Aibileen is black maid who has raised seven white children.

She works for Elizabeth Leefolt

and adores toddler Mae Mobley Leefolt. Aibileen has changed since her son's death, and she
finds that she cannot accept the way things are so easily now. The book she writes with
Skeeter and the other maids empowers her to stand up for injustices. She teaches the
children she raises that the color of skin does not matter but love and kindness do; but she
often feels that the message is countered by the racism in Jackson. Aibileen realizes she has
.more to offer in life than being a maid and finds the courage to try something new
Throughout the novel Aibileen's character triumphs in the face of adversity, but the growth is
a slow, painful process. Even though she is still mourning the loss of her son, she finds solace
in her maternal role raising white children. Her identity is determined by her place in society
as a maid, but she embraces a central role in the writing project with Skeeter and finds a new
identity as a writer, too. Aibileen realizes the danger that could result from her decisions, but
she embraces the risk and relies on her faith for guidance. In the end, Aibileen discovers her
own courage and talents, which leads her to leave her job as a maid and accept an
.undetermined path that will lead to more independence
Minny, a black maid and Aibileen's best friend, has five children and is married to Leroy. She
is highly regarded for her cooking skills, but her outspokenness often leads to getting fired.
Minny develops an uneasy friendship with her employer, Celia Rae, who becomes devoted to
her. Celia and Minny gain strength from each other, leading them to take control of their own
lives. In the end, Minny decides to leave her abusive husband and chart an unknown course
.rather than live with the pain he inflicts
Minny is an individual struggling against society. Her inner nature is often at war against the
world. As a black maid she is expected to be submissive and quiet, but Minny is neither. She
says what she feels, often speaking out against the injustice she experiences and witnesses.
Her individualism leads to conflict with Hilly Holbrook, who has more power in the society, but
it also leads to an uneasy friendship with Celia, her employer. Because Celia guarantees her
a place in her home, Minny becomes even more brazen and reveals Hilly's great secret,
.which imbues Minny with a bit of her own power
Skeeter is the 22-year-old privileged daughter of a cotton plantation owner. She returns to
Jackson, Mississippi, following her college graduation and finds that her perspective on the
division between white Southern households and black maids has changed. Skeeter wants to
be a writer, but her mother wants her to be a wife. Skeeter falls for the senator's son but the
romance ends when Stuart learns of her civil rights leanings. She approaches an editor in
New York City with the idea of writing about black maids in her town and is tentatively given
approval. The project begins her transformation from the woman she was raised to be to the
.independent, brave woman who chooses her own path
Skeeter's character represents the theme of alienation throughout the novel. For example,
she becomes isolated from the community of southern women in which she was raised. She

fails at meeting her mother's expectations for what a proper woman should do and creates
conflicts within her group of friends because she questions the way things are done. When
Skeeter returns from university, she tries to reenter her old life but finds that the life she left
behind now looks different. Her alienation eventually leads to self-awareness of her role within
the segregated society, which shocks her and motivates her writing project. The writing
project also leads to a friendship with Aibileen that never would have been possible if Skeeter
hadn't chosen to break from her own community. Eventually, she must choose between her
past and her future. Skeeter decides to leave her community and move to New York City to
.follow her dream of writing
The last women is not a main character but she represents the opposite of the main
.characters in many ways like way of thinking, behavior and and goals
Hilly is Skeeter's childhood friend turned wealthy Jackson socialite. She is the president of the
Junior League and married to a future politician. She enforces the need for segregation and
punishes anyone who disagrees. Hilly tries to control the white women in Jackson,
Mississippi, and holds tight to power through blackmail, and threats. When her social status
.declines, she becomes desperate and pitiful
Hilly fights to maintain power throughout the story. As a wealthy white woman in the South,
she enjoys a position of great influence, but because her status is often maintained through
bullying and threats, friends, such as Skeeter, turn on her. Hilly represents an old world order
destined to be destroyed. The Civil Rights Movement is sweeping through the South while
Hilly desperately tries to maintain the social division between blacks and whites in Jackson.
Her power is eventually diffused as the women she tries to control question whether she has
.their best intentions at heart or is simply grabbing at more power