plath and the help

• "I am no more your mother than the cloud that distils a mirror to reflect its own effacement at the wind's hand"

  • social conformity and pressure
  • motherhood is a representation of fleeting youth with increased responsibility, removing her from writing
  • metaphor of the cloud represents insignificance and insecurity - clouds are intangible and allusive
  • lack of solidity in identity as a woman, and writer.
• "I wake to listen: A far sea moves in my ear"

  • speaker feels dissociated from the role of the mother, expecting to hear the cry of her newborn, but she can only hear the ocean.
  • separation between mother and child, lack of maternal instinct.
  • societal pressure to cross the metaphorical ocean to care for her child, but is unable or unwilling to
• "One cry and I stumble from bed, cow heavy and floral in my Victorian nightgown"

  • animal imagery of 'cow heavy' alludes to her physical appearance post-childbirth - failure to achieve societal expectations of beauty while fulfilling expectation of having children
  • 'Victorian nightgowns' are typically modest, representing the stripping of sexual liberation and freedom.
• 'First, are you our sort of person?... Do you wear a glass eye, false teeth or a crutch' (The applicant)

  • In order to fit in with society, both men and women are required to lose parts of themselves, and replace them with falsities to meet expectations.
  • society acts as the speaker, 'our sort of person' is those who sacrifice parts to fit society's mold.
• 'I notice you are stark naked. How about this suit - black and stiff, but not a bad fit.' (the applicant)

  • the suit represents societal pressure to conform. 'Black and stiff', there is no room for individuality, the suit does not change for anyone.
  • suit represents discomfort in conforming
  • 'stark naked' implies a lack of choice and options, there is only the suit to wear.
• 'A living doll, everywhere you look. it can sew, it can cook, it can talk talk talk'

  • typical expectations of women in 1960's society.
  • 'a living doll' shows women as commodity, sales product to be bought and desired. Dolls are for the use of others. they are empty and hollow.
• Perfection is terrible. It cannot have children (munich mannequins)

  • expectations on women are so constrictive and paradoxical that no one can satisfy them. childbearing causes weight gain, remaining thin and not having children does not satisfy motherhood expectations.
  • you cannot have both.
• Naked and bald in their furs, orange lollies on silver sticks' (munich mannequins)

  • stripping of humanity, lack of intelligence
  • 'naked and bald in their furs' paradoxical, vunerability, internal emptiness.
  • metaphor of 'lollies' is childlike imagery, expectation of women to remain childlike in appearance and behaviour to please men
• Celia - social conformity and pressure

  • isolated with feelings of inadequacy in ability to fulfill domestic role
  • "I want him to think i can do it on my own. i want him to think i'm worth the trouble"
  • considered 'white trash' by other white women, but she tries to blend in with them with a "tacky pink pantsuit" and "glue on eyelashes". building façade.
  • maternal inadequacy 'but johnny wants kids now. What's he going to do with me?' fears she is worth less due to her inability to have children
• Elizabeth - social conformity and pressure

  • tries to maintain perfect home and appearance, but she covers imperfections in front of other white women.
  • Aibileen 'put a cloth on top to cover the big L-shaped crack' in her table, and 'she to make up for the fact her house is small'
  • insecurity in wealth/ social standimg
• Plath: '"I am no more your mother than the cloud that distils a mirror to reflect its own slow effacement at the wind's hand"'
• Motherhood, to the speaker


  A representation of her fleeting youth as she suddenly gains significant responsibility, removing her from her identity as a writer
• The cloud


  • Emphasises a feeling of insignificance and insecurity; clouds are intangible and allusive
  • There is a lack of solidity and definition of her identity as a woman, as well as a writer
• Plath: '"I wake to listen: A far sea moves in my ear"'
• The speaker's feelingsMorning song

  • Dissociation from the role of a mother, expecting to hear the cry of her newborn child, but she remains passive
  • There is a clear disconnect between the speaker and her child, seeming like there is an ocean between them
  • The speaker feels societal pressure to cross this metaphorical ocean to care for her child, yet the maternal calling is absent
• The speaker's physical appearancemorning song


  • The animal imagery of 'cow heavy' could allude to her physical appearance post-childbirth, in a failure to achieve expectations of beauty, also expected of women
  • The Victorian nightgown is typically modest, therefore stripping her of sexual liberation
• Plath: '"Do you wear a glass eye, false teeth or a crutch"'
• Societal expectations


  In order to meet societies expectations, both men and women have to lose parts of themselves, and replace them with falsities to fit in
• Plath: '"I notice you are stark naked. How about this suit – black and stiff, but not a bad fit."'
• The suit


  • Represents the pressure of society for people to conform whether they are comfortable or not
  • There is no room for individuality, the suit does not allow for change of structure
• Plath: '"Perfection is terrible. It cannot have children"'
• Societal expectations of women

  • The expectation of women is to be beautiful but also to have children
  • It is an impossible paradox of expectation to uphold as you cannot have both
• Plath: '"naked and bald in their furs, orange lollies on silver sticks"'
• orange lollies on silver sticks

  • Suggests a lack of intelligence and stripping of humanity
  • Women are expected to remain childlike to meet the expectations of men, represented by the metaphor of 'lollies'
  • This is also seen in the pressure for women to remain thin
• Celia


  • Feels inadequate and isolated due to her inability to fulfil her domestic role
  • Places significant pressure on herself to conform to the expectations of a woman
  • Considered 'white trash' by the other white women due to her social class, and therefore does her best to appear like them and conform
  • Feeling of inadequacy comes from the fact she cannot have a baby, and therefore cannot fulfil the maternal role expected of women
  • Fears her husband will leave her if she cannot meet societies standard
• Elizabeth


  • Complies with societal pressure from the other women of her friend group as she maintains the façade of the perfect home
• Skeeter


  • Pressure is placed on her from her mother, who wants her to meet the beauty standard, get married, and secure a comfortable life
  • Falls victim to societies standard of beauty when she uses the 'Shinalator' and wears the 'flattest shoes', conforming to the conservative expectations of how a housewife should appear
• Aibileen


  • Social change can be seen through the way she has influenced Mae Mobley, teaching her that being 'coloured' is not a bad thing
• Morning Song and The Help


  • The expectation of motherhood is shown in Elizabeth, who does not show any affection towards her child and physically abuses her
  • In contrast to the speaker in Morning Song, Celia experiences great feelings of inadequacy as she strongly desires children but is unable to carry them
• The Applicant and The Help


  • Skeeter's altering of her appearance via the 'shinalator' connects to the rigid expectations of society shown by the suit, 'black and stiff': society will not change for you, you must change for society
  • Societal expectations of beauty are already placed on Mae Mobley in childhood, but this is challenged by Aibileen's positive reinforcement
• Munich Mannequins and The Help


  • The pressure to conform to the beauty standards has a strong effect on the relationship between Celia and the other white women
  • Similar to Munich Mannequins, originality is frowned upon as the mannequins have no sense of individuality, the collective are almost referred to as one entity, robbed of anything human
• Repressed Emotions/Voices


  Internal struggles with expressing oneself, often due to societal oppression
• Repressed Emotions/Voices in Plath

  • Compulsion to express through writing
  • Internal struggle becoming external expression
• Elm


  • "A wind of such violence/Will tolerate no bystanding: I must shriek."
  • "I am inhabited by a cry"
• Medusa


  • "stony mouth-plugs"
  • "Paralysing the kicking lovers"
• Daddy


  • "I never could talk to you"
  • "At twenty I tried to die/And get back, back, back to you"
• The Arrival of the Bee Box


  • "I have to live with it overnight/And I just can't keep away from it"
  • "It is the noise that appals me most of all"
• Repressed Emotions/Voices in 'The Help'


  • Emphasis on power of emotions and pain of repression
  • Imagery of constriction, violence, and necessity of expression
• Aibileen


  • "I'm surprised by how tight my throat get. It's a shame I learned to keep down a long time ago." "I'm biting my tongue."
• Minny


  • "I clamp my mouth shut." "My jaw so tight I could break my teeth off"