The Butler is an astonishing account of the life of Cecil Gaines. Mr. Gaines grew up on a cotton plantation in 1926 in Macon, Georgia. His parents were sharecroppers. Their life on the plantation was difficult to say the least. Cecil's mother was raped and his father was killed by the plantation owner. When Cecil was a teenager, he left his mother and life on the plantation behind. The events that occurred had devastating consequences for his mother. His mother became mute because of these events. Cecil Gaines' adventures intensify when he breaks into a pastry shop and is surprised when he is hired at that very hotel. When Cecil was on the plantation, the groundskeeper trained Cecil as a servant. This training will become the driving force in Cecil Gaines' life. His instruction from the caretaker of the white estate was to be invisible in the room among the whites he served. Shortly after Cecil moved, he would meet and marry Gloria and they would have two children. However, Cecil's life becomes more interesting when he is hired at the White House in 1957. Cecil was hired during the Eisenhower administration, Cecil witnesses Eisenhower's reluctance to use troops to enforce desegregation school in the south. The president would, however, enforce the law by racially integrating Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. As time goes by, Cecil spends many hours away from home. Gloria becomes an alcoholic, due to lack of time and intimacy spent with Cecil. As with many couples, the Gains have faced marital problems, in fact Gloria is about to have an affair with a neighbor. Over time, Cecil continued to work in the White House, and in 1961, John F. Kennedy was president. Meanwhile, Louis Gains, Cecil...... middle of paper ...... trained in minority psychology Family, Dr. Hill compiled a list of five strengths of the black family. Two of these strengths were the value of education and the desire to succeed. The Gains family demonstrated these strengths in several ways. Cecil pursued gainful employment and progressed in his career. Louis, meanwhile, earned a master's degree in political science and ran for Congress. Louis was the first college graduate in the family. Dr. Hill said black families wanted their children to be educated. More importantly, Louis and the other actors in the film were willing to die for their freedom. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “If something is not worth dying for, it is not worth living.” This film was very helpful in its attempt to shed light on our past in America. The fight continues today for the African-American family.