A Mercy
by Toni Morrison
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Book Summary Information
Author: Toni MorrisonEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-08-11
ISBN: 0307276767
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: Vintage
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780307276766
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of A Mercy
Book Review: "A Mercy" Only Family Can Give
Summary: 5 Stars
Morrison, Toni. A Mercy. New York: Random House Large Print, 2008.
Family; there are many different ways to define this term. Some may say family is people whom share the same bloodline. Others may define it as the people you visit on major holidays. In her book A Mercy, Morrison attempts to portray her complex definition of family and the lengths they will go to protect one another. Through Morrison's democratic distribution of dialogue, full circle plot, and wholesome relationships between characters, she creates a familial environment for characters whose bloodline did not provide such. A Mercy captures the true sense of what it means to be family in a time when family is needed most.
America in the late 1600's is often studied as the beginning of the slave trade. Many farmers were against this mistreatment of human beings, but in need of extra hands on their farms, resorted to the inevitable; slavery. Jacob Vaark is among this category of farmers and goes against his gut when he accepts a young African girl, Florens, as payment for debt. This defining moment in Florens' life, when her mother offers her instead of her brother, affects Florens throughout the novel as she constantly yearns for affection and acceptance from others. She desires acceptance from Lina, another slave on the Vaark farm whom she looks up to and finally, from the blacksmith that comes to work for Mister Vaark. This yearning for affection and acceptance forces Florens into discovering a new version of herself. Toni Morrison presents a beautifully written novel of self-discovery and the people who lead us to this revelation.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Morrison's novel as she provides different perspectives of the same story. Morrison begins her story with Florens' perception of the present time, then moves on to Jacob Vaark's, Florens' master whom she refers to as Sir. As the story progresses, we also read the story through the eyes of Sorrow, another enslaved woman on the Vaark farm, Willard and Scully, two "handy" men to do odd jobs for Mister Vaark, and Lina, the slave whom seems to hold everything and everyone on the farm together. The views throughout A Mercy switch between first person perspectives and third person omniscient. The varied structure in which the novel is narrated sets this novel aside from other stories of slave life such as Uncle Tom's Cabin. Morrison also uses this unique form of storytelling to create the most powerful version of the many encounters between characters on the Vaark farm. The different perspectives allow the reader to better understand the situations and create an attachment to each character which is not as easily defined through a third person only perspective. Attachment to the characters allows the reader to form an unbiased opinion regarding specific scenarios. Often in novels in which we only view the scenario through the narrator's perspective, we become bias toward certain characters. From an outsiders perspective an action may seem extreme or strange, but through reading the thoughts of the person completing the action, we are more lenient and understanding. This attachment to characters also gives the reader a sense of family. The reader is not simply reading about how the characters form a makeshift family, but we also become part of it through our ability to side with everyone. Just as in our own families we permit more and expect less because we are more understanding of specific situations, Morrison provides this same feeling towards her characters.
In addition to providing diverse perspectives of the plot, Morrison also provides a new view on slavery. I found this aspect of the novel extremely interesting as it was so different from what is generally thought of slavery. Throughout grade school, many of us are led to believe that slavery was one hundred percent inflicted on Africans and that all slave owners treated their slaves poorly. Morrison, through character description and dialogue, sets this myth straight. A Mercy describes Sorrow, the slave who comes to work for the Vaark's before Florens, as having hair "like the sunset" which is clearly not a characteristic of an African. Morrison also provides an example of an ad in which people are selling their slaves whom are described as: "mulattos, whites, Germans, between yellow and black". This list is not restricted to "black" slaves only. A Mercy was a refreshing difference from the way that slavery is typically depicted.
Although the main characters in Morrison's novel are different nationalities and were born into slavery through a variety of ways, they all have one thing in common; geography. Morrison explains that Lina and Mrs. Vaark, or Rebekka, have feelings of jealousy and curiosity toward one another in the beginning, but as time progresses, they become friends as they learn how to work the land and raise children together. As Jacob is constantly traveling, the two, essentially, have no one else. They begin to rely on each other, laugh and cry together. Tragedy strikes the Vaark's on several occasions and Lina is always there for Rebekka. Through triumph and tragedy, the characters become more than friends, they become family.
A Mercy by Toni Morrison is not only one of the most powerful novels about slavery, but is also one of the most powerful novels in general. Morrison has a unique gift for instilling a genuine concern for the characters into each reader. The end of the novel marks an unforgettable realization that altars the way we view the decisions that our family members have made in our behalf and makes us thankful to have family in times of need.
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