The Symbolism of Toilets in The Help

In the classic historical novel, The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, the symbol of the toilets represents all the flaws in society, specifically regarding segregation in this era, while sparking Skeeter‘s motivation to influence the public’s eye of race. The bathrooms are a constant reminder of the strict divide between black and white people. They are referenced in almost every chapter as a symbol of dehumanization for the black maids and workers living in Jackson, Mississippi in the 19605, The wealthy, white men and women strive to justify their need to build a separate bathroom by claiming that using mixed toilets will spread the “blacks disease”, This is extremely false and depicts just how blinded the society is to the cruelty committed towards the African Americans, The bathroom issue is heightened when Robert Brown, an innocent black man, accidentally uses a stall for white men and is brutally beaten, then few chapters later Mae Mobley is abused in Abilieen’s restroom.

Though the segregated bathrooms demonstrate ruthlessness and racism in general, there is light at the end of the tunnel, When Skeeter witnesses the discriminating practices, she is determined to positively impact the black maids whom she once ignored.

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After the toilet debacle, she makes the symbolism vivid when she states, “But then I realize, like a shell cracking open in my head, there's no difference between those government laws and Hilly building Albileen a bathroom in the garage, except ten minutes' worth of signatures in the state capitol" (92), Skeeter blatantly expresses here that the Jim Crow Laws she read have a strong correlation to the segregated bathrooms, marking the beginning of her tedious journey towards publishing the column to expose “the help” perspective.

Toilets are stereotypically unpleasant and fowl, which is why Stockett uses them to exemplify the unethical themes of the novel, and the unreasonable acts white people took to strengthen their separation from other races.