Note to Gonzo: Each persons answers to the questions have been written in the color attributed to their name

(obviously, the response typed first was written first in our Google doc So a later response is probably less complex because it is built off of previous responses). Gabby Courtney Kavita Finamore Lucy Caitlyn
1: Who is the protagonist of the story? What are the conflicts? Are they physical, intellectual, moral, or emotional? Is the main conflict between sharply differentiated good and evil, or is it more subtle and complex? The protagonists of the story are Aibileen, Skeeter, and Minny. The major conflict of the novel is an external conflict of the protagonists versus society, a conflict about racism, which is a moral conflict. There are, however, several minor conflicts occurring at the same time. There is an emotional conflict between Minny and Leroy, as Minny faces abuse from him and is forced to consider whether she wants to live her life in those conditions. Aibileen faces a conflict over the treatment of Mae Mobley, an external emotional conflict against Ms. Leefolt. Skeeter is facing society, an emotional, moral and intellectual conflict in which she is forced to face her feelings and ethics over racism, and battle her intellect against many others to attempt to achieve victory. Skeeter also faces herself in an internal emotional conflict, where, intellectually, she must come to terms with the implications and consequences of her actions. Aibileen, Skeeter, Minny are the protagonists who fight a main external conflict with society. Other conflicts include: Minny v. Leroy (emotional), Minny v. self (emotional), and Skeeter v. self (moral). The main conflict however is between good (protagonists) v. evil (society). The conflict is racism which you see very distinctly in every chapter. The protagonists are the good for trying to expose the Deep South to open eyes of those who don't have firsthand experience. The evil are those who think everything is as it should be and whoever thinks differently must be silenced. It is a sharply differentiated good v. evil scenario. There are three protagonists Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter. The two major conflicts that the protagonist face is society rules and racism. The conflicts are mainly moral, what society thought was right in the 1960s. The conflict in this story can't really be differentiated as good and evil but on a level there are characters that can be named evil and play that role of an obstacle for the heros. The three protagonists, Aibileen, Skeeter, and Minny, have similar conflicts, but deal with the society's attack differently. Aibileen tends to look at things with a more intellectual viewpoint, while Skeeter sees the situation as moral. Minny deals with the external conflict more physically by standing up and speaking her mind. The main conflict is very much good vs. evil, maids vs. white women. There are three protagonists; Aibileen and Minny, who are black maids, and Miss Skeeter, who is a white, single woman. Aibileen and Minny's conflicts are both moral and emotional. Moral because they are oppressed by Jim Crow laws and have to repress their feelings about it, and emotional for different reasons. Aibileen's emotional conflict is caused by the fact that her son, Treelore, died because of this discrimination, and Minny's comes from her abusive husband. Skeeter's conflict is intellectual, moral, and emotional because a) of her efforts to prove herself to a publishing company in New York, b) of her awakening to the discrimination against African Americans, and c) of her strong feelings about her former maid, Constantine, her mother's outlook on her social and romantic life, her friends abandoning her, and her romance with Stuart. There is no clear good and evil, because unlike one would expect, there are whites who are kind to blacks and blacks which are not civil towards Civil Rights efforts, etc... The protagonists are the people who are trying to change the social structure in Jackson. (Minny, Aibileen,

Skeeter) The conflicts are included in all three of those themes. The main conflict is between good and evil, but there are subcategories of each. (Gretchen and Lou Anne don't fit into the groups they "belong" to). 2: Does the plot have unity? Are all the episodes relevant to the total meaning or effect of the story? Does each incident grow logically out of the preceding incident and lead naturally to the next? Is the ending happy, unhappy, or indeterminate? Is it fairly achieved? The plot has unity in connecting varying points of view through the events taking place. The plot usually follows a logical perspective of 'what happens next?' allowing the reader to fully connect the dots. The POV shifts allow for a plot progression and development beyond mere timeline. This allows the author to reveal how each incident connects to those around it. The episodes each contribute a bit of the plot to help the novel convey its message. The ending is indeterminate. In many senses it is bittersweet - the characters have made significant gains, but not without suffering significant losses. This is the same as the development of the characters throughout the novel, making this an ending which is fairly achieved. Yes the plot has unity because all the events, even though from a different POV, tie into each other. The story moves forward in both time and characters which allows you to see the connection between all the characters. The ending is different for all of the characters. For Minny it's a happy ending due to the burst of courage she had in leaving Leroy and still having a job after everything she's been through. For Aibileen it's happy due to the fact that she taught Mae, through the learning age, that color doesn't matter and she got her story out to the public. It's also indeterminate because as a result she is out of a job and won't be able to find work due to the lies Hilly will spread. For Skeeter the result is both happy and indeterminate as well. Even though she did complete her lifelong dream of getting something published, she can't take credit for it. Also she was forced to leave her sick mother to follow the dreams she has. The plot has so much unity, it flows and give the view of each character that connects to the plot and gives understanding to the reader. The ending is indeterminate, because their goal was achieved but the book also ends in a cliffhanger leaving the reader to interpret that either they were "punished" for their rebellion and truth or prised and protected for their bravery. I think the plot is very unified because nothing happens in the story where the reader has to question "Why was that added?" Everything is plain and simple. The ending is happy but also indeterminate. You aren't sure what might happen to Minny and Aibileen, but you know Skeeter's safe and you can assume that the other two women will survive, because they've learned to stand up for themselves. The plot has unity because all of the sub-plots contribute to the ultimate theme of the story and therefore make sense to include in the novel.The ending is more happy than indeterminate because most of the conflicts had been resolved. There were still Jim Crow laws and racists and more, but the question of whether to do anything about it had been acted upon and the results were not harmful to any of the central characters. The plot does have unity. There is a central purpose (writing/publishing the book without getting caught) and all of the events that led up to the completion of this purpose are written in a logical and chronological order. Also, the fact that each event can be traced back to some event in the past is very important because it means that that there are no parts of the story that were excluded; this keeps the amount of interpretation to a minimum. The continuity from chapter to chapter is excellent, but it is impossible to see where the story is going by reading the preceding chapter. This keeps the story interesting without making it predictable. The ending is definitely happy. Skeeter gets her job at Harper & Row, (her intention from the beginning), Minny is free from Leroy, and Aibileen is able to go on with her life in any way that she wants. 3: What means does the author use to reveal character? Are the characters sufficiently dramatized? What use is made of character contrasts? A major method by which the author reveals character is by the use of different points of view. This gives the reader several different perspectives on the characters, revealing them as round and developing characters. These different points of view are what allow for the characters to contrast, and this contrast is used to contrast

the opposing sides of the conflicts in the novel. Characters are sufficiently dramatized through their dialogue and interactions. The method the author uses is the shift in POV's. You get to see the same characters in different lights that are shed upon it due to this shifting. The reader is allowed to compare the characters opinions due to their own experiences and backgrounds (white person perspective v. A.A. perspective). The characters, by showing them this way, can't hide anything and can be seen as very rounded characters (not 2D). The author used multiple views, this helped reveal the personalities and ideas of each character understanding their situations. On a level the characters are dramatized sufficiently but on another they leave out some experiences that the reader could connect with, leaving the reader to interpret the character more on their own. Their change over the situation lets them contrast with their society and morals. The author uses point of view and also backstories in order to open up the reader to each character. The fact that they are writing a book filled with past stories gives an easy in to see the past of each of the characters. I believe with the use of other people's view of the characters plus their own view of themselves gives a great all around view. Character contrasts are not very dominant when it comes to the main characters because the entire point of their meetings is to show everyone that black women and white women aren't so different. The author uses conflict and point of view to reveal character. Constantly changing the point of view allows the reader to see one event in several different perspectives, one assigned to each character. Thus, each character has a specific style in which the reader comes to expect description, etc. The author uses conflict to reveal character because you get to see what their first instinct is when under pressure, and that provides insight to anyone's perception of a person. Character contrasts allow the reader to see the differences between the maids and the whites more clearly. Kathryn Stockett uses the other characters and their opinions to reveal a certain character. While this is true for most of the characters, it is impossible to get the whole picture on most characters. This is due to the lack of narration by the group of characters generally considered to be the antagonists. (Hilly and the other League Members) This, however, does not detract too much from the understanding of the character's motives because the slight variations in the opinions of the characters who are describing the character usually patch up any holes in the characterization. Character contrasts are not always made by the author, but often aspects of the characters are exposed for the purpose of letting the reader make the contrasts between two characters. 4:Is any of the characters a developing character? If so, is his change a large or a small one? Is it a plausible change for him? Is it sufficiently motivated? Is it given sufficient time? All three protagonists are developing characters. Aibileen changes from trying to fit into a society which refuses to accept her to empowering herself enough to realize that maybe society's acceptance wasn't the most important thing. Minny grows from an externally angry, internally conflicted woman to a woman who can stand up for herself while also facing new ideas. Skeeter shifts from feeling vaguely uncomfortable about Southern interactions, be it those between men and women, or race relations, or societal expectations, to focusing on how people are very similar, and becoming a woman with independent beliefs and thoughts. Mae Mobley is a minor developing character whose change from clingy with her mother to an independent spirit shows the novel's message of choice in one's beliefs. Given the characters' initial tendencies and the the yearlong timespan of the novel, the changes are given sufficient time. All the changes are given sufficient motivation in the form of societal pressure. Mae, Skeeter, Aibileen, and Minny are all developing characters. Mae develops the small sense of freedom in making her own choices and forming her own opinions. Skeeter realizes that society can be wrong and speaks out against it which is major because her mother was very social as well as her friends. Aibileen has a large change because she learns that opening up to someone and speaking out isn't always a bad thing. Minny has the biggest change because she realizes that not all white people are mean and that some actually care what A.A's have to say. She also realizes that she doesn't need a man to make her life complete. There's so much development that the characters go through from rebellion to growing into their skin and views. The change is a large one, one that moves the book forward, it motivated on a level but at points it

seems unrealistic and it's just there to move the book along. I believe that Minnie and Skeeter are mostly the developing characters. Skeeter begins as a whiny child, but as the story progresses, she becomes an incredible writer and an open-minded individual. Minnie's change is drastic; she goes from not being able to hold a job to finally walking out on her abusive husband. One could argue that nearly every character in the novel is a developing character. There's Skeeter, who grows emotionally and intellectually, Minny, Aibileen, and Stuart who grow emotionally, and many other people. The changes are different sizes depending on whether they were more heavily involved in a sub plot or the central plot. Any of the protagonists can be considered a developing character. Their changes are not huge, but they are very noticeable. Skeeter has gained a new appreciation for a group of people that she had taken for granted most of her life, and for her mother. She had previously thought of her mother as umbrage, but once her mother gets sick, she sees that Mrs. Phelan had just wanted her daughter to have a successful and happy life. Most of the changes in the characters are motivated by the new view of the other race that is furnished by the book. Because of the stories that Skeeter reads, she learns much about the Help that she didn't know before. Connected to this, the Help see a side of the white people by working with Skeeter.

5: Does the story have a theme? What is it? Is it implicit or explicit? The theme of the novel is that people aren't all that different. Despite the differences in skin color, gender, class, education, people are all people - they feel the same, they want similar things, they all hope and dream and engage in the same aspects of daily life. The theme is fairly explicit - it is very clear that the protagonists are shooting for racial equality, and Skeeter's dissatisfaction with the quality of her life points to her dislike of barriers between people. This clearly portrays the message. The theme is that Nonconformity is sometimes good. Skeeter tries to fit in so hard in the beginning of the book. When she starts noticing the way that the maids are being treated she tries to ignore it. Hilly says at one point that you can't argue with society. As Skeeter realizes how wrong Hilly is she begins writing this book even though it means giving up all of her friends, social standing, and a possible husband. She doesn't conform and it ends up being a good thing. The theme is to question if everything is how it should be, if its all that people can be and if it can't be better. That theme is explicit because that is what the story is about the development of the characters voices and their actions they took to reveal what is happening and how it's wrong and ironic to the public. The theme is questioning society. Skeeter, Aibileen, and Minny are questioning the norm and know how dangerous it is, but still they continue to write the book, publish it, and hope people respond to their rebellion. The theme is finding and sticking up for one's beliefs. This is implicit because the central characters' unachievable ideal was making change based on their beliefs, and the reader only sees the theme while they chase after that goal, but it still wasn't their original intention. The theme of the story is that dissonance is necessary for a society to function with all people on an equal level. Without it, one group forms a monopoly on the thinking and actions of the population and suppresses the thinking and actions of another. This can lead to, (as is evident in the book) the oppression of a whole group of people. The theme of this book is implicit, but it is not hidden too much. 6: Does the theme reinforce or oppose popular notions of life? Does it furnish a new insight or refresh or deepen an old one? The theme of the novel reinforces current popular notions of life, those of equality, which, at least in this time period, are generally accepted. It gives new insight to the lives of people in the South, but it uses this insight to refresh an older message. This message, being still applicable to life today, is given a new look through the approach the author takes to express the theme, giving the theme a new twist. The theme gives new insight on the people who lived in the deep South during this time period. It explores the

A.A POV as well as a not-so-racist Southern White girl. This relationship opens up a whole new insight while using the reader's current knowledge to deepen the message. The theme opposes the popular notions of life in the 1960s while in the 2000s this reinforces the popular notions. But it gives a new insight of what Mississipi was like in the 1960s but it also deepens the ideas of the civil rights we as humans have and deserve. The theme both reinforces and opposes popular notions of life in the 1960s because while The Southern opposition to the Civil Rights Movement at the time was well-known and heavily reinforced in this novel, it also opposes the idea that many people have of the time today that there were many, many people all over the country involved in both discrimination and protest. It furnishes new insight into the time period, because while the author was alive at the time and can accurately depict the notions of the time, many readers who were not alive at the time have hardly any insight into it. The theme reinforces the notions of life today, but completely opposes notions of life from the the1960s Southern aristocrats. It's a nice reminder of how recently hate was legal in America. The theme reinforces notions of life in our country today, but not in all countries around the world. The theme deepens an old one as of today, but in the time period that the book is written about, the theme would most definitely furnish a new one. The idea of going against society was unconventional and therefore not as widely accepted as it is today. 7: What advantages has the chosen point of view? Does it furnish any clues to the purpose of the story? The point of view is a shifting major first person point of view, moving between the internal thoughts of the protagonists. The point of view allows for hidden then revealed facts because of the shift. This builds some suspense. The importance placed on women through the selection of the narrators implies an importance of women in the story, giving the reader a hint as to an important aspect of the story. The fact that a 'different' white woman and two black women are chosen also indicates an importance on relationships. This shifting point of view allows for a good visual into the lives and interactions of many different people. The advantages that this shifting POV has are that you can see how different characters react in different situations (how Hilly acts with all white friends v. in the presence of the help). The reader's able to see the different perspectives on different people which let them understand the characters motivations by letting them see the emotions the characters feel. It makes all the characters seem more relatable because you can see emotions and grievances. The advantage it gives is a deeper insight of blacks and whites in the 1960s. It give clues to why we are the same and how horrible we can treat one another with ideas that can be enforced into our minds and as well as the hope and change we can do for the better. The advantages of the multiple points of view are a deeper understanding of the relationships between characters and the effects of certain events and actions which would otherwise be lost or overlooked. It provides clues as to the purpose of the story in that the reader can see one internal conflict the entire cast struggles with, which is the decision to expose the discrimination in Jackson. Seeing the story through three different viewpoints gives you a better insight into each of the characters and what others think of them, plus it shows both white and black woman minds, and it simply reassures the reader that they're not so different at all. The use of first person narration is very important because it lets the reader connect all of the parts for themselves and it keeps the door open for Ms. Stockett to omit any details that she feels should be saved until later. The largest of these details is the "terrible, awful thing" that Minny did to Hilly. If the pie had been exposed earlier, it would have released tension that is vital to the understanding of the story. 8: Does the author use POV primarily to reveal or conceal? Does he ever unfairly withholds important info known to the focal character?

The point of view is used to reveal. While it does conceal certain aspects of the stories, they are not withheld through the point of view - rather, the point of view is used to reveal those details when they become important. The use of POV allows for a build of suspense when information is temporarily withheld, but the way POV is usually used is the reveal these important aspects in order to move the story forward. In an interesting twist, the author reveals things in a novel about WRITING A BOOK THAT REVEALS STUFF! Mind blown... POV is used to reveal at the proper time. When the information is deemed unnecessary it is withheld to cause suspense and is given at the proper time by a certain character that helps the story move along. The Author used these multiple points of views to reveal these issues. At points it seems that she withholds the background on one of the characters, Minny. The author uses POV primarily to reveal, because if there weren't multiple points of view, the theme wouldn't have come off nearly as strong as it did. The author does conceal the actions Minny took against one of her former employers, but it was fair to do so because withholding the information made it more dramatic to the reader, and conveyed how drastic the action in question was to the characters involved. I believe POV is used to reveal each of the characters in a new light and to signify showing less difference. Minny's Terrible Awful is withheld until the very end, probably to keep from having the reader judge her too terribly before they know how horrible Ms. Hilly is and how sweet Minny can get. The first person POV is used to reveal what each of the characters thinks about each other one. These parts can then be connected by the reader into a painting of the characters, their actions, and motives. The only significant thing that is ever withheld from the reader is the Terrible Awful, but even that is exposed in full by the end of the book. 9: Does the story make use of symbols? If so, do the symbols carry or merely reinforce the meaning of the story? The story makes use of many symbols. Mae Mobley could be considered a symbol for society's distaste of differences, hope for the future, or the possibility of a fresh start. Aibileen could symbolize perseverance, as well as representing Dr. King's more peaceful outlook towards changing race relations. Minny, Gretchen, and Jessup represent the Malcolm X approach to civil rights. The cigarettes in Skeeter's life could represent her connection to society - she is becoming independent as she decides to quit, and goes back when her spirits are down. College and education are symbols of escape and hope for the future. The symbols reinforce the meaning of the story, and the basic message is carried, mostly, by the plot. All of the above. College could also represent the false hope for A.A. of becoming more independent. After they get their degree the only job they'll be able to get is a low paying job anyway. The story has so many symbols, Mae Mobley is a symbol for hope and what the future could be, a united society. And cigarettes, Miss Skeeter had started smoking at fourteen for a sense of freedom and rebellion for her under her mother's strict rules, cigarettes act as an oppressor on her freedom, when she start to write the book she started to quit smoking but as more and more pressure and hatred was thrown at her she started to smoke again. It reinforces the meaning of the story by showing how change is better for everyone. All of the symbols stated above. They carry and reinforce the meaning of the story. This is because the symbols themselves are also viewed as symbols by the central characters and contribute to the motivation behind their actions. And when the book ends, the reader looks back to the different details which happened to be symbols and carry with them the potency of the theme. So, pretty much I'm the last one to get here and all the symbols have been said. So, uhh, ditto... Only one more to add here; the symbol of the Bob Dylan music that Skeeter hears on the radio. When the line "For the times they are a-changin" is written it is a symbol for the effect that they hope the book will have. 10: Does the story anywhere utilize irony of situation? Dramatic irony? verbal irony? What functions do the ironies serve? There are a variety of ironies that occur in this novel, most of them relating to the laws and interactions between AAs and whites (such as the law about blind people of different races needing different schools

even though they cant see skin color). The ironies serve to bring attention to some of the stranger, more ridiculous aspects of racism in Jackson. For example: A.A can't use a bathroom they clean, Hilly eating the A.A poop and living even though that's not what the article claimed. The story uses irony to show how white women will hire black women to clean and cook for them but will not allow them to use the same toilet. As well as pointing out how most of the Jim Crow Laws are ironic. The whites believe that AAs are inferior, yet they entrust their children to their care. These ironies weaken the perceived conviction of the side of evil, thereby causing the reader to side with the characters who have proper motivation and reasoning, the side of good. The naked man running around calling Minny stupid. Hilly and Elizabeth's conversation discussing how "some people are racist." and all the other stuff above. The irony that Mr. and Ms. Leefolt are incapable of showing Mae Mobley and Ross any love or that they even care about their child, but are still deemed responsible enough to have as many children as they (or is it only Mr. Leefolt...) want. 11: Does the story offer chiefly escape or interpretation? How significant is the story's purpose? This story is primarily interpretation. It incorporates real world events with historical significance into the text, addressing a historical period and the issues that surrounded it, which are race relations, class relations, and, to some extent, gender relations. The purpose of this story, shedding light on these issues in a new and interesting way, allowing readers to further their understanding of the topic, is highly significant. Problems of equality amongst people can be seen throughout history and in the present day and age. This book uses fiction to highlight the different views on race in the civil rights movement, and this too shows an interpretive element, as it requires the reader to think and relate these fictitious accounts to the real events they represent in history. Interpretation because the story relates to a historical time period which is used to drive the book progress forward. This book is used to reveal these events and what was happening while the March on Washington was occurring; it revealed how it was to be a maid or an A.A. in the Deep South during this time period. It makes the reader think about the relations to then and now while seeing a different perspective on the 1960's. The story is interpretation and its significant to the story's purpose because it let the reader understand just how ridiculous society could be when it comes to a difference of color and how the impact of that view changes a culture and improve it later. The story chiefly offers interpretation. The story's purpose is to convey the importance of finding and defending one's beliefs, which is a timeless concept. It is incredibly significant because it's something that every reader can relate to, and setting it in the past provides a safe place to present the concept. Okay, so I'm going to disagree with all of the people before me and say that the story is both escape and interpretation. The story is based on real life events, but it is also an entertaining story with everyday heroes with bravery and adventure. This story is not entirely one or entirely the other. If it were only escape, these questions would be impossible to answer because the story would have been purely mind candy. There has to be an aspect of interpretation present. The interpretation that is present allows the reader to read deeper into the events instead of just taking the writing at face value. 12: What do you conceive to be the story's central purpose? How fully has it achieved this purpose? The story's central purpose is to reinforce the ideas of equality. The new twist and different point of view given to this purpose throughout the novel helps the purpose to be achieved more fully. The setting in the Deep South allows the author to point to real life events showing just how difficult the lives of these women could be. The plot chronicles the quest of three women to bring to the general populace the truth about being a maid. This movement of the story allows the reader to see new aspects of the maids' lives as well. The character development sheds new light on the abundance of different views regarding the central issue of racism,

reinforcing the idea of equality through the happy ending for those characters standing for equality. The central purpose is to spread awareness of the racial conflicts during this time period. By reading about three different characters POV's, all of which agree with the idea that segregation doesn't make sense; you can see how much racial differences affect them and their world. Seeing two A.A. women's perspective on their work and what they really think about those they work for enlightens the reader on the difficulties that these women faced working for people they dislike and who despise them. It also allows you to follow Minny as she fights against the lies of her past employer's daughter

The stories purpose is to express just how important today is and how people are the same and to question authority. Its achieved this completely it expressed all of these aspects. The story's central purpose is to communicate the need to find and defend one's beliefs. This is fully achieved and is expressed in all of these aspects. The story says that if you don't like something, change it. The purpose is perfectly achieved. The purpose of the story is to educate people on the social dynamics of the American South in the 1960's. It was written to show that though racism was rampant and that hate had permeated nearly level of the society, change had begun. It also shows that not every family that had "help" disrespected them. This is shown through Mae Mobley's love for Aibileen, Skeeter's love for Constantine, and, in the essay in the back of the book, Ms. Stockett's love for her own maid.