The Help question

It absolutely affects how I connected with The Help. I was born and raised in Mississippi. My grandmother was "the help" for a very rich white family. I remember the day that she was allowed to ride up front in the employers car, and the expression on the faces of those who observed. I did not understand the layers at the time but now it makes more sense. Location and viewpoints of people definitely affect the mental feelings and emotions that are stirred up when reading novels, especially The Help.

When the movie was in the cinema, a lady stated "We didn't treat our help that way." My mother said "You totally missed the point."

Must do. Growing up in the 60s and 70s in Bavaria, Germany, I hadn't even heard of segregation until I was 12/13 and even then I thought it was something way in the past. Skin colour didn't matter at all (although other things did) and I only really became aware of how much an issue it is (and I do think it still is) when I read more about it and watched more films where colour was an issue. I now live in England, and whilst colour is an issue, clearly to a much lesser degree than in the USA. Unfortunately religious-hatred, never mind which religion, seems to take its place, which might be "coloured" by race issues. I can imagine that if I had grown up in the American South, it might have been much harder to "realise" how terrible segregation and race hate is.

It really does. I've heard comments about how the author is being disrespectful to black people by the way she portrays their speech in this book.

My family on my mother's side (white) is from Mobile, Alabama. I immediately identified with the speech in this book - my childhood was spent around people - both black and white - who spoke EXACTLY like it's portrayed in this book.

It wasn't insulting. It's just how it was.

When I was 8-9 yrs my family took a road trip from Pennsylvania USA all the way down to Florida. In the deep South states I had a hard time grasping why there where all those signs posted for White and Colored. I believed then, as I do now, that all humans are humans and are due respect regardless of the color of their skin. Now, when I watch documentaries on the Civil Rights Movement my heart breaks just as it does when I watch or read anything about our country's stances on slavery or what the white man did to native Indians. Just today, I talked with a man (estimate age at 80+) born and raised in Atlanta, GA. What a bigoted, racist, old white man he is. One that stated Atlanta went to hell when all those civil rights groups moved in and the low life blacks took over the city. He proudly talked about pulling a gun many times on those (N word). I could barely tolerate being in his presence.

GT
www.gttrickle.com

I like some of you hate the people are treated because of the color of there skin, fat/skinny, freckles, what ever. When I went to see the movie it was the first showing in my town. I didn't know until the movie was over but the theater was full of white people only. When the movie was over the place started clapping and everyone was standing. It made me cry. I was so proud of those there in respect to the suffering of human beings. I like to think things are better but I don't know. Regina and any others I'm glad you mentioned sending up prayers. That is the only way we will win.

My father is from Maryland (the free state). His experiences were different growing up. I grew up in the northern states PA and NY. I'm a Yankee through and through. I don't really like the south overall as a whole. Some states are ok, the people I've met have been kind also. That being said though, I've seen and experienced the most racism in the south.

Yeah. Let's send up lots more prayers. We've only been doing it for two thousand years, there's time yet for it to change something.