The Help

At a meeting in Aibileen’s house, Skeeter asks if they can get Minny’s husband Leroy’s perspective for the book. Minny, with a bruise on her arm from Leroy’s abuse, gets up to leave, saying she won’t help with the book anymore because it’s becoming too personal. To convince Minny to stay, Aibileen shows her a list that Skeeter brought: Miss Hilly’s reasons why Black domestic workers need their own bathroom. Seeing the list makes Minny riled up enough to keep going with the interviews.

Hilly and her two kids, Heather and William Jr., come to Elizabeth’s house for a play date with Mae Mobley. Aibileen can see how much Miss Hilly loves her kids. Seeing the mutual love between them makes her think about Treelore. As much as she dislikes Miss Hilly, she “appreciate[s] seeing a child adoring they mama” (185).

Hilly keeps talking about the bathroom initiative, asking Aibileen if she likes having her own toilet even though it’s been months since it was built. Aibileen hates that Mae Mobley can hear her agreeing with Miss Hilly’s “separate but equal” talk (185) and speaks up when Hilly asks her if she would want to go to a school full of white people.