The Help

With Aibileen’s separate bathroom at Miss Leefolt’s house complete, Aibileen has to go outside in the cold to get to the bathroom. Aibileen is working on potty training Mae Mobley, but it’s proving to be a challenge since Miss Leefolt won’t set the example and show Mae Mobley how to go. One day when Miss Leefolt is gone, Aibileen tries to get Mae Mobley to go in the toilet when Mae Mobley points at Aibileen and says, “You go” (93). This creates a pickle. She knows she can’t go in Miss Leefolt’s guest bathroom, so she takes Mae Mobley to her bathroom in the carport and goes quickly, but before Aibileen can stop her, Mae Mobley climbs up on the toilet and goes too. Later, in front of Miss Leefolt, Mae Mobley runs to Aibileen’s bathroom. Horrified, Miss Leefolt spanks Mae Mobley hard across her bare legs, saying she could get a disease from Aibileen’s bathroom.

Aibileen goes home hurting that day. She hurts for Mae Mobley who got spanked without doing anything wrong, and who has a long road of her mother’s scorn ahead of her. She’s also hurt that Miss Leefolt teaches Mae Mobley that Aibileen is diseased. All Aibileen can do is tell Mae Mobley every day that she is smart and kind, and show her that “dirty ain’t a color, disease ain’t the Negro side a town” (96).