But Minny also uses pies to subvert the power dynamics in the home. After Miss Hilly jeopardizes Minny’s chances of ever finding work again, Minny makes a chocolate custard pie including the “special ingredient” of her own feces, and watches Hilly savor two slices of it before telling her the truth.
Themes of humiliation and revenge dominate this chapter. Hilly spreads lies about Minnys thievery so that no one else will hire her. A maids reputation is everything, and Hilly has ruined Minnys credentials. Most maids would have just accepted their fate, but Minny is not good at staying in her assigned place. Minnys mouth gets in her trouble all the time and the chocolate pie incident is no exception. Her humiliation of Hilly is complete and a power shift occurs. Minny now knows something about Hilly—that she tricked Hilly into literally eating humble pie—and that Hilly is now terrified of her. When Minny shares the secret with Celia, it empowers Celia, too.
At work on Monday, Celia refuses to get out of bed. She is too humiliated to move. Hilly has sent her a note banning her from future League events and demanding that she donate 200 dollars to the League for all the trouble she caused. Minny brings her food and cleans the house, but nothing gets Celia to move until Minny reveals the details of the chocolate pie she once made for Hilly. After Minny left Miss Walters employ, Hilly told everyone in town that Minny had stolen silver from Miss Walter so that no one would hire her. Then Hilly tried to get Minny to come work for her. Minny refused and told Hilly to “eat my shit”. Minny made her a special chocolate pie, and Hilly thought it was a peace offering, so she ate two whole slices. Afterwards, Minny tells her that she also contributed a very special ingredient, her shit. Then Minny blackmails Hilly and says she will tell everyone in town about the special pie. Celia writes the check to the League and adds “For Two-Slice Hilly” in the notes section. Then she goes in the backyard, in the pouring rain, and chops down the mimosa tree.
The mimosa tree is a symbol of Celias path. It reminds her of Sugar Ditch, and she wants to destroy it. Throughout the novel, Celia has asked Johnny to cut it down for her. She has even hacked away at it herself, but the tree is tenacious. Minnys strength and trust enable Celia to take control of her own destiny. She grabs an axe, goes out in the rain, and destroys the tree herself. Minny sits and watches.
The Help scene FULL ”Minny’s Chocolate Pie” HQ
FAQ
What did Minny do to the pie in the help?
What does Minny’s pie symbolize?
What was the line from the help about pie?
Why did Minny eat a pie?
Minny explains that, when Hilly told Minny she would be sending Miss Walters to a nursing home, Hilly spread the rumor that Minny was a thief so that Hilly could hire Minny for herself. After Minny told Hilly to “eat [her] shit,” she went home and made a chocolate pie. She then brought the pie to Hilly, who ate two slices.
What did Minny tell hilly about the pie?
She then brought the pie to Hilly, who ate two slices. Minny then told Hilly that she put her own feces in the pie, to Hilly’s horror and Miss Walters’ amusement. Minny explains that Hilly thought Celia knew the story. A few days later, Minny watches as Celia takes an ax to the mimosa tree.
Did Minny make hilly a chocolate pie?
In what seems to be a kind-hearted gesture, Minny makes Hilly her famous chocolate pie. She allows Hilly to take several bites before revealing that she mixed some of her excrement into it, leaving Hilly sick, gagging, and scrambling out of the room. Octavia Spencer at an event in October 2011 in Los Angeles, California | Toby Canham/Getty Images
What did Minny tell hilly?
Minny refused and told Hilly to “eat my shit”. Minny made her a special chocolate pie, and Hilly thought it was a peace offering, so she ate two whole slices. Afterwards, Minny tells her that she also contributed a very special ingredient, her shit. Then Minny blackmails Hilly and says she will tell everyone in town about the special pie.