Beware: there are spoilers from The Help book/movie
I read the book The Help for the first time in Middle School. It was a text-heavy book, and it was a bit intimidating for me. The book is also sensitive, because it centers around how black maids were discriminated against by their white bosses in 1960’s Mississippi. These maids and their journalist friend work together throughout the novel to expose this treatment. The Help is a historical fiction novel written by Kathryn Stockett. It was rejected to be published multiple times but was finally published in 2009.
The main emphasis in this article, however, is on a white couple, Johnny and Celia Foote. Celia is one of the nicest people in the whole story. She treats everyone around her with kindness, even her maids. Eventually, Celia becomes good friends with her maid Minny.
Unfortunately, Celia’s life was not fun. She had been trying to conceive a baby but ended up having three miscarriages. Johnny only knew about the first one. Each time Celia had a miscarriage, she would plant a tree over the buried fetus.
Celia also wanted to build connections with the other white women of status at the time. Notably, she took an interest in getting to know Elizabeth Leefolt and Hilly Holbrook. The latter in particular was a very snobby person.
In one scene, Celia makes a pie for an event that Hilly is hosting. Unfortunately, when people see Celia approach, they hide under the tables, trying to trick Celia into thinking that no one is actually there. The lies are obvious though, because so many cars are lined up by Hilly’s house.
I read all these scenes in the book. But because there was also a movie, it was easier to feel the depth of each one. Jessica Chastain, the actress who played Celia Foote, did an amazing job with her role, making Celia a very likable character.
Fast forward to a while later, where Hilly is hosting another event called “The Benefit”, this time about raising money for a (fictional) organization called The Starving Children of Africa. I have profound respect for Johnny’s actions in this scene.
The maids have made treats for the guests to “win.” Long story short, Hilly is convinced that Celia was trying to set her up with a laced chocolate pie (if you know, you know… that is a story for another time).
(Drunk) Celia and Hilly get into a fight about this, and about Johnny. Hilly had always been salty about Celia’s relationship with Johnny. Hilly and Johnny used to be in a relationship, but he fell in love with Celia later on. Celia also got pregnant with Johnny’s baby, which is actually why they got married. Celia was also not as wealthy as her, so she was automatically inferior in Hilly’s eyes.
The argument escalates when Celia accidentally rips Hilly’s sleeve in front of everyone. But Celia is so embarrassed when she throws up. Johnny then follows Celia when she runs off. All in all, this event went horribly wrong for Celia. At least Johnny was stepping in to make her feel better.
The Help does not give much information on Johnny because he is a minor character. Yet, based on his actions, I can tell he is an authentic man who loves his wife for who she is. It is usually the minor characters who make the most memorable scenes, because although the audience will remember main characters, special minor characters like Johnny won’t be forgotten.
During Celia’s latest miscarriage, Minny found her bleeding in the bathroom and immediately put her to bed and treated her. At first, Celia wanted to keep the miscarriages a secret from Johnny. It is implied that both of them want children, and Celia did not want to be a disappointment. Eventually, with Minny’s assistance, Celia tells him. Fortunately, this does not change Johnny’s love for Celia.
In real life and in fiction, if a woman fails to produce children, her husband would leave her. It’s sad, but it’s true. Celia absolutely deserves to have a wonderful man by her side, which is why I respect Johnny so much.
It was also unfair that Celia could not have kids because she could have been the best mother. However, mean, racist women like Hilly are still able to have children? As the saying goes, all children deserve to have parents, but not all parents deserve to have children.
Celia did not have a child in the book, but some people believe she did have some later on. It’s been so long since I read the book the whole way through, so I do not remember exact details. However, I remember Minny and her kids moving in with the Foote family at the end of the book.
Men in real life should be like Johnny. If I had a husband, I would want him to be like Johnny: men who stick by their wives, and who are not distracted by other women. Men who are open minded. Men who would stick by their loved ones, disregarding their ability to conceive. Now that’s what I call true love.