The Invention of Wings: Part 3 Summary & Analysis

Handful. Six years after Charlotte disappeared, Handful still searches for her every time she goes to town. The slaves hold a memorial for Charlotte every year on the day she went missing. By now the slaves gather and only tell stories that highlight the good sides of Charlotte, ignoring the pain. Handful wishes that the others knew the real Charlotte, and tells everyone that her mother wouldn’t have run off. Tomfry puts it straight: Either Charlotte ran off or she’s dead.

Handful goes to her cellar room and lies on the story quilt, thinking about the way that Charlotte told her story. Handful has taken over sewing duties completely, no longer helping Sarah with anything. Sarah even gave Handful back to Missus, though Sarah tried to explain to Handful that she would have freed Handful if she could have. Handful finally understands that she has the same choices as her mother: run away or die a slave.

In January, Handful hears about a new African church in Charleston meant just for black people. Denmark Vesey attends and contributes many of the messages. Handful hates to think of Denmark again, but decides to join the African church so that she can talk to Denmark about her mother’s disappearance. Handful fake cries to Sarah for a pass and Missus allows Handful to go twice a week as long as it doesn’t cause any problems.

Sarah. Sarah and Nina are called to the drawing room where Mother and Reverend Gadsden are waiting. Nina refused to be confirmed in the Anglican church the past Sunday and Sarah shudders to think what Nina will say now. Nina’s fiery temperament and confidence are much stronger than Sarah’s, though Nina is only 14. Nina was even able to refuse the present of a slave when she turned 11. Sarah feels she can say nothing about Nina’s loss of religion, given that Sarah herself rejected the Anglicans in favor of the Presbyterians.

The only thing Sarah and Nina disagree on is religion. Nina finds Presbyterian asceticism pointless, as Sarah attends society functions then prays to beg forgiveness for the excess afterwards. Still, Sarah dreads the day that Nina marries and leaves her alone in the Grimké house as a spinster. At 26, Sarah is now too old for the society balls where she might have found a husband.

Reverend Gadsden tries to reason with Nina not to put her soul in jeopardy and Mother guilts Nina with the thought that Father’s dying wish might be to see her confirmed. Nina refuses to be moved, and Sarah stands up for Nina’s right to follow her conscience. Mother accuses Sarah of brainwashing Nina, though Nina takes offense at the suggestion that she cannot think for herself. Mother escorts the Reverend to the door, sighing that Sarah and Nina’s souls are both lost as long as they live in the same house. Sarah lies awake that night, imagining Nina sent off to a boarding school.

Handful. At a meeting of the African Church, Denmark Vesey speaks to a congregation of 200 slaves. Handful has been attending for four months and has learned nothing about Charlotte, but is actually starting to understand what other people see in religion. The services give people hope, though Handful agrees with Denmark that hoping for heaven is useless if one does nothing to improve their life here.

As the congregation sings, the City Guard bursts in and starts surrounding the people. Denmark tries to throw them out, but a guard just hits Denmark in the face with his gun. The head guard reads a warrant of arrest for all the church members for causing a nuisance to the neighbors. The guards round up the congregation to take them to the Guard House. From there, a slave’s master either has to pay a fine for the slave’s release, or the slave is sent to the Work House.

Handful spends the night in the jail cell, listening to everyone snore and fight while a baby cries. In the morning, a slave with deep whip scars on his back tells everyone that the fine for release is 5 dollars, which equals 12 lashes or time on the treadmill at the Work House. The morning wears on and the baby cries louder because her mother cannot raise any milk for her. Finally, the guard comes into the cell and begins reading the names of the slaves whose masters have paid the fine. Handful cannot believe that her own name isn’t called.

At the Work House, Handful and 11 other slaves are led past the Treadmill. Denmark is there, having refused to pay the fine for himself as long as there were any slaves whose masters did not pay for them. Handful thinks that Denmark probably just didn’t have five dollars. Denmark recognizes Handful, but doesn’t know who she is. Handful just says she goes to the African Church and asks where God’s deliverance is now. The lady with the baby gasps when the overseer tells her that no one has time to watch her baby when it is her turn on the treadmill. The overseers then chain the slaves up to the treadmill, a contraption that forces people to run in order to grind corn.

Sarah. Sarah comes into the kitchen where Aunt-Sister is tending to Handful’s mangled foot. Sarah starts to cry, guilty that Mother was able to be so cruel to Handful because Sarah gave Handful back to Mother—which she did to soothe her own conscience at owning a slave. Handful’s foot has a gash from ankle to toe, and Aunt-Sister explains that Handful fell off the treadmill and her foot was crushed by the wheel. Sarah takes Handful’s hand and bends close to hear what Handful is trying to say. Handful hisses, “Go away.” Sarah does so, trying to convince herself that Handful is simply delirious with medicine.

Handful stays in her room for ten days and Sarah stays away for fear that Handful truly does not want to see her. Still, Sarah leaves two books at the door for Handful. The day Handful comes out, Sarah and Nina rush away from the breakfast table to go talk to her in the yard as Handful winds fresh red thread around a tree. Sarah apologizes, and Handful thanks her for leaving the books. Nina asks to touch Handful’s foot, and Handful lets her. As Nina touches the scar, Sarah asks if there is anything that Handful needs. Handful looks at Sarah with angry eyes and laughs, then softens when Sarah scrambles to explain what she meant. Handful just turns and limps back to the kitchen.

A few days later Mother summons Sarah, and Sarah worries that her mother will be replacing Handful now that she is damaged. Instead, Mother tells Sarah that Father’s health has not improved in a year and the doctors are now recommending that he see a physician in Philadelphia. Mother expects Sarah to accompany him, given that all the other children old enough to go have families and careers to care for. Sarah realizes that Mother is sending her away to separate Sarah and Nina.

Handful. Handful must now walk with a cane, but the crutch she has is too tall for her small stature. Goodis takes it and cuts it down to size while whittling the top into a rabbit. Handful loves the gift and the fact that she can now get around more easily. Missus gets rid of her aging maid and calls a new girl, Minta, spooking the rest of the slaves into working harder so that they too will not be sold off. Yet even as Handful acts obedient, she keeps her true feelings secret.

Sarah comes down to Handful’s cellar distraught over her imminent departure North with her Father. Sarah’s stutter has returned, and Handful feels truly sorry for this development in Sarah’s life, though she can’t shake the hatred that has wormed in at Sarah’s privileged place. Before Sarah leaves, Handful asks Sarah to write her a pass to be on the street. Sarah is hesitant at the danger, but writes the pass when Handful threatens to just steal ink and paper to write the pass herself.

When Sarah has been gone a week, Handful sneaks out for the first time. She walks to 20 Bull street to see what happened to Denmark after the Work House. Memories of the Work House come rushing back, as the sight of the overseer whipping the woman with her baby on her back made Handful fall off the wheel, no wings to save her.

At Denmark’s house, Handful asks Denmark’s wife, Susan, if Denmark is home. Denmark comes out and invites Handful in. Handful tells Denmark that her mother was Charlotte and asks Denmark if he knows what happened to Charlotte. Handful then unwraps her mother’s story quilt for Denmark. Denmark sees himself on the last square and tells Handful that 1884 were the numbers on his lottery ticket. Handful tells Denmark that Charlotte was pregnant when she disappeared, and Denmark is visibly shaken.

Sarah. Sarah gets Father to Philadelphia despite a harrowing ship journey and marvels at the absence of slaves on the street. The doctor can find no reason for Father’s sickness and recommends sea air. Sarah finds this laughable, but agrees to take Father to summer at an isolated town on the New Jersey Shore.

The New Jersey town is miniscule and austere. Father seems no better, and Sarah begins to feel hopeless feeding her father soup like a baby bird. Sarah writes a letter to Nina explaining where they are staying for the summer and praying that Father will improve soon. Sarah spends her days caring for Father and watching men and women swim in the ocean in different shifts. Sarah is fascinated by the women swimming, but is not brave enough to join them.

In August, Father admits to Sarah that he is dying. Sarah expects him to insist on returning to Charleston, but Father tells Sarah that it has been easier to let go here. Finally, Father asks Sarah forgiveness for silencing her radical mind and her dream of being a jurist. Father never saw a way to make things better for the slaves or for Sarah as a woman, but he tells her to take care of herself now. He tells Sarah to go down to the ocean and passes on alone in his room. Sarah goes down to swim in the sea, soothing her grief at her father’s death by floating in the water.

Handful. Missus calls Handful in to advise her on the elaborate mourning gown she would like Handful to sew. Handful promises to have it ready in two days, and goes to the market to get supplies. There, Handful sees Susan wearing a red head scarf that Handful recognizes as her mother’s. Susan admits that Charlotte came to 20 Bull Street the night she ran away and traded the red head scarf for a less distinctive brown one. Susan then gives Handful the red head scarf back. Handful wears the red head scarf the whole time she sews Missus’ mourning dress. She finishes the dress and even Missus admits that it is the finest dress Handful has ever made, telling Handful that her mother would be proud.

Handful tries to sneak out the next day, but Tomfry catches her and doesn’t believe that she has permission to go to the market. Handful can’t use the pass Sarah wrote because Tomfry knows Sarah is still up North, but Nina appears and tells Tomfry that Handful is on an errand for her. Once she gets to 20 Bull Street, Handful sneaks into a meeting Denmark is having with his “lieutenants.” The other men do not trust Handful, but Denmark calls her family.

Denmark tells his lieutenants to step outside and tells Handful the real story of what happened to Charlotte. Denmark tried to hide Charlotte in a tenement house for free blacks, but a poacher caught Charlotte one night and captured her to sell her to a new owner.

Sarah. Sarah makes it back to Philadelphia but decides not to go back Charleston right away. Sarah sends a letter to Mother letting her know that she needs to grieve alone, and Mother’s response accuses Sarah of cruel selfishness. Yet Sarah is mostly at peace in Philadelphia, though she is somewhat repelled by the grim presence of the Quakers in the city. However, Sarah knows she must leave before winter hits.

On the boat back to Charleston, Sarah meets a Quaker man named Israel Morris. Israel challenges Sarah about her silence in the face of her family’s part in slavery. For the next two days, Sarah thinks of nothing but Israel, attracted to him even though she knows he is married. A few more days into the voyage, Israel tells Sarah more about the basic equality of all people in the Quaker faith. The two debate the intricacies of abolition and theology. Sarah even meets Israel’s wife, Rebecca, who invites Sarah to stay with them if she ever comes North again. Israel leaves Sarah with a book of the Quaker faith and a promise that she will write him when she finishes it.

Handful. Missus gathers all the family and slaves to read Master Grimké’s will. The goods are dispersed among the Grimké sons, and Handful stops paying attention until she hears that Missus will only be allowed to keep six of the slaves. All of the older slaves begin to shake at the thought of being sold. Sarah (who has returned) cries out that this isn’t fair, but Missus hushes her.

Handful prays that she won’t be sold, thinking that her mother will return to this house when she can. Christmas comes, but the Grimkés do not celebrate. Missus agrees to have Jonkonnu, a Jamaican holiday celebrated by the slaves, and hand out presents to the slaves. As the slaves celebrate the finery that Missus gives them, Missus gives 5 slaves an extra jar of gargling oil and the news that they will be sold. Handful is in shock, but glad that neither she or Goodis were sold (though she is also surprised to find she cares for Goodis).

Missus splits more duties among the remaining slaves, and Handful adds house cleaning to her work. Sarah helps Handful clean the drawing room chandelier and Handful asks if Sarah is sad about her father. Sarah just answers that she feels trapped in this life. Handful comments that she may be a slave in body but Sarah is a slave in mind.

Sarah. Sarah attempts many letters to Israel, but can finish none of them. Sarah feels called by the Quaker beliefs but cannot accept becoming a Quaker because the Quakers are reviled in Charleston. As Sarah packs away the letters, Mother comes in and sees the secret stack. Mother says nothing about the letters but asks Sarah to go help pack up Father’s library. In the library, Sarah reflects on the melancholy of her life in Charleston – especially now that Nina has reached an age where she no longer wants Sarah to mother her. Sarah picks up a biography of Joan of Arc and notices a fleur-de-lis pattern that reminds her of the silver button she once had.

That night, Sarah goes to her desk to write Israel another letter, and notices that all of her previous unsent letters are gone. Sarah rushes to Mother’s room, yelling about the offense, waking Nina in the process. At the sight of Nina, all anger leaves Sarah. The next morning, Sarah cannot manage to get out of bed, and she stays in her room for the next weeks. Handful brings Sarah trays of food and, one day, a sack of half-burned letters.

Spring comes, but Sarah gets no better. Mother and Nina try to help, but nothing shakes Sarah’s depression. In May, Thomas arrives and begins yelling about the current political situation regarding slavery in Missouri. Sarah is interested in spite of herself and begins to argue with Thomas about his continued belief in the merits of sending the slaves back to Africa. After that day, Sarah begins to slowly rejoin life in the house. Finally, Sarah manages to finish a letter to Israel asking more about following the Quaker faith. She gives it to Handful to send.

Israel writes Sarah back with encouragement in the Quaker walk, as well as the news that his wife Rebecca has died. Sarah begins to spend long hours listening for the Voice of God inside her, as the Quakers teach. Sarah and Israel keep up correspondence, and just when Sarah gives up on the Voice, she hears a Voice tell her to go North.

Sarah agonizes about the Voice telling her to go North, knowing the impropriety of travel by unmarried women and the scandal she would cause her family. Sarah does have a small inheritance that would give her enough to live on her own. Sarah remembers Handful telling her that she was enslaved in mind and worries over the silver button. Finally, Sarah decides to follow the Voice, be it God’s or her own desire for freedom.