The Help discussion

Miss Celia was kinda annoying in the beginning, but what about the end? When you found out about all the miscarriages, did you feel for her in the end?

I adored Celia throughout the book and the movie. I really felt for her. She was just trying to fit in! I didn't find her annoying at all, but sort of helpless. I wanted to give her a hug! The poor thing lol

I didn't find Miss Celia annoying at all. To me she was the heart of the story. She didn't care about race or color, she was just a sweet southern girl from sugar ditch who had more character than all the other ladies she was trying to befriend. Miss Celia was good natured and I loved her character. They did a good job in the movie of capturing her essence.

I loved Celia :)

I never looked at it from that angle before. She was just tring to fit in, and she didnt know how too. And with the part the part with the robber, she really knows how to fight! She is not just another rich lady in Mississippi.

Celia was one of the better characters in the book. The others felt too contrived.

Oh not at all, Celia was a fantastic character. I found as soon as we were first introduced to her that she was very intriguing and I was dying to find out more about her!

I didn't find her annoying, I just wished she'd told her husband about Minnie sooner. Either way, I liked her as she just wanted friends and to fit in and even with the drinking, it's gotta be hard to lose "multiple" babies. She's ok in my book.

I really liked Miss Celia, which surprised me. As I read the story I developed a soft spot for her character. In the film adaptation I thought she was portrayed nicely as well.

Kyra wrote: "I didn't find her annoying, I just wished she'd told her husband about Minnie sooner. Either way, I liked her as she just wanted friends and to fit in and even with the drinking, it's gotta be hard..."
it turned out not to be alcohol she was drinking though, it was some sort of liquid that she heard would stop her losing the babies.

Amanda wrote: "Kyra wrote: "I didn't find her annoying, I just wished she'd told her husband about Minnie sooner. Either way, I liked her as she just wanted friends and to fit in and even with the drinking, it's ..."

Oh that's right! Thank you, I forgot.

I thought Celia was one of the likable characters, she just wanted to fit in with the others, but it seems she didn't share in their ideology. I thought she was really cute, too.

I agree Karen, I thought she was too cute not to like.

Kyra wrote: "Amanda wrote: "Kyra wrote: "I didn't find her annoying, I just wished she'd told her husband about Minnie sooner. Either way, I liked her as she just wanted friends and to fit in and even with the ..."
No problem, I had just finished it so it's fresh in my mind!

I adored Miss. Celia by the end. At first she just seemed like a bimbo but when you actually found out about her I really liked her character and felt really bad for her. I'm glad she found a friend in Minnie and the check to Miss. Hilly made me like her sooo much more haha.

I loved Miss Celia. Especially the way she treated Minnie, and how she fought to defend her. I think Minnie was the best person for Miss Celia to hire.

I loved her all through the book.She was so much more than those emptyheaded women. They graduated from college... Their parents should get refunds.

I would have stopped reading this book if it hadn't been for Celia and her story. She was the one I really cared about from the beginning to the end.

I actually wasn't annoyed by her at any point in the book, honestly. The author wrote her as a very open, honest, and innocent character, and that was rather enduring. I suspected the miscarriage from the beginning, actually, especially when the author talked about lying in bed all day and the giant bloodstain on the carpet, so those weren't a surprise to me.

Poor Celia. I love anyone that is the victim of "mean girls." I know what you mean by annoying, she was just so needy. But I think it was important to feel like she was a friend whose calls you might avoid, so that her loss could be even more deeply felt. Does that make sense?

I liked Miss Celia at the end. She had a hard lesson to learn from facing the likes of Hilly, but I think she became stronger and better for it. I liked especially that little snapshot we got of her when she was defending Minnie from the crazy guy; where did that don't-take-no-cr@p-from-nobody girl go between then and when she moved into the mansion? I would have liked to have seen that side of Celia square up against Hilly; definitely think she could have taken her on.

I actually thought that since Minnie had children, got along well with Celia,and to save the child from beatings that she would have given her last child to Miss Celia...seeing as she had a way of overseeing colors in people...
But I do understand how Miss Celia could not raise the child in those times.

Noelle wrote: "I liked Miss Celia at the end. She had a hard lesson to learn from facing the likes of Hilly, but I think she became stronger and better for it. I liked especially that little snapshot we got of he..."

It is odd that Celia certainly showed that she could stand up for herself but seemed helpless against the other women. I haven't seen the movie, but in the book I felt she was just too self pitying and self absorbed. Her and Minny were good for each other, though. Their interactions made both of them more likeable. I liked reading about Minny begrudgingly starting to care for Celia and Celia's lack of "knowing where the lines are."

I never thought she was annoying, maybe helpless and pitiful. But not annoying.

I always did like her, but I wished she grew a backbone.

I loved Celia! She was so lovable :). She also had a lot of miscarriages which made me love her more because she kept trying and was so strong. My favorite was "Two Sliced Hilly". Epic.

I think she is one of the best characters and she shows the most growth. I loved her.

I thought that Celia was sweet but needed to grow a brain to match her looks.

I really liked her right away, just based on the way that she treated Minny. That's all it took for me to see that she was different than everyone else and to draw me into her story. Definitely one of the best characters in the book.

I love Celia from the beginning till the end. I totally understand why Johnny loves her so so much. She's in her own way the purest person in the story, she remains innocent by the cruelty of the world, despite her up-bringing and all the bad things she had to go through.

I really liked Celia too. She is the only one that saw things as they should be (ie. treating Minny like a human, and more so a friend) - whether that was through "ignorance" as Minny thought, or maybe something more complex.... I guess it doesn't matter because she was ahead of her time either way. It was also an interesting contrast how she appeared weak at the beginning, when you didn't know she was pregnant but she was desperately trying to prevent losing another baby, but by the end, when she wasn't pregnant, she was out and about and kicking weird naked man ass! Quite a character with a lot of surprises. I also thought the miscarriage scene was dealt with well - my heart just bled for her that she hadn't even told her husband - how completely alone she must have felt as she struggled through such a traumatic ordeal.
P.s. loved Johnny too! What a sweetheart!!

In the beginning, when the character of Celia is introduced, you think "What the..." But I realized instantly there was something more to know about her, besides her ignorance and stupidity. She was the sweetest of all and I really felt for her.

The help were not the only ones that rose above terrible treatment. She was a joy from the start in both the book and the movie. In the long haul, the girl from Sugar Ditch pissed off all the right people and got her just rewards.

I felt bad for her, and she seemed sweet

Loved her...

I liked Miss Celia.. and yes, I did feel bad for her, especially when she lost the baby... and hearing about all of loss. It was just so sad. Her naivete was endearing.

Ps: I agree, Johnny was a sweetheart.

I thought Miss Celia was adorable throughout the entire book! She is so troubled and socially awkward. I really enjoyed her chapters in the book.

It was sad when she lost the baby :( Even more sad was how some people were racist back then, even though some of it's going on today

I saw the movie before I read the book so I knew I love her before I even started reading. I thought the relationship she & Minny had in the book was pretty awesome.

She was one of my favorite characters. I think because she was so different.

Celia was my favorite character, I loved her from beginning to end. I felt she was pretty strong for what she did, especially going through some of those miscarriages by herself. And then having to deal with trying to fit in. I adored her.

I found her quite adorable! i felt so bad for her, she was almost pathetic... in a good way! she was just too sweet to understand the social norms of that time. i felt so horrible about the misscarriages as well as the fact that everybody hated her just because she was NICE to the help!

I love Miss Celia! I felt so sorry for her :( I think her and Skeeter should have been friends in the end!

I loved Celia and thought she was an essential character. Since Celia was from the wrong side of the tracks, her character magnified the class divide, which echoed the racism. The fact was, and still is, some people just think they're better than others, never giving the newcomer a chance.

Celia was the bright spot in the story. Such a lonely woman, treated badly by all the others. Enduring all those miscarriages by herself with no one to even talk to. I just wanted to hug her! I was so glad she and Minnie found each other.

Oh im sorry talking bout da wrong person lol she was annoying but the turned out to be a really sweet madam .

Loved Her!!!

I would've liked her back story included. For instance, if she was tough enough to bash the crazy pervert, why couldn't she deal with Hilly. What changed her from a tough "white trash" woman to a sycophant.

Also, I, too, would've liked her and Skeeter to be friends and for Celia to experience some of the development that Skeeter did - fashion and otherwise.

Her character honestly broke my heart. All she wanted to do was fit in, and to be included. And of course the story of her miscarriages was saddening as well. I loved her character.

I really liked Miss Celia. I wish she would have come to a realization that she was better off without all the other socialites. I also hope she recognized how much her husband loved her. I don't remember the story going to that point. I wish Skeeter would have appreciated her, and befriended her more. They could have been great friends, since Skeeter recognized the shallowness of the other women.

I thought Celia was great from start to finish