So, who invented the wings?

[Danyell]

Let's reflect on the book's title:

- Why is it called The Invention of Wings? What do the wings symbolize? Who had wings? Who in this book "invented" wings and how?

- What is the significance of the choice of the word "Invention?" What other word could have been used?

- Can you think of any alternate titles you might have named this book?

[Jillian]

One of the most striking moments in this book transpired when, during a conversation between Sarah and Handful, Handful says, “My body might be a slave, but not my mind. For you, it’s the other way round.” Handful is suggesting that, while her body is legally another's property, her inner self is free from those possessive clutches. Handful plays the part of an obedient slave, but, behind closed doors, she learns to read, baptizes herself in the copper tub, and protects her spirit in a tree. Charlotte takes Handful's inner rebellion on step further. Charlotte is considered property until the day she died, but she invents a way to free her inner self from the confines of slavery; she commits her story to the only medium available to her, a story quilt. Charlotte and Handful are prisoner in body alone. Meanwhile, for most of the story, Sarah allows social expectations to permeate her mind and dictate limitations for her identity. The early 19th century dictated many expectations, obligations, and subsequent limitations for women during this time period. However, instead of protecting her inner self from outside ownership like Handful and Charlotte did, Sarah fell victim to how others viewed and mocked her goals and intellect. With her father, brothers, sister, mother, and even eventually her beloved Isaac telling her she needed to accept her place as a woman and let go of her foolish ideas about a career or activism, it is unsurprising that Sarah initially bowed to the social weight and became a slave to those expectations. Sarah's internal trials and tribulations continued until she defined herself, her inner self, as an abolitionist, independent of social, church, or legal support. Like Handful and Charlotte, Sarah found her internal voice that could never be stifled or possessed by another person. The phrase, the invention of wings, refers to identifying that place within each of us that belongs solely to each individual. Once we declare our inner identity, we are always free.