Aibileen Clark

Aibileen Clark is a 52-year-old African American maid who works for the Leefolts. Aibileen was born in 1911 at Chickasaw County, Piedmont Plantation. When Aibileen was growing up, she knew that she was going to become a maid. Her mother was a maid and her grandmother was a house slave. Aibileen dreamed of being something else but never achieved her dream. Aibileen took care of seventeen white babies during her life. Later on, she tells Skeeter that her first white baby to ever look after was Alton Carrington Speers. She dropped out of school to help her mother with the bills. It was 1925 and Aibileen had just turned 14 years old. She takes care of 2 1/2-year-old white toddler, Mae Mobley Leefolt. Aibileen loves and takes care of Mae Mobley while her mother, Elizabeth does not. Aibileen's best friends are Minny and Skeeter.

The book she writes with Skeeter and the other maids empowers her to stand up for injustices. She teaches the children she raises that the color of skin does not matter but love and kindness do; but she often feels that the message is countered by the racism in Jackson. Aibileen realizes she has more to offer in life than being a maid and finds the courage to try something new.

Aibileen triumphs in the face of adversity, but the growth is a slow, painful process. Even though she is still mourning the loss of her son, she finds solace in her maternal role raising white children. Her identity is determined by her place in society as a maid, but she embraces a central role in the writing project with Skeeter and finds a new identity as a writer, too. Aibileen realizes the danger that could result from her decisions, but she embraces the risk and relies on her faith for guidance. In the end, Aibileen discovers her own courage and talents, which leads her to leave her job as a maid and accept an undetermined path that will lead to more independence.