Thursday, July 14, 2011

In The Help by Kathryn Stockett, how is racism more prominent in the book than it is in the film?

I’m not sure that racism is more prominent in the book than in the film. It may be just that the book can paint more pictures in readers’ imaginations than the film can illustrate in two-and-a-half hours of motion. In this respect, yes, more deliberate instances of racism and prejudice appear in the book. For example, Aibileen isn’t allowed to check books out of the white library in Jackson, so Skeeter checks them out for her. This act isn’t referenced at all in the film. Hilly goes on about her bathroom initiative much more often in the book than in the film. We hear of more violence and unrest on the streets of Jackson in the book. Yet, the filmmakers were subtle but strong in depicting the divide between black and white people. We see African Americans quietly using other entrances for public facilities. We see a “Whites Only” sign painted on the side of a taxicab. We see all of the black maids, impeccably dressed in their housekeeper uniforms, as they get off the bus to go to their jobs at the big estates. So, while the book “tells” additional stories relevant to the theme, the film “shows” in other ways how the racial divide manifests in this environment.

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