A Study of Kathryn Stockett’s The Help from Patricia Hill Collins’ View: A Black Feminist Study

Kathryn Stockett (1948) is an American writer whose book called The Help (2008) became so popular and famous in that time. She has not written many books yet this book has so much to tell about a permanent problem even in modern era. The oppression of black females, sexism, racism and social differences are reflected in her book. Actually she dramatizes the difficulties that black females undergo throughout their life. The Help shows the life experience of different black maids from their own perspective. Since the world view of black females is different from white females’, looking at world through the characters’ point of view makes reader feel that experience and observation. The relationship of black females with each other and the way they are treated in male and white society are reflected in this story. There have been different philosophers in black feminist movements who contributed to this movement a big deal. One of the most important socialists is Patricia Hill Collins (1948) whose work is a cross field of race, class and gender and the effects on these issues in society. Patricia Hill Collins explains practices that oppress the gender and sex which is related to an especial race and determine the way different sexes are treated in that community. To do so she introduces different images that shape in a racist society and people customize them and consider them real that are associated with black females. These stereotypes persist in such society so that black women can be oppressed. The aim of this paper is to show these ideas that are prevalent throughout the novel by Kathryn Stockett.