This document provides a compare and contrast essay analyzing the historical fiction films 12 Years a Slave (2013) and The Help (2011). Both films depict the racism and discrimination faced by African Americans during the pre-Civil War and Civil War eras in the United States. Specifically, the films highlight the fight for freedom, portrayals of antagonists who supported racism, and depictions of the torture and suffering endured by slaves and maids. While the settings were in different time periods, both films effectively brought awareness to the injustices of racism during that time in history.

1. SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN
THE DESIGN SCHOOL
FOUNDATION IN NATURAL BUILD ENVIRONMENT
NAME : ADIBAH BAHIAH BT. AWANG
STUDENT ID NO : 0316318
FILMS SELECTED : 12 YEARS A SLAVE (2013), THE HELP (2011)
WORD COUNT : 988 WORDS
ENGLISH 2 (ENGL 0205)
WRITTEN
ASSIGNMENT 1 : COMPARE – CONTRAST ESSAY
LECTURER : CASSANDRA WIJESURIA
SUBMISSION DATE : 18th APRIL 2014

2. Historical fictions are probably one of the most interesting yet
educational types of movie genre ever introduced. It incorporates significant
events that has happened in the past, with modern twists that would suit and
attract the attention of todays audience. These types of films however, can be
very tricky to recreate. The plot, characters, time and place settings need to be on
point so that the movie would be a hit. History on its own is already a bore to a
great number of people therefore it is crucial that directors know how to handle
these kinds of films properly in order to spread their message across. Movies
such as 12 Years A Slave and The Help, are probably two of the best historical
fictions ever created. They both talked about the racism and hate crime that
occurred greatly during the pre-Civil War and Civil War era. These two films are
very similar in terms of the focal point, the antagonists, the fight for freedom, and
the depiction of torture that has happened.
Both movies push forward the idea of racism that arose among the Whites
and the African Americans. In 12 Years A Slave, Solomon Northup was a free
African American man that was kidnapped and sold into slavery. Even though he
had legal documents to prove his freedom, the ignorance of the people at that
point of time completely negated the fact that he has equal rights as every
American citizen. He was forced to leave his wife and children behind, and only
to return 12 years later. This movie took place during the pre Civil War era, at a
time where people were at the lowest form of education and the highest form of
ignorance. The Help however, took place during the Civil War era, when people
were more educated about eradicating racism and all for equality. Racism and
hate crime were still happening, although not as serious as years before. The
Help talks about the situation and condition of the African American maids and
how badly they were treated by their owners.
Besides that, one of the major highlights of these movies is also about the
fight for freedom. Freedom was achieved in both movies through writing.
Solomon Northup tried to write to his family multiple times. Ink and paper was
very hard to find, and being a slave his every move was carefully watched and
observed. His attempts were not all successful however he did not give up.
Northup got into trouble a few times when he was caught, then stripped and
beaten almost to death. His final letter finally reached his family and he was then
released and continued to live his life as a free man. On the other hand, the fight
for freedom in The Help was achieved with the involvement of a third party.
Skeeter Phelan is an American journalist at the time that was seriously
determined to write a book about the pain and suffering of the African American
maids. She collected confessions and testimonies from as many maids as possible
to complete her book. Although her action was highly risky and illegal, that did
not stop her from finishing what she started. Phelan lost the support of her

3. friends and lover but in the end it all paid off. The book was a great success and
little by little, racism slowly tapered off in that area.
Moreover, the antagonists in both of these movies also shared similar
characteristics and traits. In 12 Years A Slave, Edwin and Mary Epps were
Northup’s owners after he was resold by his previous one. Edwin Epps held a
strong grudge against Northup as he has established a reputation of being a
rebel. Epps did not like the fact that Northup knew how to read and write. He
also hated Northup for always managing to escape his punishments. To him,
Northup was nothing but a slave that is not allowed to have a mind of his own
and must obey his every command. In The Help, the devil was named after Hilly
Holbrook, which was one of Skeeter’s best friends that strongly believed the
separation between the Whites and African Americans must be done. She
proposed the "Home Help Sanitation Initiative" which basically forbids the maids
from sharing the washroom with their employers. According to Holbrook, they
carry different diseases from the Whites and therefore it is her duty to protect
the future generation. Holbrook was also never ashamed of throwing rude and
racist remarks in public.
Finally, both movies also did a very good job in depicting the degree of
pain and suffering that occurred. The methods of punishment in 12 Years A Slave
were far more severe than in The Help. They used extremely brutal forces. Slaves
were punished for the tiniest mistakes and their basic survival needs were never
met. They were stripped, beaten up, bruised and whipped for the most parts.
They were also given very little food, poor living conditions and hardly any break
during the day. The level of torment that happened in The Help was less severe,
however still very offensive. The maids were often accused of stealing by their
employers, they were randomly shot in the streets and the police force did not
provide any protection for the African Americans. Children of the maids also did
not get proper education, and in most cases had to work at a very young age to
support their family.
In conclusion, racism is the main focus of both 12 Years A Slave and The
Help. Both of these movies tackled the issue with great detail, pushing forward
ideas such as discrimination and hate crime. Although they were similar on most
parts, the difference in time setting made them authentic and captivating in their
own special way. These two movies have definitely revolutionized the course of
history, shifting away from the dark ages to a more educated society.

4. References :
1. 12 Years A Slave. (2013). In IMBd. Retrieved April 10, 2014, from
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2024544/
2. The Help. (2011). In IMBd. Retrieved April 10, 2014, from
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1454029/plotsummary?ref_=tt_stry_pl
3. The Help. (2011). In Goodreads. Retrieved April 10, 2014, from
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4667024-the-help