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Bridge Club
The girls gather together for their regular bridge club. While they are playing Hilly begins to discuss her opinion on how she thinks that all white families should have a separate bathroom outside for maids because "It's just plain dangerous. Everybody knows they carry different kinds of diseases then we do" (Stockett 10). Skeeter disagrees and the discussion gets heated. -
Skeeter gets a job
Skeeter receives a letter from Elaine Stein at a publishing company Skeeter applied to. The letter says "go to your local news-paper and get and entry-level job" (Stockett 83). She soon gets a job at the Jackson Journal writing Miss Myrna's column, a cleaning column. Skeeter doesn't know much about cleaning tricks, so she asks Aibileen, Elizabeth's maid, for assistance. -
Minny gets fired from Hilly's and finds a new job
Miss Hilly has been telling everyone in town that Minny stole from her house. Which is the reason she gets fired. Minny got revenge on Hilly although she will not tell anyone what she did. Minny can not find another job because everyone believes she is a thief. Celia Foote was the only person who would hire her. She is Johnny Foote's wife, and he is also Hilly's ex. Minny has her work cut out for her and must remain hidden from Johnny. -
Aibileen agrees
Skeeter and Aibileen begin meeting in order for Aibileen to share tips with Skeeter about cleaning. They begin talking about what it is like to be a black maid and Aibileen begins to share some of her personal stories. Aibileen also begins talking about her son Treelore, who had died. She says, "he gone write down what it was like to be colored working for a white man in Mississippi" (Stockett 99). Skeeter also learns some new and interesting facts about Constantine, the maid that raised her. -
Skeeters big idea
After talking with Aibileen, Skeeter chooses to write a book about the lives of the help who live in Jackson, Mississippi. the big idea is that it would share the inside life of the colored working for whites and their families. -
The book begins
Only Aibileen initially agrees to assist Skeeter with her book. Skeeter is perplexed as to why no one wants to share their stories. Aibileen informs her that she has asked 31 other maids and they all said "no" due to the fact that what they were doing is illegal. -
Minny agrees to help
Minny is asked by Aibileen to help with the book and share some of her stories. Minny is very angry at first and does not like the idea. Hesitantly, she agrees to share. She says, "I do it. I just want a make sure she understand, this ain't no game we playing here" (Stockett 192). Minny begins to share lots of new stories and has a strong attitude. -
Problems!
Skeeter send Aibileen's stories to Elaine Stein. She likes Skeeter's writing but advises that she finishes the book before January. Skeeter becomes hopeful that her book will be published although, Elaine Stein says, that she reads a lot people's work every month and rejects the majority of them. Not only does the book need to be written in only a couple months but, she tells Skeeter that four or five interviews won't cut it. She will need a dozen or more maids to interview. -
More maids!
Hilly fired another maid because she stole one of Hilly's least favorite rings. She did this because Hilly refused to give her a loan to help pay for her boys' college education. This time, Hilly imposes a $500 fine and four years in prison on Yule Mae. Skeeter was able to get a lot more maids to share their stories thanks to this and a little help from Minny. -
"Drop off your toilets"
Hilly told Skeeter to put her "bathroom initiative" in the paper. Skeeter made a typo and wrote "old toilets are to be dropped off at Hilly's house" instead of "old coats". All those who Skeeter thought were her friends were angry. Skeeter didn't care since she knew she was doing the right thing. (Stockett 338) -
Minny tells what she did to Hilly
Skeeter and everyone else must ensure that no one knows the stories are from Jackson. Minny has a bold idea. She decides that they must include the heinous crime she committed against Hilly. If they include that in the story, she will go to any length to convince readers that it is not from Jackson. Minny made one of Hilly's favorite chocolate pies, but she added a twist: her poop. -
Publishing time!
Skeeter learned earlier that Elaine Stein will publish the book. Hilly immediately assumes that the book is about Jackson and begins blaming the maids for writing it. Everything was fine until she got to the last chapter, the one with the pie. Then she goes around telling everyone that the book cannot possibly be about Jackson. The strategy worked! -
Skeeter's decision!
Elaine Stein offers Skeeter a writing job in New York after the book is published. Skeeter wasn't sure she could abandon Aibileen and Minny now that she had caused so much trouble with the book. They persuade Skeeter to accept the job in New York. Skeeter gives Aibileen her Miss Myrna column so she can continue writing and begin a new life. Skeeter accepts the position in New York.
