How much does Kathryn Stockett owe to the real “help”?

[karen_w_newton]

Recently a lawsuit about books (and movies) made the news, A woman named Ablene Cooper, who worked (and still works) as a maid for author Kathryn's Stockett's older brother, sued Stockett alledging that the character of Aibileen Clark in Stockett's bestselling novel The Help was based on her without her permission. The lawsuit was dismissed because

Comments

[mtlawson]

If Sockett had created a character with a generic name of that era, then she'd be setting herself up for complaints that her characters were cardboard cutouts.

As it is, the name isn't enough. The character, her background, her motivations, and her voice all should enter into whether Sockett based the character off of the real person. There are a boatload of Mike Lawsons out there --there's even a published author named Mike Lawson-- but to identify which one is me takes a bit more than just the name. Even at my employer, I'm not the only Mike Lawson there.

[karen_w_newton]

I agree, and in fact Sackett gave her fictional Abileen a gold tooth, a dead son, and a job caring to a little white boy and girl, all traits shared with the real woman.

[bogwitch64]

Part of me says no, she doesn't owe the woman anything. She inspired the character, maybe even WAS the character, but why does that give her anything other than a nod? She didn't give her life story, tell any secrets, liable her in any way. Was it unwise of the author to give her such a similar name?? Hugely unwise, and for this very reason. It was handled poorly, and that's unfortunate. But the woman hasn't LOST anything due to the book. Why should she gain anything for being someone who inspired a character. It's a dangerous precedent to set.

Another part of me says that if the author was so careless as to create this character in such close image of the real woman, give her almost the same name, and NOT contact her in any way asking her opinion, permission or whatnot, then she's an idiot and should pay SOMETHING.

Then again, if the book hadn't been so successful, this woman would never have come out of the woodwork. It smacks of, "You can afford it. Gimme my share!" and that's just not right.

[karen_w_newton]

See my reply to Mike's comment about the similarities. I would argue that the real Ablene has lost something. She has to watch an actress speaking about how a cockroach is blacker than she is and know that pretty much everyone who knows her thinks it's her. I agree that paying off someon who is demanding money for being portrayed in a book is bad precedent but I also think this writer crossed a line. It's not a matter of what the law is, it's a matter of what's right. If a writer lifts things from real life and doesn't bother to change them, I think she should be prepared for real life to reach out and slap her in the face.