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The Invention of Wings
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Part Two -The Invention of Wings-February 1811-December 1812-about 70 pages
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Irene
(last edited May 09, 2015 09:26PM)
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May 09, 2015 09:01PM
Six years later
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I starting reading this section yesterday and I am almost done with it. I think I have another 10 pages to go.Anyways, I like to talk about Sarah's "fiancee". I had hopes it would work out. He just turned out to be a jerk. He lead her on while wooing two other women. I feel sorry for all three of them actually.
Mod
Will finish up tonight before commenting more.
Sarah seems to have narrowed her world a lot in these six years. She's gone from wanting to be a jurist to wanting to be a wife. Nothing wrong with that, don't misunderstand me. In the context of the story and Sarah's previous ambitions, it shows a narrowing of expectations. Sarah isn't really happy with her world of social activities and teas but she's come to accept them. She also treats Heddy more like a slave than in the previous section. She still believes in freedom for slaves but she also leans on their services. She doesn't realize this conflict.
Sarah's fiancée is a dog. They live in every generation. Unfortunately, Sarah has a low esteem of herself and her ability to find a man and she latched on to the first who paid her attention. It's really a sad story. Sarah deserves better than this treatment, not only from her fiancée but also from her parents who keep telling her that she won't attract a good match.....or anyone. That's a horrible thing for a young girl to hear, especially in a society where marriage is THE goal.
It is interesting her brother Thomas told her about her fiancee. I wonder if he really cares about her or trying to save face. He tells her he ended for her on her behalf so I think it is saving face.
I think Thomas really cares about Sarah and about the family's reputation. I don't think these are mutually exclusive. He does seem sad to give her the bad news. Breaking off the engagement for her appeared to be a protective gesture. He seems to be sparing her the humiliation of the conflict as well as protecting her any further insult from the cad. As a reader of a novel, I was glad that he turned out to be a cad. I found the initial flirtation at the party to be a bit to "romance fairy tale". She is not traditionally attractive and refuses to cultivate social charms. The guy had not spoken to her previously, so he could not have fallen in love with her wit, intellect or personality. So, my instinct was to roll my eyes. Finding out that he targeted her vulnerability, which may have been obvious if she did not have dance partners and in the way she carried herself, made sense of that sceen.
Mod
This section does seem to be a "settling down" for Sarah. It seems as though her optimism and passion expressed at 11 has been quashed. In a way it seems as though Thomas is a kindred spirit; both of them have experienced disappointments from their father. It seemed natural that he would be the one to break the news to Sarah. Can you imagine if her mother had done it? What callousness would have ensued! Then she forces Sarah to withdraw from society to save face. What a retched time to be a woman! Even her mother alludes to the restrictions faced by women. I also find the choice of narrators interesting. Hetty is an interesting partner for Sarah in narrating the story. The voices (to me) aren't that dissimilar, and maybe that's the point? The interconnectedness of seemingly disconnected people?
Daniale wrote: "This section does seem to be a "settling down" for Sarah. It seems as though her optimism and passion expressed at 11 has been quashed. In a way it seems as though Thomas is a kindred spirit; bot..."I was thinking about this, too. In the first section of part 2 Sarah expresses empathy to Hetty about being denied to go to market. In turn, Hetty replied with a harsh truth. Can Sarah really know what Hetty feels?
That is a good point. Sarah thinks she is understanding, but she can never be truly empathetic since their experiences are so different. They inhabit close worlds, but they never really can enter the other's world. I think that is also true of the reader with these figures. Despite our understanding of the historcal context, our experiences of oppression or thwarted dreams, family tension and cultural pressures, our world is so different from these early 19th century characters that we can never really fully empathize or understand enough to criticize authentically.
Irene wrote: "That is a good point. Sarah thinks she is understanding, but she can never be truly empathetic since their experiences are so different. They inhabit close worlds, but they never really can enter..."I totally agree, Irene(s). We can certainly -sympathize- with the characters, and they can sympathize with one another, but they (and we) don't truly empathize with them. It's difficult, living in the time I do, in the place I do, to really understand that confinement, imprisonment, and harsh realities in which women and slaves were forced to live. Perhaps that is an "weakness" inherent in period novels?
So I decided to look up Sarah on the internet so see what she looked like because her parents keep discussing her unlikely marriage to a proper family. She isn't attractive at all.
It's demeaning to be listed as "Goods and Chattel" property with a price. Hetty demonstrates intelligence to really understand how she is perceived. Do you think it's because she is reading and acquiring knowledge that is causing her mind to see these things?
What do you think about the nuptials?
Irene wrote: "So I decided to look up Sarah on the internet so see what she looked like because her parents keep discussing her unlikely marriage to a proper family. She isn't attractive at all."That part was really interesting. She seemed to be moved more that she and mama were worth so much--rather than they were listed as "Goods and Chattel". I think her intelligence comes from several places: 1), that she was taught to read, 2) that she was raised with a very tenacious and strong mother, and 3) the fact that she remained with her mother instead of being sold off as was often the case. She had access to a powerful oral history, and I think that helped set her up to be an intelligent women. Also because of her mother, I think she was aware of the value/worth of slaves--she and her mother both knew (even before finding the journal) that Missus prized them above others; she wouldn't let Mauma "rent" her services out, wouldn't sell them, pulled back on Handful's duties to Sarah in order to sew, etc.... As remarkable as Sarah is, Handful is equally a force of nature.
Daniale, you have great insight.
From reading to Denmark, from Mama's oral stories to Nina's reactions to the Workhouse, Handful is introduced to other ideas, other views of the world. She is naturally intellegent and is able to put pieces together to gain her own insights.
"I’d been wandering about in the enchantments of romance, afflicted with the worst female curse on earth, the need to mold myself to expectations."p169Sad to say this is still practiced in some cultures.
What do you think happened to mauma? Where is the money? The plot thickens.
In what ways does Sarah struggle against the dictates of her family, society, and religion?
Irene wrote: ""I’d been wandering about in the enchantments of romance, afflicted with the worst female curse on earth, the need to mold myself to expectations."p169Sad to say this is still practiced in some c..."
Oh man, what an exceptional line. Speaking as a high school teacher, I can say that I don't think this idea has changed all that much.
I think that is the work of adolescence, to figure out the expectations of your social group, whether that be peer or larger community, and to learn how to fit in. After we have learned how to meet those expectations, we have the ability to determine what we want to keep and what we want to discard in learning to individuate. It is like learning to play jazz; we can't improvise until we have mastered, to some extent, the rules.
Excellent thought Irene.
I just finished this section. When Handful finds the quilt pieces. WOW. I am still really left with a lot of emotion about it. I was glad she found them and had them but the sorrow of it the story being played back through the quilt was so sad. I really thought this was a brilliant addition and feature of the storyline. I like your question about mauma. I am thinking mauma is safe and hiding out and maybe joining others in a rebellion given her nature at the end when she fled. I am fearful that they money has fallen into Mistress's hands?
As for Thomas and Sarah since we do not see much interaction between them other than the intellectual opportunities and expectations of their roles I think it was a good time for the author to insert some emotion between them with the breakup. I think it was suppose to be endearing when Thomas gave her the hankie and it makes me think he was in distress at watching his sister's grief. I really wondered how upset she was over it, for me it seemed like an arrangement of a social obligation more than romantic. There seems to be some foreshadowing of Sarah maybe ending up with no one and a comment about her always being with her mother while Nina has a chance at love. I hope this is not the case for Sarah.
