View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Sarah is how much older than Handful in the novel?

2. What is the name of the slave that serves as butler to the Grimke family in Part 1, November 1803 – February 1805?

3. As punishment for teaching Handful to read, Sarah is forbidden from entering what room in the Grimke household in Part 1, November 1803 – February 1805?

4. Who oversees Sarah's studies in Part 1, November 1803 – February 1805?

5. Who admonishes Sarah Grimke for teaching the slave children the ABC song during Sunday school in Part 1, November 1803 – February 1805?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Sarah's principle birthday present for her eleventh birthday? How does Sarah respond to this gift?

2. What do Handful and Nina help Sarah to prepare for in the beginning of Part 2, February 1811 – December 1812? Why?

3. What items from the Grimke household go missing in Part 1, November 1803 – February 1805? Who steals these items?

4. Where does Handful live when her character is introduced in Part 1, November 1803 – February 1805? How is the hierarchy of this household described?

5. What incident led to Sarah's speech impediment? What kind of speech impediment does Sarah have?

6. How does Sarah learn to create a manumission document in Part 1, November 1803 – February 1805? What happens to this document?

7. What does Sarah's eleventh birthday signify? How many siblings does Sarah have? What are their names?

8. What story does Handful recall in the opening of Part 1, November 1803 – February 1805? Who told Handful this story?

9. Who has Mauma begun having an affair with in Part 2, February 1811 – December 1812? How is this character described?

10. How is the ancestry of the Grimke family described in Part 1, November 1803 – February 1805? What class are the Grimkes?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the impact of Mr. Grimke’s death in the narrative. How is Sarah affected by her father’s death? In what ways do Sarah and Mr. Grimke come to terms with their differences before he dies? What impact does Mr. Grimke’s death, will, and testament have on the slaves at the Grimke estate?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the courtship and marriage customs in the early 1800s. At what age were young women typically married at this time? How did marriage and courtship customs differ between the upper and lower classes? How did customs differ among the different regions of the country? How are these customs depicted in The Invention of Wings?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the narrative style used in The Invention of Wings. Is the story related from a first, second, or third person perspective? Why do you think the author chooses to use a split perspective in telling the story? How does Handful’s narration differ from Sarah’s? How would the novel differ if the author chose to tell the story from a different perspective?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 921 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample