Thanks Brenda for a Great read, I really enjoyed reading your choice Somewhere in Time, just like The Help i could not put it down. I also want to thank Rachel and Brenda for getting this group started, i am really enjoying reading different books that i would not have done on my own. I had many books that i wanted to read but one book i have been wanting to read for a long time so i choose Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe......by Fannie Flagg. I loved the movie and have been wanting to read the book. I know the book is longer than the last two but i have started reading it and it is an easy read. I hope you enjoy it. Happy Reading everyone.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
Rachel's Response to The Help
Who was your favorite character and why?
I’m not sure if I had one favorite character in this novel, they all brought something different to the table. I really enjoyed reading Aibileen’s story. She was quietly brave and strong, but at the same time battling a broken heart from her son’s death. This combo created a very complex character and one I very much enjoyed reading. Minny….O Minny…haha, she seemed to be fearless in a time when many women in her position would cower and keep their head down. She spoke her mind, and you have to respect her for that. And Skeeter seemed young in some aspects, but then very open minded and mature in others. She is also one who stepped away from social influences of the time and followed what she believed was right and humane even if it meant she could lose everything if her intensions were discovered.
Life has changed dramatically since the times in which this book is set. What part of 1960s life in Mississippi do you find most shocking?
The part that upset me and that I found most shocking was the Jim Crow laws, “separate but equal”. I know this can be a sensitive subject to discuss, but the following is my opinion on such an utterly and absolutely disgusting period in American history. I just do not understand how these African American women pretty much raised these white ladies children, clean their homes, cook for them, and be respectful towards them, and then be treated so poorly. They are paid way below minimum wage, hardly see their own children/family/friends, AND they have to use their own bathroom, grocery stores, water fountains, etc… like they carry diseases or something. They can’t even sit by white people on buses, check out the books they wanted from the library, go to the same schools as white children, and the list goes on and on. This upsets me so much, it is wrong on SO many levels. I could go on and on about this topic. I cannot even begin to imagine how the African American community felt during this period of time. It has to be one of the worst feelings in the world, a feeling no one can understand until they have been in that situation.
How much of a person’s character would you say is shaped by the times in which they live?
I think the period of time one lives in plays a HUGE role in how one thinks and who they are, how we think and act. This is how we get generation gaps, etc… Social influence is very strong thing and can be dangerous and damaging sometimes.
What did you think about Minny’s pie for Miss Hilly? Would you have gone as far as Minny did for revenge?
I believe that every individual has their limits in which they can be pushed. When they have been pushed and shoved and degraded to their limit, the way Minny was by Ms. Hilly, I am not surprised at all by what Minny did. That took courage on Minny’s part. I don’t think I would go as far as Minny did, but I also think you never know how you will act in a situation until you are actually in it. If I have been so disrespected as a human being, like Minny had been, who knows what I would have done for some revenge.
How did you feel about the ending?
I felt happy, sad, frustrated, overwhelmed, and mad. I liked how this novel didn’t end with everything fixed and happily ever after. But it did end with hope, hope for the future of the lives of all the characters. After reading this book it stayed with me for a really long time, a feeling I can’t really describe at the moment. It’s a mixed feeling of hurt, that human nature can be so cruel, and also feelings of happiness for all the characters. These women took a huge chance in standing up for what they believed in to make a better life for themselves. It’s the courage like this that I love to read about. I like how it ended as a new chapter was unfolding in the lives of all the characters. You don’t know what happens next for Minny, Aibileen, or even Skeeter, but you know it must be better than the life they were living. I think this is a book about faith in yourself and holding onto hope. This book truly touched my heart and it’s rare to find a novel like that which will stick with you for weeks after reading about it. It’s something I have not come across too often, but it’s so worth it when it does come along.
Beautiful writing, beautiful characters, beautiful book.
Would you recommend this novel to a friend?
Yes, I would absolutely recommend this novel to a friend while singing its praises.
Closing Thoughts,
Thank you Mom, Laura, and Mary for reading this book with me. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I love this book club and being apart of it with you all! It makes the experience of reading these novel's that much better being able to discuss it and read it along with you all. I cannot wait to dive into the next book, Somewhere in Time. I think i'll go start on it right now.
Until next time
Happy Reading!!!!!
I’m not sure if I had one favorite character in this novel, they all brought something different to the table. I really enjoyed reading Aibileen’s story. She was quietly brave and strong, but at the same time battling a broken heart from her son’s death. This combo created a very complex character and one I very much enjoyed reading. Minny….O Minny…haha, she seemed to be fearless in a time when many women in her position would cower and keep their head down. She spoke her mind, and you have to respect her for that. And Skeeter seemed young in some aspects, but then very open minded and mature in others. She is also one who stepped away from social influences of the time and followed what she believed was right and humane even if it meant she could lose everything if her intensions were discovered.
Life has changed dramatically since the times in which this book is set. What part of 1960s life in Mississippi do you find most shocking?
The part that upset me and that I found most shocking was the Jim Crow laws, “separate but equal”. I know this can be a sensitive subject to discuss, but the following is my opinion on such an utterly and absolutely disgusting period in American history. I just do not understand how these African American women pretty much raised these white ladies children, clean their homes, cook for them, and be respectful towards them, and then be treated so poorly. They are paid way below minimum wage, hardly see their own children/family/friends, AND they have to use their own bathroom, grocery stores, water fountains, etc… like they carry diseases or something. They can’t even sit by white people on buses, check out the books they wanted from the library, go to the same schools as white children, and the list goes on and on. This upsets me so much, it is wrong on SO many levels. I could go on and on about this topic. I cannot even begin to imagine how the African American community felt during this period of time. It has to be one of the worst feelings in the world, a feeling no one can understand until they have been in that situation.
How much of a person’s character would you say is shaped by the times in which they live?
I think the period of time one lives in plays a HUGE role in how one thinks and who they are, how we think and act. This is how we get generation gaps, etc… Social influence is very strong thing and can be dangerous and damaging sometimes.
What did you think about Minny’s pie for Miss Hilly? Would you have gone as far as Minny did for revenge?
I believe that every individual has their limits in which they can be pushed. When they have been pushed and shoved and degraded to their limit, the way Minny was by Ms. Hilly, I am not surprised at all by what Minny did. That took courage on Minny’s part. I don’t think I would go as far as Minny did, but I also think you never know how you will act in a situation until you are actually in it. If I have been so disrespected as a human being, like Minny had been, who knows what I would have done for some revenge.
How did you feel about the ending?
I felt happy, sad, frustrated, overwhelmed, and mad. I liked how this novel didn’t end with everything fixed and happily ever after. But it did end with hope, hope for the future of the lives of all the characters. After reading this book it stayed with me for a really long time, a feeling I can’t really describe at the moment. It’s a mixed feeling of hurt, that human nature can be so cruel, and also feelings of happiness for all the characters. These women took a huge chance in standing up for what they believed in to make a better life for themselves. It’s the courage like this that I love to read about. I like how it ended as a new chapter was unfolding in the lives of all the characters. You don’t know what happens next for Minny, Aibileen, or even Skeeter, but you know it must be better than the life they were living. I think this is a book about faith in yourself and holding onto hope. This book truly touched my heart and it’s rare to find a novel like that which will stick with you for weeks after reading about it. It’s something I have not come across too often, but it’s so worth it when it does come along.
Beautiful writing, beautiful characters, beautiful book.
Would you recommend this novel to a friend?
Yes, I would absolutely recommend this novel to a friend while singing its praises.
Closing Thoughts,
Thank you Mom, Laura, and Mary for reading this book with me. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I love this book club and being apart of it with you all! It makes the experience of reading these novel's that much better being able to discuss it and read it along with you all. I cannot wait to dive into the next book, Somewhere in Time. I think i'll go start on it right now.
Until next time
Happy Reading!!!!!
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