In The Fullness of Time
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In The Fullness of Time
One South Carolina woman’s story of growth and empowerment in the woman suffrage era.
In this sequel to Hattie’s Place, the year is 1913 and Hattie Robinson is married to the widowed Charles Barton. She has left her teaching position at Calhoun School to raise Charles’s sons and manage the Barton estate. Now she must reconcile her role as mother and wife with her work for women’s suffrage, a cause that ignited her passion when attending the Women’s Suffrage Procession in Washington, on the eve of Woodrow Wilson’s first inauguration.
As a young bride, twenty-three years her husband’s junior, Hattie struggles for acceptance in the community and Barton family. And then, Will Kendrick, her first love, appears, causing old feelings to resurface. When Julia Martin, the widow of Charles’s best friend Percy, reaches out to Charles for legal advice in settling her husband’s estate, Hattie discovers clues casting doubt on Charles’s fidelity, and begins to question her marriage.
Study Questions
- Hattie compared the way men elevated women onto pedestals for their virtue, to “a prison without bars.” What did she mean by this statement? How did that attitude impede the suffrage movement?
- How were Charles and Percy different and alike? What bonds did they share that would cause Charles to pay off Percy’s debt?
- Much of the dialogue takes place through telephone conversations. How effective are Alice’s “phone habits” in advancing the story?
- How is Alice changed by the death of her sister, Willie Mae? What do we learn about Willie Mae in Chapter 13 that allows Alice to move on?
- When the point of view in the story changes from Hattie to Charles, what do we find out about Charles that we didn’t know before? How had Charles’ attitude toward Hattie changed between his first and last visit to see Julia?
- In chapter 23, how does the bridesmaid’s luncheon reveal the differences in the Barton family members, in their attitudes about the proper role of women? Which of the women around the table represents your feelings best?
- Which of the main characters—Hattie, Charles, or Alice—changed the most over the course of the story? Explain your answer.
- Which of the minor characters would you nominate for playing his/her role most effectively? Why? (Charles Jr., Richard, Georgia, Pauline, Mary, Rosa, Earline, Velma, Lila Givens, Julia, Will)