2019 Year 12 IB Extended Essays

the difference between women of colour but she chooses to look at the stereotypes concerning white females as well. Stockett mainly uses two white females to properly transgress these white prejudicial stereotypes found in the society of Jackson regarding gender and gender norms, these women are Skeeter Phelan and Celia Foote. Skeeter is introduced to the reader as a female who, despite her mother’s wishes, dreams of becoming a writer in a world where the role of a woman is to marry, stay home and bear children. It is frowned upon in this society for a white woman to earn their own money and work, this is explored further through Stuart Whitworth’s character as he tries to guilt Skeeter into giving up on her career plans. Skeeter’s mother and Hilly, her childhood best friend, try to encourage Skeeter to embrace the social norms by setting her up on dates and suggesting clothing options. However, her pursuit of her own career disturbs the boundaries of the submissive housewife. Thus, the reader admires Skeeter’s ability to diverge from the expectations set by society. Additionally, Stockett uses her character Celia Foote to help transgress societal gender norms through a subtler use compared to Skeeter’s confronting style. Celia Foote is new to the town of Jackson and feels as though she has to do anything to belong and be a good wife to her loving husband despite her inability to perform simple household tasks such as cooking and cleaning, tasks that a woman in this town should supposedly know how to perform, and her inability to have children. Due to this Celia secretly hires Minny so that her husband won’t have to find out. Celia spends most of her time throughout the novel fighting to join the towns Junior League. This was a social group for women that only the highest echelon of women in Jackson could join. Towards the end of the novel Celia decides that she doesn’t care to be a woman who conforms to societies beliefs and the role a woman is meant to play and instead chooses to be herself.

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