Kidd portrays an array of male characters in the novel: Sarah's father Sarah's brother, Thomas Theodore Weld Denmark Vesey Goodis Grimke, Israel Morris, Burke Williams. How are the two younger women formed-and malformed-by their mothers?ġ1.
Contrast Handful's relationship with her mother with the relationship between Sarah and the elder Mary Grimke. What are some of the examples of Handful's wit and sense of irony, and how do they help her cope with the burdens of slavery?ġ0. How do you think the sisters should have responded to their demand? At the end of the novel, Sarah asks, "Was it ever right to sacrifice one's truth for expedience?"ĩ. Some of the staunchest enemies of slavery believed the time had not yet come for women's rights and pressured Sarah and Angelina to desist from the cause, fearing it would split the cause of abolition. How would you describe Sarah and Angelina's unusual bond? Do you think either one of them could have accomplished what they did on their own? Have you known women who experienced this sort of relationship as sisters?Ĩ. Were you aware of the role that Sarah and Angelina Grimke played in abolition and women's rights? Have women's achievements in history been lost or overlooked? What do you think it takes to be a reformer today?ħ. Choose one or more of these objects and discuss their significance in the novel.Ħ. The story of The Invention of Wings includes a number of physical objects that have a special significance for the characters: Sarah's fleur-de-lis button, Charlotte's story quilt, the rabbit-head cane that Handful receives from Goodis, and the spirit tree.
In what ways does Sarah struggle against the dictates of her family, society, and religion? Can you relate to her need to break away from the life she had in order to create a new and unknown life? What sort of risk and courage does this call for?ĥ. After laying aside her aspirations to become a lawyer, Sarah remarks that the Graveyard of Failed Hopes is "an all-female establishment." What makes her say so? What was your experience of reading Kidd's portrayal of women's lives in the nineteenth century?Ĥ. What were the qualities in Handful that you most admired? As you read the novel, could you imagine yourself in her situation? How did Handful continue her relentless pursuit of self and freedom in the face of such a brutal system?ģ. Why is the title an apt one for Kidd's novel? What are some of the ways that the author uses the imagery and symbolism of birds, wings, and flight?Ģ.
The title The Invention of Wings was one of the first inspirations that came to Sue Monk Kidd as she began the novel.
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