Approach of the Study Method of the Study

27 Unfortunately, when she comes back from college, she finds out that Constantine left. She has no idea why Constantine left her and no one tells her the truth. Skeeter is an egalitarian. The writer analyzes her egalitarian behavior based on an Egalitarianism study by Arneson. The indication that she is an egalitarian is the fact that she believes that African American should get the same, or be treated equal with white people. Even though she is a white American, Skeeter has a high sense of humanity and she disagrees with those who try to discriminate minorities, in this context is African Americans. Skeeter even refuses when her best friend, Hilly insists to print the Home Help Sanitation Initiative, a bill that will require all white homes to separate the bathroom for their African American employees. Based on Murphy 1972, p.163, a character‘s personality can be seen through the speech with other character. In this case, Skeeter‘s conversation with Hilly Holbrook is the evidence. ―I told you five months ago to print my initiative and now another week has passed and you still haven‘t followed my instructions.‖ I stare at her and my anger is sudden, ferocious. Everything I‘ve kept down for months rises and erupts in my throat. ―I will not print that initiative.‖ p. 286. Her childhood experience created her egalitarian personality. An African American maid who raised her named Constantine is her biggest influence in respecting African Americans. Constantine makes Skeeter a better person at heart. Constantine used to live in Hotstack, a small neighborhood about a mile away from Skeeter‘s house. When Skeeter was a girl, her mother let her to go to Constantine‘s house. Her mother would tell her to be nice with the little African American girls down there. Skeeter does not understand why she would not be 28 nice because she considers they are all the same. She has no idea about racial discrimination. She adores Constantine a lot because Constantine treats Skeeter like her own child. When things changes around her now, she can tell that the situation is wrong. People are not friendly with African American anymore. Her heart pushes her to do something about it. She cannot handle whenever Hilly or other people treat African Americans like slaves who should obey the rules white people make to them. ―These is white rules. I don‘t know which ones you following and which ones you ain‘t.‖ We look at each other a second. ―I‘m tired of the rules,‖ I say. Aibileen chuckles and looks out the window. I realize how thin this revelation must sound to her p. 158. Even Aibileen, who already built a good relationship with Skeeter, still thinks about the rules because she does not want to do something wrong. Skeeter thinks about what she is going to do with the situation because she cannot just stand there watching and do nothing. Her decision to write a book is the way she helps Aibileen and her fellow maids to speak the truth from their point of views. Skeeter Phelan is a hard worker. She is the only one from her circle who graduated from Ole Miss. Most of her best friends left college to be married. While other girls prefer to have fun with boys and parties, she reads books and writes a lot. The writer obtains the evidence from Skeeter‘s ―personal description‖ Murphy, 1972, p.161. No one could argue that I hadn‘t worked hard at Ole Miss. While my friends were out drinking rum and Cokes at Phi Delta Theta parties and pinning on mum corsages, I sat in the study and wrote for hours —mostly terms papers but also short stories, bad poetry, episodes of Dr. Kildare, Pall Mall jingles, letters of complaint, ransom notes, love letters to boys I‘d seen in class but hadn‘t had the nerve to speak to, all of which I never mailed. Sure, I dreamed of having foot-ball dates, but my real dream was 29 that one day I would write something that people would actually read p. 60. After graduated, she applied for a job as an editor in Harper and Row New York, but unfortunately she received a mail from Elaine Stein, the senior, saying that to be an editor, she needs more experience. In order to find more experience, she applied a job at Jackson Journal. She got the job as a columnist who writes about housekeeping stuff. Meanwhile, Elaine Stein challenged Skeeter to write something original and she might get another chance to work in New York. ..... Don’t waste your time on the obvious things. Write about what disturbs you, particularly if it bothers no one else. Yours sincerely, Elaine Stein, Senior Editor, Adult Book Division p. 73. Skeeter keeps thinking about the letters. After she receives it, she starts to list all of the ideas and topics that pop out in her head. Another evidence which shows her characteristic as a hard worker is the way she reacts with her sadness the moment she broke up with her boyfriend. She said, ―instead of feeling sorry for myself every minute of the day, I work, I type, I sweat ‖ p. 283. Her statement is also the evidence of her hard-working characteristic. Skeeter is a brave woman. One day, Aibileen and Skeeter are talking and Aibileen tells about her son. Skeeter does not know Aibileen had a son because he passed away two years ago. Aibileen says that her son also wants to be a writer. ―Say he gone write himself a book.‖ ―What kind of idea?‖ I ask. ―I mean, if you don‘t mind telling...‖ Aibileen says nothing for a while. Keeps peeling tomatoes around and around. ―He read this book called Invisible Man. When he done, he say he gone write down what it was like to be colored working for a white man in Mississippi p.87.‖ 30 Skeeter thinks that it is a brave idea. She decides to write the compilation of interviews with African Americans maids who work for white families in a book form. She plans to gather information from several maids working for white families in Jackson, Mississippi, and they are all going to tell the truth whether it is good or bad. She tells Aibileen about it and she wants to make a book based on this idea. At first Aibileen is very excited with Skeeter‘s idea. When Skeeter says that the book will be about what it is like to work for a white family, Aibileen shows a little doubt. The writer analyzes Skeeter‘s brave characteristic from another c haracter‘s thought Murphy, 1972, p.162. Aibileen‘s thought about Skeeter when Skeeter decides to write the book about the African American maids is the proof. I look around. We out here in the wide open. Don‘t she know how dangerous this could be, talking about this while the whole world can see us? ―Exactly what kind a stories you think you gone hear?‖ ―What you get paid, how they treat you, the bathrooms, the babies, all the things you‘ve seen, good and bad.‖ She looks excited, like this is some kind a game. For a second, I think I might be more mad than I am tired. ―Miss Skeeter,‖ I whisper, ―do that sound kind a dangerous to you? ―p.105. Skeeter‘s decision in writing Help is risky and dangerous. She will not only put herself in danger, but also everyone who will be involved in the writing process of the book. Skeeter is a determined person. Her reactions on some hard situations during the writing process shows the characteristic. According to Murphy 1972, p.168, the character‘s reaction on some situations in the story is the clue the author gives to the reader. The writer concludes that she is a determined person from her effort to finish the book no matter what the obstacles are. It is not easy