I just finished reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. The story was so well written. Told from the perspective of three women, I truly felt like I could hear each of their voices as they said their piece. Sometimes I feel like I understand prejudice...our innate fear of that which is different and unknown. But this took it to a whole new level. To say in one breath that the colored people of their community carried diseases so dangerous that they could not use the same bathroom, then simply turn around and hand over their children to be raised by them!! How do you reconcile such polar opposites in your mind?
Of course the saddest part of the story, to me, was the part about raising children. I was outraged and heartbroken by the white women who so willingly abandoned their children to be raised by others, and my heart just ached for Aibleen as I watched her relationship with Mae Mobley unfold. Once when I was studying the Civil War, I read that people from the North supported an end to slavery, and black people as a group, but had little to no respect for the individual. Whereas the people from the south had no affection for the race, but great love for the individuals who served in their homes. This book was such a perfect illustration of that terrible tension.
Overall it was a great journey to go on. Both entertaining and enlightening. It was most shocking when I connected how recently the fictional events took place. When I read about civil rights, I think of it as something from the history books. So far removed from our world today. But it wasn't that long ago. My own parents were children at the time these events occurred. That alone is sort of mind boggling.
The story also reminded me that values cannot be faked. A person might be able to put on a good show, but at some point your true beliefs will always come out. At this point I'm not even talking just about prejudice against race. There are certain places in the world where I feel like the value I place on having a family is under scrutiny. In these places my choices are praised and encouraged with words, yet shunned and even punished by the actions that reflect their true feelings.
Of course the saddest part of the story, to me, was the part about raising children. I was outraged and heartbroken by the white women who so willingly abandoned their children to be raised by others, and my heart just ached for Aibleen as I watched her relationship with Mae Mobley unfold. Once when I was studying the Civil War, I read that people from the North supported an end to slavery, and black people as a group, but had little to no respect for the individual. Whereas the people from the south had no affection for the race, but great love for the individuals who served in their homes. This book was such a perfect illustration of that terrible tension.
Overall it was a great journey to go on. Both entertaining and enlightening. It was most shocking when I connected how recently the fictional events took place. When I read about civil rights, I think of it as something from the history books. So far removed from our world today. But it wasn't that long ago. My own parents were children at the time these events occurred. That alone is sort of mind boggling.
The story also reminded me that values cannot be faked. A person might be able to put on a good show, but at some point your true beliefs will always come out. At this point I'm not even talking just about prejudice against race. There are certain places in the world where I feel like the value I place on having a family is under scrutiny. In these places my choices are praised and encouraged with words, yet shunned and even punished by the actions that reflect their true feelings.
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