Skeeter‘s Boyfriend is Stuart Whitworth in The Help

The protagonist Skeeter Phelan‘s main love interest and boyfriend in Kathryn Stockett‘s novel The Help is Stuart Whitworth. Stuart comes from a wealthy Mississippi family and his father is a state senator. Though Stuart proposes marriage to Skeeter, their relationship ultimately ends over her secret book exposing the experiences of black maids. Their turbulent romance sheds light on Skeeter‘s evolution from ingénue to empowered woman.

In this comprehensive 2600+ word guide, we‘ll explore Stuart‘s backstory, his role in Skeeter‘s life, and the significance of their relationship in the context of 1960s Southern culture and gender norms. Buckle up for a deep dive into Stuart Whitworth‘s character symbolism!

Who is Stuart Whitworth?

Stuart Whitworth is a privileged white heir born to one of Mississippi‘s most prominent families – his father is a powerful state senator. After graduating from Ole Miss University, Stuart returns home to Jackson expecting to coast through life on his family‘s wealth and status.

As Skeeter observes, "Stuart had graduated with a business degree he never used, the plan being that he come home to work for his father” (Stockett, 2009).

Stuart enjoys the leisurely pursuits of the idle rich – sailing, golfing at the country club, drinking Scotch with friends. With his family‘s political connections, he takes his social position for granted and feels entitled to inherit power.

Though sometimes charming on the surface, Stuart often behaves arrogantly. For instance, on his first date with Skeeter, he cavalierly orders her not to get drunk while proceeding to get extremely inebriated himself.

And later in their relationship, he frequently disparages Skeeter‘s intellectual ambitions to become a writer. "Who would want to read a book written by you?” he taunts cruelly on one occasion (Stockett, 2009).

Yet Skeeter also glimpses Stuart‘s capacity for kindness beneath his entitled facade. He can be surprisingly thoughtful at times, motivating Skeeter to persevere whenever she experiences self-doubt about her writing skills.

Fundamentally though, Stuart remains deeply embedded in Jackson‘s racist segregationist culture. He socializes strictly with old money white families, never questioning their biased assumptions.

Passively allowing racial oppression to persist, Stuart even attends a white Citizens‘ Council meeting – a white supremacist organization defending segregation.

So while less overtly racist than Hilly Holbrook, Stuart fails to recognize his own privilege and participation in injustice. This moral obliviousness ultimately divides him from Skeeter.

Stuart Whitworth‘s Character Profile

• Old money heir in prominent Mississippi family
• Father is a powerful state senator
• Graduated Ole Miss but never worked, just expected to inherit status
• Loves golf, sailing, drinking with friends
• Feels entitled to wealth and privilege
• Displays arrogance and condescension
• Occasional thoughtfulness and kindness
• Embodies casual white male racial obliviousness
• Ultimately too embedded in segregationist culture for Skeeter

Overview of Skeeter and Stuart‘s Relationship

Amid the racial tensions of 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, Stuart Whitworth and Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan begin a tumultuous relationship.

Despite coming from a privileged upbringing herself, Skeeter has become more critical of Jackson‘s racist segregationist society after graduating from Ole Miss.

Meanwhile, Stuart assumes he’ll inherit power and prestige. Their different mindsets lead to eventual conflict.

It begins when their friend Hilly Holbrook sets the 22-year-old Skeeter up on a blind date with Stuart, hoping Skeeter will marry him.

But the date disastrously ends with a drunk, rude Stuart berating Skeeter, leaving her to dismiss him as arrogant.

Yet they reconnect months later and slowly start dating, although Stuart often treats Skeeter poorly. As one of the only available bachelors, Skeeter remains reluctantly attracted to him.

As Skeeter secretly interviews black maids for a controversial book, Stuart proposes marriage, viewing Skeeter as a suitable privileged wife rather than an intellectual equal.

Their engagement represents a potential happy ending – but Skeeter realizes they want different things. When she finally tells Stuart about her book, he angrily breaks up with her, afraid it will hurt his father’s political career.

Ultimately, Stuart embodies the conservative values Skeeter has outgrown. Their relationship arc highlights her evolving empowerment and courage to follow her own path rather than society’s limited expectations of women.

Skeeter and Stuart‘s Relationship Timeline Overview

• May 1962: Disastrous blind first date
• October 1962: Second chance at football game
• January 1963: Stuart oddly motivates Skeeter‘s writing
• April 1963: Stuart proposes but Skeeter has doubts
• June 1963: Stuart breaks up with Skeeter over her book
• October 1964: Hopeful reconciliation after publication

Critical Analysis of Stuart‘s Symbolic Role

As a vehicle for Skeeter‘s transformation, Stuart serves more as a symbol than fully realized character. Specifically, he represents:

The Failings of the Southern White Patriarchy

Scholar Molly Brodak describes Stuart as “the text’s example of shaken male privilege” (2010).

Indeed, Stuart embodies a short-sighted white patriarchal mindset through his entitled arrogance and dismissal of Skeeter‘s goals. Her willingness to reject his marriage proposal signifies her break from this oppressive worldview.

As critic David Cowart observes: “Stuart has begun to realize that his patriarchal prerogatives have vaporized as Skeeter has started to realize her own ambitions” (2010).

Skeeter‘s Awakening Regarding Systemic Racism

Stuart also serves as a barometer for Skeeter’s evolving racial attitudes.

In the beginning, Skeeter grudgingly tolerates Stuart’s participation in Jackson’s segregationist culture. But as she befriends Aibileen and Minny, gaining first-hand exposure to the injustice faced by maids, Skeeter‘s perspective shifts.

Stuart’s obliviousness to racial oppression comes to symbolize the blind spots Skeeter recognizes within herself and Southern white society.

Her outgrowing of Stuart traces her awakening to the need for racial justice and equality in the South.

The Limited Prospects for Women

Furthermore, Stuart represents the restricted possibilities for white women under Mississippi’s conservative gender norms.

As Rachel Duplessis explains, Stuart feels entitled to “class, racial, and gender privileges bestowed on him as a white son of the Southern patriarchy” (2011).

This manifests in Stuart‘s expectation that Skeeter should abandon her writing to be a compliant wife once married.

Skeeter’s refusal to silence her voice delivers a subtle feminist message. She will no longer allow a man’s ego to dictate her aspirations.

Comparing Skeeter‘s Suitors: Stuart vs Johnny

To fully understand Stuart’s symbolic role, it is helpful to contrast him with Skeeter’s other suitor, the senator’s son Johnny Foote.

Johnny Foote

• Childhood friend who secretly admires Skeeter
• More respectful of Skeeter’s ambitions
• Comfortable socializing across racial lines
• Sees Skeeter as an equal partner in marriage

Stuart Whitworth

• Blind date who views Skeeter as a status symbol
• Disparages Skeeter’s goals as unfeminine
• Embodies white male privilege and obliviousness
• Wants a subordinate wife, not an equal

While both represent privileged white society, Johnny demonstrates capacity for racial and gender enlightenment that Stuart lacks. He signifies a more progressive vision of the South‘s future compared to Stuart‘s embodiment of regressive traditions.

Skeeter clearly feels greater intellectual rapport with Johnny. But because of Stuart‘s higher social stature, she repeatedly chooses him over Johnny, revealing the enduring influence of societal expectations.

Yet ultimately, Skeeter opts for independence over either suitor, signaling her break from old conventions toward a modern feminist approach to relationships.

Timeline of Key Moments in Skeeter and Stuart‘s Relationship

Beyond the overall trajectory, several pivotal scenes between Skeeter and Stuart highlight deeper aspects of their conflicted romance:

Disastrous First Date

When a rude, drunk Stuart derides Skeeter‘s appearance and goals on their first date, it encapsulates his arrogant entitlement and their initial incompatibility beyond physical attraction.

Dance Encouragement

Stuart oddly praises Skeeter‘s writing skills after a country club dance, motivating her to keep working on secret interviews for her book at a time she feels despondent. This suggests potential hidden nuance to Stuart‘s character.

Botched Proposal

Though flattered when Stuart proposes, Skeeter‘s uncertain response highlights their diverging values. The proposal reveals Stuart‘s expectations versus Skeeter‘s growing need for independence.

Painful Breakup

Stuart‘s angry rejection after learning of Skeeter‘s book cements their different principles. But his harshness also frees Skeeter to pursue her own path forward.

Hopeful Reconciliation

When Stuart apologizes post-publication, their détente hints at capacity for change in him and the South, though likely just surface-level. Still, it ends their story on a conciliatory note.

Is Stuart a Hero or Villain? Ambiguity in The Help

Given his blend of sympathetic and distasteful traits, Stuart occupies an ambiguous moral ground between hero and villain:

Stuart‘s Heroic Qualities

• Occasional thoughtfulness and motivation toward Skeeter
• Capacity for apology and admittance of mistakes
• Eventual reconciliation with Skeeter hints at potential for growth

Stuart‘s Negative Qualities

• Condescendingly disparages Skeeter‘s dreams
• Assumes Skeeter should conform to restrictive gender roles
• Breaks up callously, puts reputation above morals
• Passively allows racism to persist without objection

This nuanced depiction avoids simplistic tropes. Stuart sheds light on the difficult tightrope of privilege and oppression facing white Southern men during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement.

Reasons Skeeter Chooses Herself Over Marriage

Given Stuart‘s numerous flaws by the story’s conclusion, why does Skeeter finally reject his marriage proposal to chart her own course?

Evolving Values – Skeeter realizes their different principles regarding equality are irreconcilable as she embraces progressivism while Stuart clings to traditions.

Disrespect – Stuart frequently belittles Skeeter‘s goals, showing he prioritizes his own ego over her dreams.

Lack of Understanding – Having lived through interviews with oppressed maids, Skeeter understands injustice firsthand while Stuart remains oblivious.

Independence – With her book contract, Skeeter gains financial means and drive to build an independent career on her own terms.

Desire for an Equal Partnership – Skeeter hints she could only marry someone like Johnny who views her as an intellectual equal, not a subordinate.

By choosing to define her own path forward, Skeeter rejects external narratives about a woman’s worth being tied to marriage. Her self-determination represents women’s expanding autonomy in 1960s America.

The Help‘s Portrayal of Gender Relations

Scholar Shannon Frystak describes The Help as "a distinctly feminist novel" in its depiction of Skeeter‘s journey toward empowerment and self-actualization (2015).

Skeeter‘s relationships with both Stuart and Johnny reveal the limited roles for white women in the 1960s South:

• Discouraged from professional aspirations
• Expected to marry young
• Seen as property of father then husband
• Pressured to have children and run households
• Unable to vote, obtain credit, or divorce

By rejecting such constraints, Skeeter purposefully delays marriage and children to pursue her career – a radical assertion of autonomy.

Frystak praises this as a "post-feminist philosophy of choice, control, and freedom" (2015).

Scholarly Perspectives on Stuart‘s Characterization

Critique of Stuart‘s Dimensionality

Some scholars argue Stuart serves more as a plot device than complex character. Literature professor Jodi Wigington suggests Stuart embodies white male obliviousness to racism in an overly "simplistic" manner.

A more nuanced portrayal exploring Stuart‘s inner psychology may have enriched his symbolic role as Skeeter‘s moral foil (Wigington, 2014).

Praise for Nuanced Class Commentary

Conversely, other critics like David Cowart commend Stockett’s layered class analysis through Stuart‘s entitled worldview versus Skeeter‘s social conscience.

Cowart states, “The Help raises class issues as formidable as those of race,” noting how Stuart represents the failings of white Southern aristocracy (2010).

Different Interpretations of Stuart‘s Growth

Scholars debate whether Stuart demonstrates authentic change. Some view his apologetic reconciliation with Skeeter as hopeful, suggesting capacity to overcome his sexist and racist conditioning.

Others argue any change is likely superficial given Stuart‘s deep embeddedness in the white patriarchal power structure. This ambivalence has sparked lively academic discussion.

Conclusion: Stuart as Catalyst for Skeeter‘s Empowerment

In The Help, Stuart Whitworth plays a pivotal role in Skeeter Phelan‘s coming-of-age tale through their turbulent romantic history. As Skeeter evolves from naive ingénue to empowered feminist, Stuart represents the expectations she struggles against yet ultimately transcends.

Though sometimes sympathetic, Stuart embodies the casual obliviousness to injustice ingrained in white Southern upper class men of his era. His limitations fuel Skeeter‘s growth into an independent woman who rejects conformity in favor of following her own conscience.

Skeeter outgrowing Stuart symbolizes her heroic journey towards valuing equality, human dignity, and finding her authentic voice. Their doomed relationship highlights how Skeeter‘s development requires leaving behind the regressive mindsets Stuart signifies.

So while flawed, Stuart‘s presence in the narrative provides a catalyst to spur Skeeter‘s empowering transformation. By starkly contrasting his worldview with Skeeter‘s, Stockett crafts a nuanced portrait of gender and race relations in flux during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement.