The Help

On the news, Aibileen watches 250,000 people gather in Washington D.C. for a civil rights march and listens to Martin Luther King deliver his “I Have a Dream” speech. She thinks about how different Mississippi is from the rest of the world. Aibileen still tells Mae Mobley “secret stories” (295) that she makes up to teach her that white and Black people are the same on the inside. Today, she tells Mae Mobley about a wise Martian named “Martian Luther King” (296); when he came to earth, people were mean to him because he was green.

It’s late October and Miss Leefolt is still pregnant three weeks past her due date. Aibileen and Skeeter have four more chapters to finalize before the January 10 deadline, and Aibileen wonders if they’ll be able to finish in time. This week, while Miss Leefolt hosts bridge club, Celia Foote shows up on her doorstep asking to help with the upcoming Children’s Benefit. Miss Hilly says they don’t need any help, but invites her to attend, intentionally embarrassing Celia by asking her to buy tickets for her friends, knowing full well she doesn’t have any. In the conversation, Celia mentions that Minny is her maid, and Aibileen freezes.