In The Help, justice is often delivered South Park-style – let's just say this is not a fun novel to be a villain in, as Hilly will be the first to tell you. She is made to eat poo pie (yes, you read that right) and winds up with a slew of toilets decorating her front lawn. As funny as all that is, her version of justice is deadly serious. She uses her social status to influence the courts and businesses in the community to punish the black women whom she targets. For many black characters in the novel there is little justice – violence and injustice is committed against them and there is little they can do to fight it. But soon speech, both written and oral, is shown as one means to counteract all this.
Questions About Justice and Judgment
- What, if anything, will stop Hilly from hurting others?
- Does Minny's pie bring justice for herself and/or the other maids?
- Will Jackson become a more just society as a result of the book Help?
- Why does the death of Aibileen's son Treelore make her more focused on the injustices she sees being done to herself and to others?