The quote that Handful says to Sarah in The Invention of Wings, “My body might be a slave, but not my mind. For you, it’s the other way around” (Kidd 201), displays the obvious inequalities towards women and African Americans during the early 1800’s. The quote shows that not only is Handful a slave in the novel, but Sarah is as well. Sarah is trapped in the mindset that she cannot make a difference in the world and believes her dreams of having a profession are unrealistic due to what others think. The quote is very important because it helps Sarah realize how imprisoned she is in Charleston and how she can never make a difference in the fight for justice for others due to women’s status. Sarah has an inkling to go north, become a Quaker, and fight for her freedom and the freedom of Handful and other …show more content…
Surely he wouldn’t claim this was God’s will too" (Kidd 42), said by Sarah displays the theme of the importance of religion. Since Sarah is religious and knows about God, she knows that he would never agree with slavery and the injustices that African Americans face. Her connection and knowledge of God makes her into a powerful abolitionist. Another point that this specific quote brings up is that a message of The Invention of Wings is defying the law restricting slaves literacy and other laws that restrain slaves for the greater good of others. As Sarah defies the literacy law and teaches Handful how to read and write, she creates joy in Handful’s life and a skill that should be presented to everyone. The action of teaching Handful how to read is Sarah’s first action to stand up for what is right even though at the time, even though teaching slaves to write is very wrong. While most people, including ministers, treat African Americans and women unjustly, Sarah does not. By her fair treatment, Sarah sends a strong message, that standing up for what is just is very important despite what others