[BufordP]

"The Help": Lib Author Rails Against Racism, Then Rips Off Black Maid; My Black Housekeeper

[SuziQ]

In addition to having essentially the same name, the character in the book has a gold tooth, a son who has died, and employment as a maid for a White family in Jackson, Mississippi–all characteristics of Ablene Cooper. But, far worse than that, the book portrays the maid as being ashamed of being Black, comparing herself and her skin color to that of a cockroach, and discouraging the White children for whom she cared from drinking coffee because it might make then turn their skin black.

Besides the woman's name, the other characteristics of Aibileen could match quite a few of the black women in MS at the time. As for the maid in the book supposedly being ashamed of being Black, I got exactly the OPPOSITE impression! As for the coffee reference, IIRC, it was one of the white women in the book who made that remark, NOT the black maid. I wonder if Debbie Schussel even read the book.

As for the young woman in the book sharing the proceeds with the black maid, it was because it was ONLY because of this woman that she was able to gather all the stories. If Ms. Cooper didn't do that same service for Kathryn Stockett, I don't see why Ms. Stockett owes her ANY proceeds from the book.