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

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is the family physician that diagnoses Sarah with depression in Part 1, November 1803 – February 1805?

2. Where do the Grimkes go for Easter Service in Part 1, November 1803 – February 1805?

3. How old is Sarah Grimke when Burke Williams proposes to her?

4. Who is the "nursery mauma" that tends to the Grimke children in Part 1, November 1803 – February 1805?

5. What color hair is Sarah Grimke described as having in the novel?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does Sarah go about attempting to quell her feelings for Burke Williams in Part 2, February 1811 – December 1812? Is she successful?

3. What impressions does Denmark Vesey make on Handful and Mauma in Part 2, February 1811 – December 1812?

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

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

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

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

8. How is the custom of slaves attending white churches described in Part 1, November 1803 – February 1805? Where did the slaves sit in church?

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

10. How are Handful's feelings about Sarah described when Handful is seventeen in Part 2, February 1811 – December 1812?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the setting of Charleston, South Carolina, in 1803. Where is Charleston located in the state of South Carolina? What was the economy like in this region at this time? What was the political atmosphere in Charlotte in 1803? Where in Charleston do the Grimkes live?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the character of Handful in The Invention of Wings. How old is Handful when her character is first introduced? What is Handful’s daily life like at this time? Where does Handful fit into the hierarchy at the Grimke household? How does Handful’s character evolve through the course of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Mr. Grimke’s impeachment in the novel. Did this impeachment actually occur historically? What is the basis upon which Mr. Grimke is impeached? Who defends Mr. Grimke in his trial? What is the outcome of the trial?

(see the answer keys)

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