I read The Invention of Wings, a book written by Sue Monk Kidd. The story portrays the bond, or should I say obligation, that Sarah Grimke and Hetty 'Handful' Grimke have with one another. I appreciate how the story spans over a period of 35 years, illustrating how each girl develops to the determined woman she will become by the end of the book. Handful, a slave born into the Grimke family, was given to Sarah on her 11th birthday as a gift when she was only ten years old herself. From the moment she received her, Sarah opposed the concept of slavery.
Throughout the years, she tried to be lenient on Handful and eventually returned her to her mother, as she did not want to be a slave owner. But what is interesting is that, although she opposed the idea of slavery, she did little to avoid reaping the benefits of living in a home kept together by slaves. There were times she protested, but for a long time, she seemed to resign herself to idea that there isn’t much she can do about it slavery.
I do not think Sarah truly understood the importance of standing up for the freedom of slaves (and eventually rights for woman) until she was almost 30 years old, when she traveled to Philadelphia. It may have been a result of living in the north, where slavery was abolished, but I believe it was the guilt she felt by leaving Handful behind.
I am certain Sarah was haunted by the fact that she left Handful in Charleston at the mercy of her own family, who were not humane like her. I have admiration for the courage Sarah showed at the end of the story. She would do whatever it took to help her faithful servant Handful and her sister Sky become free, even if it might mean losing her own freedom.
No comments:
Post a Comment