The Intersection of Antiracism and Feminism in Kidd’s the Invention of Wings

This research explores the representation of antiracism and feminism in the historical fiction novel The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. It is an intriguing study because 19th-century slavery and the patriarchal culture set in the story are brought back to the 21st-century audience. This research aims to explain how antiracism and feminism represented in the novel reveal the writer’s critical position. Therefore, this qualitative study employs Hall’s representation theory, which relates the textual analysis of the novel to contextual analysis to disclose the author’s critical agenda. The result of the study demonstrates how antiracism and feminism are portrayed in the novel through dehumanization and career limitations experienced by white and black female protagonists. However, the story represents that intersectionality can be encountered through interracial sisterhood. In the novel, the White and Black female characters stand with one another in the struggle for racial and gender equality. Furthermore, by connecting textual analysis of injustices of slavery and patriarchy in the story to contextual analysis of contemporary issues of the antiracist and feminist movement, Sue Monk Kidd’s ideological agenda is revealed. Kidd emphasizes the ongoing relevance of the novel in contemporary society, condemns gender and racial bias, and draws attention to the injustices suppressed women suffer. Ultimately, Kidd advocates for white and black women to work together in the fight for gender and racial equality.