Part 5/10:
Throughout the film, the racial divide is starkly illustrated. Hilly’s initiative to build separate bathrooms for “colored help” exemplifies the mentality that African-Americans were considered inferior and potentially diseased. This initiative further alienates the characters and emphasizes the systemic oppression African-American maids faced within white households.
The courage it takes for Aibileen, Minny, and other maids to speak out against this injustice cannot be understated. They live in the constant shadow of violence, as Aibileen reflects on the brutal realities of racism, including the story of her own son who was tragically killed in a workplace accident with no support from his employers.