Kathryn Stockett, a University of Alabama alumna and author of The New York Times best-selling book, “The Help,” will be on campus Friday to discuss the book’s backstory during a lecture.
The recent fame of the film adaptation of the book has garnered multiple awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress but has not prevented Stockett from giving back to her alma mater.
“I think she’s excited to be returning to her alma mater,” Kari Frederickson, organizer of the event, said. “The title of her talk is ‘The Story Behind The Help,’ so I suspect she will focus on the book’s development, her ideas and the difficult process of getting published.”
(See also “Stockett’s ‘The Help’ creates tension after successful book and movie release“)
One fan of the “The Help” is Trent McDaniel, a sophomore majoring in public relations. McDaniel said his favorite part of the story is a side plot, focusing on how the character Celia Foote opens her home to a woman named Minny.
“Yes, she is hiring this woman on as a housemaid, but she doesn’t once treat her as a lesser [person],” McDaniel said. “She shows her appreciation and love for Minny throughout the whole movie. She is one of the only kind-hearted white women in this movie besides the main character Skeeter.”
McDaniel said the recent controversy over sorority segregation has made Stockett’s lecture more prevalent than ever.
(See also “The Final Barrier: 50 years later, segregation still exists“)
“I believe this lecture is more important now because it speaks louder to the audience of people who have experienced discrimination. This entire campus has now experienced it,” McDaniel said.
Frederickson said he believes it is the main theme of segregation that really resonates with students.
“I think one of the most powerful themes in the book is how the culture of segregation poisons all human relationships, not just those between whites and blacks. Particularly moving in this book is how this culture tears apart the relationships of mothers and daughters,” Frederickson said.
Stockett will discuss her novel Friday at 3 p.m. at the Moody Music Building Concert Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public. Stockett will sign books following the lecture.
(See also “Women’s resource center hosts brown bag lecture series“)
