"The Help" entry five

"The Help" ends with Aibileen as the narrator for the final chapter. As she leaves Miss Leefolts house, she knows she will not be returning. She is extremely emotional because she knows how much she will miss Mae Mobley. However, at the same time she feels free. She recognizes that she will not be able to work for another white women, but she feels that she should continue writing. To herself, she says "Maybe I ought to keep writing, not just for the paper, but for something else, about all the people I know and the things I see and done. Maybe I ain't too old to start over, I think and laygh and cry at the same time at this" (444). This realizes that she feels she can start a new type of life. She is free from her former life of serving others. It is her time and place to do something for herself. Whether that means writing of her daily experiences and observations or finding work in a completely different field, it is up to her. In her career as as a maid, she has been told what to do. However, it is now her time to decide what she wants to do. I am left feeling that Aibileen has lived a life dedicated to the good of others. Yet, she is hopeful. Her life is not over. Conversely, it is now her time to determine what is significant to her.