Save the Cat! Writes a Novel

by Jessica Brody

  7. B Story/Aibileen and Skeeter (page 167)

  Aibileen and Skeeter are each other’s B Story characters. Through her stories, Aibileen teaches Skeeter what it’s really like to be a maid and what the institution looks like from the inside, while Skeeter helps Aibileen find her voice and pushes her to tell her story, something she would never have done without Skeeter’s book idea.

  The more they work on the book together, the more they bond. Aibileen starts opening up more and more to Skeeter.

  8. Fun and Games (cont’d)/Minny (pages 45–226)

  Minny continues to clean Celia’s home. Celia is still acting strangely, lying in bed all day. Celia keeps trying to get a hold of Hilly so she can hang out with her, but Hilly keeps snubbing her. Minny is relieved. If they ever connect, Hilly will tell Celia to fire Minny for what Minny did to her (the “terrible awful” thing that Minny still hasn’t revealed).

  Back at home, Minny’s husband, Leroy, threatens Minny and the kids not to get involved with the civil rights movement, as it’s too dangerous.

  Minny realizes she’s starting to care about Celia when she finds hidden alcohol and thinks Celia has been drinking. She gets mad (Minny’s father and husband are both alcoholics). Minny and Celia argue, and Celia fires Minny.

  Thanks to Aibileen, Minny also starts to realize how good she has it at Celia’s house and goes to beg for her job back. When she gets there, she finds Celia in the bathroom, surrounded by blood. She’s miscarried her baby (she was five months pregnant). This is the fourth baby she’s lost. The “alcohol” that Minny thought she saw was actually a tonic intended to help Celia get and stay pregnant.

  9. Midpoint/All (pages 290–298)

  Skeeter finds out that Yule May, Hilly’s maid, is interested in sharing her story. But then, soon after, she receives a letter from Yule May explaining why she can’t share her story. She’s in prison because of Hilly Holbrook. Yule May and her husband had only enough money to send one of their twin sons to college, so she stole a ring from Hilly (one that Skeeter claims Hilly didn’t even like) to try to make up the difference. Hilly found out and had her arrested.

  When Skeeter gets to Aibileen’s house that night, there are maids lined up to tell their stories, all angry about what Hilly did to Yule May. Skeeter and Aibileen definitely have enough for their book.

  On page 297, Skeeter says, “My relief is bitter, that it took Yule May’s internment to bring us to this.”

  After everyone has signed up and left, Skeeter notes Minny standing in the corner. “But I see it, the flicker on her mouth, a hint of a softness beneath the anger. Minny has made this happen” (page 298).

  All three characters’ beat sheets merge at the Midpoint as their goals (to make this book happen) become aligned. They will now have enough stories to submit the book to Elaine Stein in New York.

  It’s definitely a false victory, however, because even though the women achieved their goal of getting the maids to tell their stories, the way in which the victory was achieved creates a stakes-are-raised moment, when they realize how dangerous Hilly Holbrook and her kind can be if they were ever to be caught.

  10. Bad Guys Close In/All (pages 298–420)

  Skeeter goes to Aibileen’s house every night to collect the stories. She offers to pay each maid $40, and they all donate their shares to Yule May’s sons’ college fund.

  Despite this, the Bad Guys Close In proves to be a downward path for all the women.

  Stuart breaks up with Skeeter because he’s still in love with his ex. Skeeter’s mom has been sick lately, and her mysterious condition is getting worse. Hilly demands that Skeeter put her Home Health Sanitation initiative in the Junior League newsletter, which Skeeter edits. Skeeter refuses. Hilly threatens to get Skeeter kicked out of the league. Hilly also demands that Skeeter give back the Jim Crow laws that she stole from the library because people can’t think Skeeter is an integrationist, otherwise no one will support the Junior League’s cause: “the poor starving people of Africa” (page 331).

  It’s a highly ironic moment that eludes Hilly completely.

  Skeeter narrates, “I wait for her to catch the irony of this, that she’ll send money to colored people overseas, but not across town” (page 331). This is typical company man behavior. Hilly is so entrenched in the system, so brainwashed by its rules, any illogicality escapes her.

  Skeeter gives in to Hilly and types up the initiative for the newsletter, wondering what Constantine, her former maid, would think of her, giving in to the pressures of others (theme). But she “accidentally” mixes up verbiage from the initiative and the league’s coat drive, and the newspaper is printed with the words, “Drop off your old toilets at Hilly’s address” (page 340). A few days later, Hilly’s lawn is full of used toilets. The story gets written up in the Jackson Journal and the New York Times.

  Hilly disowns Skeeter as a friend and tells all their mutual friends not to talk to her. Aibileen is really worried about what else Hilly (external bad guys) will do to get her revenge on Skeeter and how dangerous Hilly can be. And the anxiety is heightened when Hilly finds out that Minny (whom she fired) has been working for Celia Foote at the (fake) recommendation of Elizabeth Leefolt. Minny (and Aibileen) will both be in huge trouble if Hilly finds out Aibileen lied about the recommendation. When Hilly calls Celia’s house, Minny answers and lies, telling Hilly that Minny quit and Celia is out of town.

  11. All Is Lost/Minny (pages 344–365)

  As each of the three women have to learn their own theme, the beat sheets diverge again. Minny hits rock bottom when Leroy beats her badly, this time while he’s “cold-stone sober” (page 359).

  Celia notices the cut above Minny’s eye and questions her about it, not believing Minny’s story about banging her head in the bathtub. She tries to get Minny to talk, treating her like a friend (Minny’s theme), but their conversation is interrupted when a sex pervert intruder appears in Celia’s backyard and the two women have to fight him off together.

  As Minny washes her hands afterward, she wonders “how an awful day could turn even worse. It seems like at some point you’d just run out of awful” (page 365).

  12. Dark Night of the Soul/Minny (pages 365–400)

  Later that night, Minny speaks to Aibileen about what happened that day. As Minny talks about Celia, Aibileen points out to Minny that it “almost sounds like you care” (page 367). But Minny insists she’s just upset because Celia doesn’t see the lines between people. Aibileen repeats Minny’s theme, assuring her that the lines don’t exist. The institution has convinced Minny to believe in something that’s not there.

  On page 368, Aibileen says to Minny, “All I’m saying is, kindness don’t have no boundaries.”

  Minny explains to Celia why Hilly doesn’t like Celia (because Hilly used to date Johnny), and Celia decides she’s going to try to talk to Hilly about it at the upcoming Junior League Benefit. Minny thinks that’s a bad idea.

  The annual benefit takes place, and everyone is there. Aibileen and Minny are serving and Skeeter is a guest, although she’s still shunned by all of her friends, at Hilly’s behest.

  The auction winners for the baked goods are announced, and Hilly wins Minny’s famous chocolate pie. For some reason, this angers Hilly, and she accuses a drunk Celia of signing her up for the pie. Celia is confused by the attack. She tries to explain that Johnny didn’t cheat on Hilly with her, but in her drunken state, she accidentally tears Hilly’s dress, then vomits on the carpet.

  13. Break Into 3/Minny (pages 395–402)

  Celia is upset about what happened at the benefit and doesn’t understand why Hilly is mad at her. Minny proves she’s learned her theme and, in a gesture of true friendship, tells Celia everything that happened between Hilly and her. She explains that after Hilly accused Minny of being a thief, Minny told her to “eat my sh*t” (page 398). Then she baked her a chocolate pi
e as a “peace offering,” and only after Hilly had eaten two slices did she tell Hilly that she’d baked her own feces into the pie.

  Celia thanks Minny for telling her the story, and the next day, she’s feeling better and working in the garden. Celia writes a check to the Junior League, and in the memo line, she’s written, “For Two-Slice Hilly” (page 402). Their friendship is sealed.

  10. Bad Guys Close In (cont’d)/Skeeter (pages 298–420)

  Elaine pushes up the deadline on the manuscript and tells Skeeter that she needs to have a section in the book about Skeeter’s own maid, Constantine, which means Skeeter really has to find out what happened to her.

  Meanwhile, Skeeter continues to feel the effects of Hilly’s snub when she gets voted out as the editor of the Junior League newsletter. Skeeter tries to convince herself she doesn’t care and instead throws herself into working on the book.

  When the book is nearly finished, the three women decide to title it Help.

  11. All Is Lost/Skeeter (pages 420–430)

  Thanks to Aibileen, Skeeter finds out the truth about Constantine: her mother fired her after her daughter talked back and spit in her face. Constantine and her daughter left, and Constantine died three weeks later (whiff of death).

  12. Dark Night of the Soul/Skeeter (pages 430–447)

  The book is now finished, but Aibileen, Skeeter, and Minny are worried about people figuring out the city in the stories is Jackson, even though they changed all the names and called the city Niceville. Minny decides they need to include the story about the chocolate pie, as insurance. Hilly will automatically know the book is about Jackson, but she’ll work to keep it quiet so her secret is safe. It’s a huge risk, but they have to take it.

  Skeeter sends the manuscript to Elaine Stein, and they all wait.

  Later, after Skeeter learns that her mother has stomach cancer (another whiff of death), she gets back together with Stuart (return to the familiar).

  13. Break Into 3/Skeeter (pages 447–452)

  Stuart proposes, and Skeeter knows she has to tell him the truth. She proves that she’s learned her theme (about not caring what people think of her and blazing her own trail) when she tells Stuart about the book she’s been working on—making sure to leave out any names.

  Stuart is appalled: “Things are fine around here. Why would you want to go stirring up trouble?” (page 449). But Skeeter stands her ground, insisting that things are not fine. Stuart withdraws his proposal, takes the ring, and leaves.

  13. Break Into 3/All (pages 452–455)

  Elaine Stein calls and says she wants to publish the book. All three heroes join in this moment of celebration and this step into the synthesis world of Act 3. They are no longer separated by the invisible lines of the institution; they are in this together. And this book being published represents the “sacrifice” that all of them make in an effort to “burn down” the institution.

  14. Finale/All (pages 456–516)

  Months later, they’re all wondering what’s going to happen when the book is released and the people of Jackson start to read it. Aibileen narrates, “Feels like we been waiting for some invisible pot a water to boil for the past seven months” (page 459).

  After the book is published, Aibileen and Minny go to church, and everyone applauds them. The reverend hands Aibileen a copy of the book, signed by every member of the church. “We know you couldn’t put your name on it, so we all signed our own for you” (page 467). The reverend also has a wrapped book for “the white lady. You tell her we love her, like she’s our family” (page 468).

  The book gets featured on TV, and people start to wonder if it’s about Jackson. Hilly now has a copy, and the three women wait for her to read the final chapter (about the chocolate pie).

  Back at work, Johnny thanks Minny for everything she did for Celia. “You’ll always have a job here with us, Minny. For the rest of your life if you want.”

  As Hilly reads the book, she starts to think that it’s about Jackson and vows to figure out which maids wrote it. She tells everyone to fire their maids, but soon changes her tune and starts insisting that the book is not about Jackson. (This is when we know that she’s read the pie chapter.) She confronts Skeeter, knowing she was the one who contributed to the book, and threatens revenge on all the maids involved. “They better watch out for what’s coming to them” (page 497).

  Skeeter gets offered a job at Harper’s magazine in New York, but refuses to take it because she doesn’t want to leave Minny and Aibileen to deal with the aftermath. But Aibileen and Minny insist she must go and live her life.

  Five thousand more copies of the book are printed, and Aibileen gets the Miss Myrna column job, solidifying her new job as a professional writer.

  Minny leaves Leroy for good, after he threatens to burn down the house with her in it.

  15. Final Image/Aibileen (pages 516–522)

  Aibileen proves she’s learned her own theme when Hilly accuses her of stealing and threatens to send her to jail. Aibileen finally stands up for herself, which she never would have done at the beginning. “I know something about you and don’t you forget that…And from what I hear, they’s a lot of time to write a lot of letters in jail” (page 519).

  She’s fired from her job anyway, but we know she’ll be all right, because she now has the Miss Myrna job and the book revenue. As she walks to the bus stop, she realizes that she can start over, even though she thought she was “finished with everything new” (page 522). Apparently, people can change.

  WHY IS THIS AN INSTITUTIONALIZED?

  The Help contains all three elements of a successful Institutionalized story:

  A GROUP: This story is about the institution of black maids working in white families in Jackson, Mississippi, in the early 1960s.

  A CHOICE: All three women face choices when it comes to the institution and what to do about its injustices. And all three women are pitted against the company man— Hilly Holbrook—in various ways.

  A SACRIFICE LEADING TO ONE OF THREE POSSIBLE ENDINGS: join, burn it down, or escape. As a whole, the three women “burn down” the institution in the way they expose the injustices with the book. Skeeter also chooses to leave in the end.

  Cat’s Eye View

  For quick reference, here’s a brief overview of this novel’s beat sheet.

  OPENING IMAGE/AIBILEEN: Our first glimpse of the institution of the “help” in 1960s Jackson, through the eyes of a black maid who has raised seventeen white children in her lifetime, including her current charge, Mae Mobley. Aibileen is the first of two brando characters.

  THEME STATED/AIBILEEN: “Do you ever wish you could…change things?” (page 12) Skeeter asks Aibileen, who immediately replies, “Oh no, ma’am, everything’s fine” (page 12). The theme of the novel for all three heroes is courage. For Aibileen, it’s about finding the courage to do what’s right.

  SETUP/AIBILEEN: Aibileen overhears Hilly Holbrook (the company man) talk about the initiative she’s working on that will require every white home to have a separate bathroom for the help.

  CATALYST/MINNY: Aibileen warns Minny, Aibileen’s best friend and a fellow maid, that she overheard Hilly accusing Minny of stealing from her (which is untrue). Minny is the second brando character.

  DEBATE/MINNY: Will Minny be able to get another job with Hilly spreading rumors about her? She asks around, but it seems no one will hire her.

  BREAK INTO 2/MINNY: Minny gets a new job, working for Celia Foote, a new woman in town who hasn’t yet heard the rumors about Minny. Celia is the polar opposite of Hilly.

  B STORY/MINNY: Celia Foote is Minny’s B Story character. Minny has always bought into the hard lines between black and white (a result of the institution), but Celia, who seems to be color blind, will te
ach Minny that those lines can be blurred and that the paradigm Minny has operated under all of her life—“white people are not your friends” (page 41)—is not always true.

  FUN AND GAMES/MINNY: Minny starts work and tries to teach Celia to cook, but it’s a lost cause. Celia lies around the house all day, which aggravates Minny. But she later learns why when she finds Celia has suffered another (secret) miscarriage.

  SETUP/SKEETER: Skeeter, a white friend of Hilly Holbrook, is the naif of the story. Skeeter wants to be a writer but all her mother wants is for her to find a husband. Skeeter was raised by a black maid named Constantine whom she loved dearly but who recently disappeared.

  THEME STATED/SKEETER: Constantine told her, “Ever morning, until you dead in the ground, you gone have to make this decision. You gone have to ask yourself, Am I gone believe what them fools say about me today?” (page 73). The choice for Skeeter (and her theme) is whether or not to blaze her own trail and disregard what others think.

  CATALYST/SKEETER: Skeeter receives a response from a New York publishing house. Elaine Stein tells Skeeter to get more experience (if she wants a job as an editor) and to write about something that disturbs her.

  DEBATE/SKEETER: Will Skeeter find something to write about that will impress Elaine Stein? She gets a job writing a housekeeping advice column for the local newspaper but has to interview Aibileen in order to answer the letters. But speaking to Aibileen gives her an idea…

  CATALYST/AIBILEEN: Skeeter asks Aibileen if she can interview her for a book she wants to write about what it’s like to work as a maid in Jackson (institution).