Eblin 1
Olivia Eblin
Mr. Weaver
Honors Language 1
13 January 2014
Classic
A “classic” novel can be determined in a multitude of ways. From its shelf life, the likeable characters, or even the time it was written and its significance with that period. The Help is a classic for its well-known status, the applicable morals, and its placement in history as written so. The Help has a very well-known status. It was published in 2008 and “has sold over 8 million hard cover copies and one million Kindle copies.” (Owen, Laura) By being sold all over America over 9 million times, this novel can be supported as “well-known.” This book has also been mentioned in the Los Angeles Times as “an excellent adaptation of the bestselling novel about an unlikely rebellion.” The Help novel was also made into a movie in 2013. This movie was shown in every state and received a rating of “86% overall with a consensus of over 13 million viewers.” Why would a classical piece of literature and movie be displayed as such a well-liked piece if it wasn’t?
Moreover, the overall moral of this novel is another factor that makes it a classic. The moral in this story is that you should use your voice, your opinion, to try and make the change you want to happen, even if it’s a risky choice. This was applicable then, and now. Then, it was socially Eblin 2 illegal to voice against segregation, but Skeeter, the protagonist and writer, ignored this social unjust to show people another point of view no matter what the cost. It is also applicable today with all of the unrecognized segregation of homosexuals. People are afraid to voice their opinion because of the consequences but what this does, is shows that you shouldn’t be afraid. The point of this statement is to show that even with this novel having a placement in the 1960’s it still can be a very current moral that can be used in today’s society. This further explains why The Help is a classic. Furthermore, the setting of this novel is dated in the 1960’s in the city of Jackson, Mississippi during a memorable period. During this time the book took place, segregation was an issue that was very influential to both Caucasian and African American families. Almost all classic novels take place in a memorable time period. This was one of the most important eras in American History. So why would this not be a classic? Also during this time, was a very influential leader named Martin Luther King Jr. who spoke to all citizens about not focusing on skin color. In The Help, Skeeter is caught and