Shirley Jackson Conflict

The book is based in the 1962 in Jackson, Mississippi and focuses on a woman named Aibileen whose life was about to change forever. During this time there was inequality towards blacks and whites. In this book it shows the struggles they faced, movement for equal rights, and the everyday life of a maid. Her whole life Aibileen took care of white babies and loved it, but it was the mothers that gave her a hard time. The woman in this town were rude to there maids except a few. For example a woman named Skeeter wanted things to change for the maids of Jackson. She wanted to write a book about what it is like for maids to work for white families and went to get help from Aibileen. With this came trouble for Aibileen and all her friends who

The first conflict was having Aibileen to agree in making the book with Miss. Skeeter. “No ma’am.” (141) is Aibileen first response. The next conflict Aibileen and Skeeter faced was if anyone in Jackson found out that they were talking poorly about the women of Jackson there would be very serious consequences. “Miss. Skeeter, we gone have to be real careful.” (166) The last conflict they faced was getting other people to help put in their stories into the book they wanted to make. “And four or five interviews won’t be enough for a book. You’ll need a dozen, maybe more.” (218) These conflicts they faced in making the book, at first, they thought they could not get out of them but eventually they did, without giving up and

“Law have mercy. I reckon I’m on do it.” (166) The way this conflict was resolved was the correct way because now the book can be made. Afterwards, with a little persuasion Aibileen gets her best friend, Minny, to help and then gets other maids too. “After the next one I start counting . Five. Six. Seven. I nod back at them, can say nothing but thank you.” (347) This helps solve the second conflict that they faced. Now Aibileen and Miss. Skeeter have more stories and can make it into a book. This was handled the way it should have been. With everyone coming together this book will turn out great. Lastly, the biggest conflict they face gets resolved by putting in the book something personal to Miss. Hilly, who is one of the harshest woman in Jackson, so that she would never want anyone to find out for the safety of her name. “What if we put the Terrible Awful in the book…. She don’t want anybody to know that story’s about her. And if they start getting close to figuring it out, she will steer em the other way.” (504) How they handle this conflict could have been done a different way. They could have been more careful into not putting anything that could hint that they were talking about Jackson. They could have also changed up some of the stories but still have the same aspect. The resolutions to all these problems helped the book get made into a beautiful work