The Help

Kathryn Stockett's 'The Help' is based around the early 1960s, focusing on the racial treatment of America's citizens. With the narrative set in Jackson, Mississippi, Stockett describes the height of racial segregation and mistreatment.

The narrative structure of the novel is quite unusual for something around this subject. The novel is narrated by three women, who are all very different from each other. Minny, a black maid known for her confidence and capability to speak her mind; Aibileen, a black maid who's overcoming the loss of her son Treelore; and Miss Skeeter, a white woman who has a dream to become a big-time writer. It's revealed that Skeeter had been brought up by black maids from a young age, as white women didn't bring up their own children, and wants to find her maid Constantine who vanished after she returned from college.

Aibileen is the maid to the Leefolt family, and through her perspective the harsh reality of working for a white family is revealed. Stockett manages to merge fact and fiction together so that we're given an image of what life would have really been like in the height of racism in America. The reader is able to affiliate with Aibileen's character as she's seen a lot of good and bad things throughout her life in work.When looking after Mae Mobley, the Leefolt's daughter, it's explained to us that looking after a child is a lot harder than it's cracked up to be.  Through Aibileen's character, we can witness the lack of emotion Elizabeth Leefolt has for her daughter, expressed through the physical and emotional harm that she puts her daughter through - leaving the black help to clean up their mess.

Aibileen's best friend, Minny, is portrayed to be slightly hot headed when it comes to her white superiors - although we see her vulnerable side through the domestic violence that's revealed throughout the novel. Minny worked for Miss Hilly until she committed the 'terrible awful thing'. Miss Hilly is at the top of the hierarchy in terms of superiority and goes to all lengths to try to make Minny's life hell and ensures that she doesn't find work in Jackson ever again. However, Minny does find employment again, working for Miss Celia Foote. Celia is an odd character that Stockett has decided to use, but she brings out the good side of Minny. Celia's character doesn't understand racism and why it exists and is unsure of how to treat Minny due to the expectations of those around her. 

Miss Skeeter's character is represented as hopeful for the future of America and wants to make a change herself. Wanting to be a published writer, and seeing the way the black community around her are treated, she decides to write a book of interviews from the perspective of the maids. When Skeeter has this idea of a book, she teams up with Aibileen and Minny to help reveal the cruel and dreadful experiences they have come across when working for the people who discriminate against them. A friendship is created between the three women and a sense of female solidarity is formed. However, with her dream of becoming a published writer, she's somewhat held back by the white community and the fear that she will be found out for committing to such an 'awful' thing. Skeeter is combating with the themes of love, illness and societal status in order to achieve her lifelong dream.

Through the themes of love, hate, racism and sisterhood, Stockett is able to convey what life would've been like through the eyes of a white and black woman - therefore giving us an idea of how much society had moved fowards. Stockett explores the different emotions of the women, from happiness to sadness. By educating people on life in the 1960s, through some of her personal experiences with maids herself, Stockett is able to create an image of the segregated society of America that has developed into what we know today. Throughout the novel, the life of these three women is revealed in immense detail that will make you want to laugh, cry and reflect on the way society has changed.

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is one of F.Scott Fitzgerald’s most popular novels of his career. With his artistic use of symbols and hidden meanings, Fitzgerald is able to express the conflict between old and new money in America in the 1920s.

Gatsby is nothing more than a man that is desperate to be wanted by the love of his life, Daisy. The narrative is structured and told through the voice of Nick Carraway, a Yale graduate who is both ‘within and without’, feeling a part of and separate from his surroundings. Through the narration of Nick, the reader finds out information as Nick does – this makes the reader feel involved in the narrative which is an effective use of narration by Fitzgerald. Moving to New York, Nick rents a small house next to the well known millionaire, Jay Gatsby.

Gatsby is well known throughout New York for his extravagant parties which people from all over New York attend. Nobody is aware of who Gatsby is due to the mysterious qualities of his character. Throughout the novel, he seems to be the centre of gossip with the confusion of who he really is – “I heard he was a German spy”.  However, despite his extravagant lifestyle, Gatsby seems dissatisfied. It’s revealed, through the character of Nick, that Gatsby is in love with a young female called Daisy. However, Daisy is already married to Tom Buchanan. Nick is used by Fitzgerald to help bring the two lovers back together, eventually arranging for them to have tea at Nick’s house.

Throughout the novel, there is a tension between Gatsby and Tom as they fight for Daisy’s love. Through this conflict, Fitzgerald is able to define the differences between those of old money and those of new money. The traditional values of those with old money, such as Tom and Daisy, seems to overrule those of new money, such as Gatsby. New money meant new traditions and values, shown through the emerging flappers and changing roles for both men and women. Gatsby uses his wealth to attempt to gain back his lover. For example, he purchases a mansion opposite to Daisy’s house with the hope that she’ll notice him for his parties that are known of throughout New York.

Wealth is explored throughout the novel by Fitzgerald, mostly through the character Nick. Gatsby’s power and status throughout the novel is controlled by his wealth; he uses this wealth to create a world which he thinks will help him to gain back Daisy and her love. After all, Gatsby’s entire life has been focused on winning back Daisy. Ultimately, Gatsby creates himself around fake values – the values of the American Dream. Gatsby gives his everything to win Daisy’s love, both physically and emotionally. This obsessive desire for Daisy’s love eventually leads to his downfall.

The use of symbols by Fitzgerald is extremely effective throughout the novel as he uses them to express the emotions of the characters. The green light is used throughout the novel as a symbol of hope for Gatsby. The light is positioned outside Daisy’s house which Gatsby uses as his motivation to rekindle their love. Fitzgerald also uses the telephone as a motif to break the tension in many different scenes throughout the novel. The telephone is often used when there is a row between Tom and Daisy and the tension needs breaking; however, on the other side of the phone is often Tom’s mistress, Myrtle. By using Myrtle’s character to break up the arguments could be suggesting to the reader that she will eventually break up their relationship.

Ironically, the slothful rich pull through this novel, through which Fitzgerald expresses the injustice of the world. Those of West Egg, such as Daisy and Tom, are enabled to continue to be careless and cruel in their behaviour. Fitzgerald implies that it is the nature of those of West Egg to be careless with their actions when involving other people into their problems.

The Great Gatsby can be considered as a heartbreaking novel as the characters with big dreams are unable to reach their aspirations. The main message that Fitzgerald gives throughout the novel is that dreaming will lead to despair and eventually to that character’s tragic downfall. If you enjoy books crammed with hope, love and disappointment then this book is perfect for you. Expect to reflect on the differences between different statuses in society through this amazing piece of literature by F.Scott Fitzgerald.

The Fault In Our Stars

 

The Fault in Our Stars, also known as TFIOS to its huge fan base, has got to be one of John Green’s most popular and interesting young adult novels.

A story about a young female, Hazel Grace, who is diagnosed with lung cancer at a young age and is now facing up to the idea that she isn’t going to live forever. Hazel meets a young male named Augustus Waters at a support group, which at first she is reluctant to go to. Augustus is described as pleasant, confident and humorous with his never ending witty comments. Green portrays him to be a slightly comedic character as he often makes inconsiderate remarks about himself and his loss of a limb, due to his diagnosis of a rare bone cancer a few years ago.

Hazel and Augustus undertake a journey of mixed emotions, including love, hate, disappointment and sadness. Their journey takes them all the way to Amsterdam in search of Peter Van Houten, the author of their favourite book An Imperial Affliction. Their trip to a distant part of the Earth brings them a lifetime of happiness and heartbreaking memories.

The novel in itself isn’t the average teen fiction. When looking at the way the it’s written, Green uses quite complex language and deep meanings to express the feelings and inner thoughts of Hazel and Augustus. He portrays them to be mature characters who are living ahead of their time – this is most probably due to the limited time that the characters do or don’t have left. Hazel’s character demonstrates to the reader that everyday actions such as breathing and climbing the stairs are taken for granted by the majority of humans, as they don’t understand suffering like she does.

When reading the novel a question occurred to me, why are the human race so interested in the suffering of other people? We’re always wanting to know more about someone’s unfortunate circumstances, as is shown in Green’s novel as we’re itching to find out what could possibly happen between Hazel and Augustus. This abnormal interest is followed up by Green throughout the novel as he makes remarks on the way the characters are treated by the public – like incapable human beings.

Overall, I would definitely recommend The Fault in Our Stars to its target audience of teenagers and young adults. However, I probably wouldn’t encourage the novel to older and maturer adults as the context wouldn’t be understood the same due to the way Green has used language and technique to create deeper meanings that the target audience would understand. Green offers a variety of intriguing insights into the idea of morals and mortality. He does this through the characters of Hazel and Augustus – Green continuously compares the two characters and their different outlooks of life. Hazel is content with dying as an unknown and unnoticed human being, whereas Augustus feels as though life is meaningless unless he achieves the honour he believes he deserves.

The popular novel has recently been adapted into a film, which is equally as good as the novel itself. Of course, the book is better due to its capability to draw the audience in and leave them on the edge of their seats. However, the film has done the novel quite a few favours in terms of popularity and worldwide fame for its author.

This novel is both touching and humorous through Green’s clever use of language and technique to intrigue his ever growing audience. If you’re into young adult books full of humour and life changing events then this book is perfect for you. Expect to cry, laugh and reflect on the way you treat others through this wonderful piece of literature by John Green.