The Invention of Wings is a historical novel by Sue Monk Kidd that details a story of two struggles for freedom. This novel also shows a parallel between mother-daughter relationships. The story takes place in Charleston, South Carolina. Two of the main characters, Handful and Sarah, are both imprisoned in their own particular way. Finding their freedom had to do with liberating themselves internally, discovering a sense of self, and the boldness to express that self. Throughout Kidd’s story, Handful, the family slave, seeks ways to either buy her freedom or escape. She becomes part of a planned slave uprising, but some of the slaves tip off the city of Charleston, which crushes the revolt before it even begins. Handful settles back into slavery,…show more content… Handful’s relationship with her mother is much stronger than Sarah’s relationship with hers. As a result of this relationship and almost out of necessity, Handful finds herself in a euphoric state when given the opportunity to be with her mother. Whether it is short interactions or while working on quilts, Handful experiences a sense of security with her mother. Handful, however, slept in the same bed with her mother, Charlotte, a metaphor, perhaps, for the closeness that sustained them in a place that was filled with the threat of separation. Handful took her solace, her shelter, and her strength from her mother. Sarah Grimke’s issues at home begin at a very young age. While at home, she experiences two traumatic incidents. The stutter gradually goes away. But at age 11, when she’s deprived of access to Father’s library because she taught Handful to read, it returns and she retreats to her room. Even within the walls of Sarah’s bedroom, she becomes a shell of herself. “I didn’t break my seclusion again. Instead, I took refuge in it.” She frequently goes on hunger strikes and refuses to talk to her mother. In the end, the reader is not surprised to see Sarah walk out the door and never return to live in the Grimke residence. From historical accounts, Mrs. Grimke was a stern, distant mother, though she
