Elaine Stein

Biography
Elaine Stein is a 45-year-old Harper & Row Publishing house editor. "Miss Stein” as she’s referred to by Skeeter Phelan, takes an interest in Skeeter simply because its “admirable that that a young lady with absolutely no work experience would apply for an editing job at a publisher as prestigious as ours.” This excerpt is part of the letter Miss Stein sends in response to Skeeter’s résumé. Elaine Stein corresponds with Skeeter over the length of the novel, and tell her to write about what disturbs you, particularly if it bothers no one else. After hearing Aibileen Clark speak of her deceased son Treelore Clark’s idea to write his experience working for a white employer, Skeeter decides to tweak and expand this idea with the guidance of Miss Stein.