<p>Intriguing comment. I guess my initial reaction is that Lulubelle would be less than receptive to Skeeter. Nobody’s mentioned Lulabelle’s behavior when she visits Mississippi. I understand Lulabelle’s resentment and unhappiness, but she knows exactly the ruckus she’s causing with her actions - and it seems that she chooses a time and place that can only cause heartache for her mother in the long run. I don’t excuse Skeeter’s mother, but neither do I really excuse Lulabelle. My thoughts turn to Constantine, caught in the middle (between a rock - Skeeter’s mom - and a hard place - Lulabelle). I think Lulabelle arrives thinking only of Lulabelle and nobody else. Sad - Constantine loves Lulabelle (and has enough maternal guilt without Lulabelle needing to add to it) and so looks forward to her visit. I hope that Constantine’s short time in Chicago heals some rifts, but Lulabelle seems so angry - and I’m sure realizing her mother’s lies makes her more so (in addition to having Skeeter’s mother be the one to impart the information). </p>
<p>I do like the idea of Skeeter reaching out to Lulabelle. Perhaps a long letter letting Lulabelle know how much Constantine meant to her - broaching the idea of perhaps visiting at some point - and, of course, accompanied by her book. (I wondered if Lulabelle ever saw the book after it was published.)</p>
agree. I always felt pridefully tolerant but when my own child came out realized how very comfortable people feel expressing homophobic views publicly. I used to ignore this behavior. Now I don’t. I should never have ignored it.</p>
<p>I kind of thought Stockett’s view might be explained on page 353. Stuart, in talking to Skeeter of his meeting with Patricia,
</p>
<p>The way I read this: For Stuart and all his female peers in Junior League it isn’t just about rejecting Hilly. It is about rejecting a whole way of life. They had to object to what Hilly stood for and that was too much to even contemplate. They are all sell-outs, whores. (well maybe that’s a little strong! lol) When Hilly takes control of the newsletter away from Skeeter neither Rachel Cole Brant, working on her MA in Eglish at Millsaps, or ditzy Leslie Fullerbean object even though they seem to be shocked and ask her what is going on. Right now there are women questioning but no one willing to act.</p>
<p>( * Leslie Fullerbean, staring at me with eyes so wide I can see there isn’t anything back there where her brain should be.*) page 351</p>
<p>I think it is Johnny (who doesn’t marry her), and eventually Celia, who do stand up to Hilly.
page 341</p>
<p>I was never so worried as some of you about Celia’s future because I always saw it as inevitably and completely outside the Junior League, bridge club, sorority alum social circle. But that other social circle is going to come into being in the next couple of decades. Actually it already exists, Johnny and Celia just have to find it. Though, to be honest, a whole lot of people did leave Mississippi and especially during the mid to late 60’s. Some, who did stand up to the system, were too frightened for their families’ safety to remain there. Stockett (does anyone know how old she is? I can’t find it.) is part of a later emigration.</p>
<p>I started out feeling this was a pretty trite book with only a very provocative voice to make it interesting. After “discussing” it with all of you, I understand it has a lot more value. Thank you. And especially thanks to Mary and to southjerseychessmom for all the links!</p>
<p>ignatius, on first read that was my take, too. After thinking about it, I wonder if it is possible Lulabelle, with her disruptive and grief causing behavior, is “standing-up” to the system. She comes in the front door and fills out a form to be a member of the DAR. Her family has been in the country since the revolution, so she does fit the official membership profile. I think there was really no way to stand up to Hilly and what she represents without a degree of rudeness that is sort of antithetical to a traditional white southern junior league DAR type upbringing. Is it possible that Lulabelle might have opened some eyes and done some good?</p>
<p>Oh Dear! I’m so very sorry for taking up so much space!!! and not waiting my turn. but this really has been a very meaningful thread to me and given me a whole lot to think about.</p>
<p>I agree - and I think Lulabelle justifies her actions along those lines. However, I still think that she hurt Constantine most with her behavior though, and I’m not convinced that Lulabelle means to do more than disrupt at the time. Certainly the DAR ladies remain unaware - so she accomplishes nothing with her actions in regard to standing up to the system, but Constantine loses her job - along with her home. (It worried me that Constantine died within weeks of following Lulabelle to Chicago.) On the other hand, I respected Gretchen - who told Skeeter exactly what she thought of her and her book - when Gretchen joins the others to tell her story. Perhaps Gretchen embarrasses Aibileen, but she lets her voice be clearly heard when her turn to speak comes.</p>
<p>Achieving a greater understanding of a book—and the author’s intent—is, for me, a great benefit of our CC book club threads. I was especially aware of this after finishing The Thirteenth Tale. I closed the novel and thought, “Well, that was entertaining, but I don’t think there’s enough there to sustain a discussion.” 126 posts later, it was pretty clear I was wrong (not the first time ;))</p>
<p>Even though there’s no question that we’re still fighting the battle against prejudice, I think we’ve been fortunate to witness advancement with every generation. Each student in my daughter’s sixth grade class has to memorize Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech. As my daughter recited the speech in the car on the way to school today, I thought of the setting and era of The Help–“ I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.” And I couldn’t help but compare my daughter’s classroom to Mae Mobley’s. Imagine how Mr. Leefolt would have responded to that type of assignment!</p>
<p>Katie Couric has an interview with Kathryn Stockett that’s worth listening to - google the two names or the link’s on the front page of the Huffington Post.</p>
<p>DreamWorks Studios has acquired Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling novel The Help. Set in the 1960s, the project, which centers on Southern white women and their black housekeepers, had already been optioned by Stockett’s childhood friend rookie director Tate Taylor. He also adapted the script with a lot of consultation from Stockett. According to DreamWorks co-president of production Holly Bario, she and studio chief Stacey Snider had been tracking The Help for over a year and met with Taylor after he finished his script. “We had a good solid meeting with him last week,” said Bario. “He met with Steven [Spielberg]. He watched movies with Steven. We are in it.”</p>
<p>With not a lot of rewrites expected on the adaptation, which is also being produced by Taylor’s producing partner Brunson Green and Percy Jackson director Chris Columbus, the studio hopes to begin shooting the film this summer in Mississippi. That’s got to be good news to the legion of Help fans who have kept the novel on The New York Times Best Sellers list for 47 weeks.</p>
<p>As for the cast, nothing has been set but Bario is equally excited about that part of the process. “The casting process is going to be the most fun part about this. This is a total tour de force for women.”</p>
<p>Read the book this weekend. I read most of this thread before I read the book so I couldn’t wait to re-read today. </p>
<p>I enjoyed the different voices and thought it better represented the difference perspectives. I liked how Skeeter’s character matured and how she made a choice to open her eyes to the truth and act on it on spite of the consequences. She was only 23 in this story. She chose to live a different life. Very brave. She of course had a choice. The black women had few if any choices.</p>
<p>^ At times, I got a bit impatient with Skeeter, but I tended to forget the fact that she was only 23. That makes her accomplishment truly extraordinary (especially in light of my own beloved but slightly less productive 23 year old…;)) </p>
<p>This seems like a good thread to note that last night at the Oscars, best supporting actress Mo’Nique paid tribute to “Gone with the Wind” actress Hattie McDaniel. In his column this morning, Roger Ebert wrote that, “At that time, the Oscars were announced at an academy dinner, and McDaniel was required to sit at a table by herself.”</p>
<p>I said I would report back on Half Broke Horses so here I am. I enjoyed it. I do wish I had read it before Glass Castles as it is about the author’s grandmother and Glass Castles is about her mother. My book club all seemed to enjoy the book and we were all glad we weren’t part of this family. I would add it to the list to read.</p>