As Skeeter drives home to her family’s cotton plantation, she thinks about her friendship with Hilly. They’ve been friends since elementary school, and even roomed together at Ole Miss before Hilly dropped out to get married. Ever since Skeeter graduated and came home, things have been different between them, and Skeeter wonders whether it’s because Hilly has changed, or because she has changed.

At home, Skeeter’s mother hints that Skeeter should try to meet eligible bachelors in the community. At 23, Skeeter is one of the last girls in her age group to remain single. She also stands out from other girls in regard to her physical appearance. She is tall, with pale skin and kinky-curly hair that her mother has constantly tried to tame over the years. Her brother bestowed her with the nickname “Skeeter” when she was a baby because her limbs were so long and skinny, like a mosquito’s. Ever since, the nickname has stuck, and only her mother calls her by her given name, Eugenia. Since Skeeter’s looks are apparently not enough to attract a husband, Skeeter’s mother started a trust fund to make her daughter a more desirable marriage prospect.

Skeeter dreams of becoming a writer someday.