In America, according to the Declaration of Independence, “all men are created equal.” Unfortunately, this previous statement was not entirely accurate in many respects regarding American citizens. The term “equality” is reserved for a specific social class, this remains true even today. But despite these disadvantages, the lower social classes aspired to a better standard of living. Sue Monk Kidd, the author of The Invention of Wings, has well described the desire for freedom of pre-Civil War slaves. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In The Invention of Wings, the term wings symbolizes the feeling of freedom and freedom. According to the book, wings were invented by captive black slaves in order to create a sense of purpose and hope. Before the Civil War, slavery among Africans was nearing a climax. Slaves were constantly seeking to escape their captive lifestyle. This escape can be both mental and physical depending on each slave and their state of being. In The Invention of Wings, the wings represented the freedom that slaves so yearned for. Handful's mother told Handful about the physical "wings" that slaves in Africa had. Handful's mother said, "When we came here, we left that magic behind" (Kidd 3). It is a representation of the freedom Africans lost when they became captive slaves. Handful's mother seriously wants them to believe these old fables to give them a feeling of freedom, even if they are not free at the moment. “Skinny bones protruded from my back like buttons. She patted them and said, "These are all that's left of your wings." There’s just these flat bones now, but one day you’re going to get them back” (Kidd 3). Handful's mother, along with several other slaves, believed that one day freedom might be achieved. The complex lives of slaves were for a moment liberated in the form of “wings”. As this reading of Kidd's account indicates, the wings were a symbol of freedom. But this freedom was not reserved for a single social class, such as slaves; after all, freedom is a property that all human beings want to possess. In fact, in the book, Sarah Grimke was subject to a similar force of oppression. This oppression was not physically restrictive, like a chain or a whip. Sarah's oppression was inflicted on her by her mother and other members of her family as well as the majority of the population of the South. The status quo of the period before the Civil War made Sarah feel like a victim of social ridicule. When Sarah rejected ownership of Handful, the backlash against Sarah was extreme. As a result, Sarah said: “I was sent to solitary confinement in my new room and ordered to write a letter of apology to every guest. Mother set me up at the desk with paper, an inkwell, and a letter she had composed herself, which I was to copy” (Kidd 16). Sarah's father himself was a victim of oppression, as was Sarah. As a judge, Sarah's father was socially required to uphold a code of conduct appropriate for the southern upper class. As an example, when Sarah attempted to free Handful from captivity, Sarah wrote a manumissions document and put it on Father Grimke's backgammon game. Sarah then received a response about her actions: “The manumission document I had written was lying on the floor. He was torn in two” (Kidd 21). Oppression is a feeling that knows no boundaries, whether it be race or social status. Keep in mind: this.”