The Help
Look at the following image then do the activities that follow:
In your notebook:
1.1 Write a short paragraph about what you see on the cover page and what you think the novel is
going to be about.
Photographs
Write an accurate description of this
image.
(6 sentences)
Write a back story for the woman pictured in this image -orWrite a diary entry for this character.
(12 sentences)
Chapter 1 – Aibileen
The novel begins in _______ 1962. The narrator of this section is a black ______,
Aibileen. She is currently working for Miss __________ Leefolt. Her duties include
cooking, __________ and looking after for Miss Leefolt’s two-year old __________
Mae Mobley. Aibileen has lots of experience caring for the _________ of white
women. She has raised seventeen children already. Aibileen loves Mae Mobley
whom she calls _____ _____. Mae Mobley returns this affection. Without saying so
directly, we learn that Aibileen does not consider Miss Leefolt a good ______. She is
too skinny and bony to _________ a child, even if she had the inclination. She
appears to have little _________ feeling or love for Mae Mobley.
Aibileen had one child of her own, a ____ named Treelore. Treelore died, aged
twenty-four, in a work place _________ a few months before Aibileen started caring
for ____ ________. During a number of months of terrible g_____ after the death,
her friend Minny took care of Aibileen.
It is the fourth Wednesday of the month and Miss Leefolt hosts her _______ club.
Four ______ women play bridge – Miss Leefolt, Miss Skeeter, Miss Hilly, and Hilly’s
mother, Miss ________.
Miss Skeeter is described as being tall, ______ and skinny. She greets Aibileen
pleasantly. Miss Hilly ignores the help. She is a pear-shaped young woman with dark
brown hair and olive skin with _________.
As the women play, Aibileen ________ to their conversation. They discuss the
upcoming Junior League _______. Hilly mentions ______ _______ who has offered
her assistance. Hilly has declined the offer because Celia is “______”.
Much of the conversation is taken up with Miss Hilly’s proposal called the Home
Help ____________ Initiative. This is a measure which she wants implemented in all
white homes. A __________ bathroom for the black help should be provided “as a
disease-preventative measure”.
After the departure of Miss Hilly and Miss Walter, Skeeter asks Aibileen if she wants
things to c_______. Skeeter is embarrassed by the _________ discussion which took
place in front of __________. Skeeter also asks Aibileen if she knew
_____________, the maid that worked for Skeeter’s family and who raised her.
Aibileen says that she cannot give Skeeter the address of Constantine’s family in
_________.
Baby Girl, Chicago, Constantine, Benefit, bridge, Walters, Sanitation, son, blonde,
Mae Mobley, August, change, Aibileen, Elizabeth, tacky, separate, freckles, white,
bathroom, mother, maternal, grief, accident, children, daughter, cleaning, comfort,
listens, Celia Foote, maid