negative views about blacks, think better, and be more humane to our
fellow human beings. Because of the negative prejudices about a group will only lead to friction,
discord, and discord in society. Supposedly, with the presence of racism themed movies, society
becomes more respect, honor, and love one another. Because indeed it different is beautiful.

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