摘 要：《相助》作为21世纪初风靡美国的小说，反映了19世纪末黑人女性生活的现状。本文以黑人女性的觉醒为主题，采用文献研究法和文本书写模式描述黑人女性所处的社会地位，揭露她们所遭受的阶级压迫、种族歧视、性别歧视等社会问题，表达了黑人女性反抗压迫、争取自由、平等的思想，为黑人女性的解放提供了强大精神动力。本文丰富了黑人女性主义思想的核心理念，加深了人们对黑人女性主义思想的认同。

关键词：《互助》；黑人女性主义; 种族歧视；性别歧视

Abstract：The Help, as one of the most popular novels in the United States in the early 21st century, mainly reflects the living conditions of black women at the end of 19th century. This paper mainly uses the method of literature research and the mode of text writing to describe the social status of black women at that time. It exposes the social problems, such as class oppression, racial discrimination, and gender discrimination, and expresses the thought of opposing class oppression and striving for freedom and equality. It also provides powerful driving force for the liberation of black women. This paper summarizes the core ideas of Black Feminism and deepens the recognition of Black Feminism.

Key words: The Help; Black Feminism; racial discrimination; sexual discrimination

Contents

摘 要 i

Abstract ii

I. Introduction 1

II. Black Feminism 2

2.1 Emergence of Black Feminism 2

2.2 Development and Maturity of Black Feminism 4

III. Discriminations Towards Black Females in The Help 5

3.1 Black Women Under Class Discrimination 5

3.2 Black Women Under Racial Discrimination 7

3.3 Black Women Under Sexual Discrimination 8

IV. Awakening Consciousness of Black Women in The Help 10

4.1 Awakening Consciousness of Abilene 10

4.2 Awakening Consciousness of Mea 12

4.3 Awakening Consciousness of Minny 13

V. Conclusion 15

Bibliography 16

Acknowledgements 17

A Brief Analysis on Black Feminism in The Help

I. Introduction

The Help is a book that created by an American writer Kathryn Stockett. This creative work comes from the great memory for her black maid Dmitry. The novel was created lasted for five years which has been rejected by 45 literary agents, but this did not stop Kathryn Stockett’s search for hope. Then, since The Help was published, it has gained great success which breakthrough millions of sales. It has been in the best-seller charts for the 51 successive weeks. It has also stimulated Hollywood film adaption. Both the novel and the film have attracted a lot of people. The fact has shown that she is an excellent writer. The book reviewer Jenny Maslin said in The New York Times: “It is a novel that is soon to be highly popular with a button-pushing.” (Mennott 12) The Weekly Times named it “Another version of the Gone With the Wind.” The Help has been translated into Arabic, Dutch, French, German, Korean, Danish, Spanish and other languages. After the first show of the film in 2011, it is also translated into more versions published.  

This paper aims to use the Black Feminism theory to analyze the loss of black women’s voice as reflected in The Help. In the book’s postscript, the author reveals that it is only for the missing of her childhood black maid Dmitry. Her families have never inquired how Dmitry’s feeling as a black maid just due to it is barely part of their ordinary life. No one has thought that it is essential to discuss. For the past several years, she has hoped that she would have been so mature that she could ask Dmitry some questions. However, at that time, she was too yang to ask Dmitry question until her dead. She often guesses how she would reply, that is the origin of her novel. This novel later provides great aids to the liberation of Black Feminism.

Before getting into the analysis, a brief introduction of the historical background to the social situation would be necessary. After the Civil War, black people apparently obtain the rights to vote, educate and work. The problems of the black’s poverty, unfair treatment, gender discrimination and racial discrimination are still very serious in their real life. The Help was created in the situation of such a society. In 1960s, it arouses the racial oppression and gender discrimination in a small town of Thomas County in the United States. At that time the white men have supreme power, white women’s the most presentable work is as the housewife, while black women are all maids. Most people have been destined from a birth.