OMG... It is getting really good.
I was so nervous for everybody, when the satchel with all of the notes was left with Miss Hilly. I thought for sure that everybody had been caught. Miss Skeeter has had a few close calls that you would have thought she would be more careful. Thank goodness, the only thing that was found was the book of laws. Her friends continue to annoy me though. They just are so ignorant. For them to be upset with Miss Skeeter for just having that book is upsetting, but I guess those are just the times that they are living in.
Miss Celia~ now that's another one. I thought she had an actual disease... and I know that alcoholism is a disease, but that one threw me for a loop. I can understand why Minny is pissed. She has had her bouts with people who have suffered with alcoholism and she has zero tolerance with it. I am glad she mouthed off at Miss Celia, and if Miss Celia allows Minny to come back and work for her, I think that Minny can help her. There has to be a reason Miss Celia is an alcoholic... I just don't know what it is just yet, maybe it does have something to do with babies. Maybe she can't have babies, so she goes up in the baby room and drinks her sorrows away. That might be the reason she is so concerned about her husband needing her, and her being able to take care of the home... maybe she thinks, that he thinks, she can't give me babies... and she can't take care of the home... but of course, he doesn't feel like that all... but I'm just brainstorming here... we will see where this all goes. I liked Miss Celia, and still do. I think she genuinely likes Minny. I put Celia in the same category as Skeeter in their feelings towards African Americans. They treat them just the same, and don't really see the color.
I am also excited to see where Miss Skeeter's relationship will take her. She seems to have a lot going for her right now.
Yes, I agree that it is really getting to be a great read. It really did surprise me that Celia had a drinking problem but it explains a lot about why she didn't do much and seemed to "frail". However, an alcoholic would have that alcohol breath. How did Celia keep that from all around her? Surely, Minny would have recognized it right away? Unless Minny was too concerned about Mr. Johnny finding out and didn't pay too much attention as to why Celia laid around. Fetching the box in the mail for Celia was a "shock" to Minny but I wonder if Celia kind of had her get the box cause she wanted to be found out. It was a big secret to have to hide from those that are around her so much. They always say that people who have addictions eventually let the cat out of the bag.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Jennifer that Minny's reaction was justified and that her "mouth" couldn't be controlled. Confronting Miss Celia was quite an honorable thing to do.
I wonder if Mr. Johnny knows about this problem with his wife. He knew or suspected about Minny cause he said that the food and the house was such a drastic change from when Celia didn't have the help. He liked having the better meals so is content to have the secret be kept. But does that mean he also knows about her alcohol problem?
Miss Skeeter definitely has to be careful. It's just the sign of the times that "white folk" were judgmental about the blacks and didn't see the unfairness of it all. Her friends are cruel and narrowminded but I also think that is how the South worked. It was typical and that is why there was so much of the mistreatment of the blacks.
Minny is a good friend to Aibileen but the same goes the other way. Minny could go to her when she was upset about getting fired again and not telling her own family. I do think that Celia will take Minny back cause she is the only person that is there every day. Celia needs some human contact other than her husband. You can see the desperation when she calls daily to volunteer herself or wanting to join in on meetings. The constant silence from no returned phone calls doesn't deter her. This could also be why she has turned to drinking.
So I'll be curious to see what happens next. Will Minny get her job back, will Celia's hubby say something to Celia about Minny or perhaps the drinking, will Miss Skeeter's relationship continue or will the fact that she is writing this book cause the relationship to end?
Guess I was lucky to get sick because it helped me to keep up with the book but will admit that it was hard to put down when we were supposed to. Do not like Miss Hilly one bit, she is a 'trouble maker' in the making. She is such a snob with the real Southern thinking about "nigras" and their place in the household. Plus I think she is so unfair with Celia although Celia's appearance isn't like the other women in the group, maybe if they'd let her join, Celia might start to dress a bit more appropriately as she has no one to pattern herself with. I feel sorry for Celia because she does try but for some reason her way of dealing with things seem to be the "alcoholics' way" by just laying around, not having any energy not really caring about learning to cook..at least she's not a mean drunk like Leroy appears to be with Minny. I have to admit though that I like Celia's way of being with Minny, she truly doesn't treat her like a maid like Elizabeth (Miss Leefolt) and Miss Hilly. I don't think she'll let Minny go, she's her only connection to adult interaction.
ReplyDeleteThe book makes me nervous, I think that Skeeter was a bit too careless with her satchel, even though she wouldn't leave it at home or in her vehicle. Was relieved that all Hilly found was Jim Crow's laws but ticked at her for being so accusatory to her friend Skeeter and then her treatment of her by practically severing their ties and blackballing her from certain members of society. Hilly also uses her friends like when she went to the swim club and actually needed Aibileen to help out with her kids when Yule May wasn't at the country club for her.
I hope that Skeeter starts to feel a little more confident in who she is and that she isn't letting her mother influence her so much. Also, what is going to happen with her relationship with Stuart...is he sincere about his feelings for Skeeter, after the way he treated her the first time they went out? I hope he is for real with his feelings for Skeeter.
I love the fact that Aibileen has a knack for writing. But feel there is a lot of pressure placed on her concerning the book. The fact that she's going to try to get more maids to participate in the telling of the story. It does seem though that in a way, she is also excited about someone reading 'her' story and others like her. It's also brave of her to be teaching Mae Mobley that she is kind, smart & important to offset her mother's neglect of her. Also that she is trying to teach her that people are the same even if they have different color of skin. Will she get caught doing that???
For all the sneaking around, the anxiety everyone is feeling, I do hope that the editor of Harper & Row is serious about being interested in the book. Sometimes, her demands and interactions with Skeeter are cold and not very reassuring. Wondering if Skeeter will really learn about Constantine and why her mother let her go? Can't wait to read more.