A Mercy by
Toni Morrison
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
******************************SPOILERS**********************************
This books was eloquently written by Ms. Morrison. The story follows the life of slaves during 17th Century America. The historical perspective through the characters eyes was presented in a way that I felt that I was jumping back in history to the lives of those who lived in the 17th Century America.
Florens is a young slave girl. She is sold to Jacob Vaark a small farmer when she is eight years old. When the sale takes place, she has an empty, lonely place on her heart as she feels that her mother has given her up. The combination of being sold and taken from her mother and being a slave has a huge impact upon her life as it places her in a position that she can never reach her full potential. Unlike most of the slaves in this book. She did learn to write and read a small amount.
Jacob Vaark is married to Rebekka whom he married as basically a mail order bride. Jacob aquires Florens from Senhor D'Ortega. He tries to get Florens mother however, A minha Mae, pushes Floren to Jacob. He knows that it is a poor substitute for minha mae however his heart feels that Florens would be better with him and Rebekka.
Rebekka, initially dispises Lina, the first slave to the Vaark family. However, her heart softens and she learns to love Lina as a sister. The Vaark's have their slaves but treat them a little better then most slaves are treated. Still horrible situation for Lina, Florens, Sorrow, Willard and Scully but treated well initially. However, once Jacob succumbs to pox. Rebekka overcome with depression begins to treat the slaves in a vile manner.
A character that I felt sorry for was Sorrow. A shipwrecked child who is given to Jacob when she is pregnant. Her first child does not survive. She is given the name Sorrow as they believe bad/cursed luck follows her. She survives pox by the blacksmith and then is prgnant when Jacob dies of pox. I felt so sorry for her as she was not treated as well as the other slaves because of her cursed or bad luck. She is slow which is a product of being brought up and raised as a slave.
I must add about the blacksmith. The free blackman whom makes the gate to the farm for the Vaark's. He is a healer whom heals Sorrow and later Rebekka. However, he is attracted to young Florens and thought the sex is consentual, it is clear he has taken advanatage of young Florens. In her mindset, she is in love with the Blacksmith yet he is so egotistical and womanizing that he rejects her because she is a slave that can never be more then a slave.
The last chapter of this book was touching and moving. Florens had a deep feeling that her mother never loved her and gave her up. Yet in the end the final chapter is minha mae's. She professes her unconditional love for her daughter, however not able to tell her daughter that when she pushed for Vaark to take eight year old Florens it was to protect her from D'Ortega. It did bring tears to my eyes, as a mother myself I know that love that a Mum has for their child and this was the only way minha mae could protect Florens.
In reading this book, I was impressed with Toni Morrison's presentation of the characters and the dialect used. Each character had their own voice.
I could not help but think how far women have come in America, with our rights. Back in the 17th Century women had no rights even to land. This was impressed upon by the fact that if Rebekka didn't remarry she would lose the farm. The fear in the slaves of being sold to a cruel master was ever present after Jacob's demise to pox.
The book also possed the sadness that is slavery. What an awful humanity was during this time period. Slavery was inhumane. A part of American history that we should all be ashamed of and at the same time thankful that we have abolished slavery and learned the imporantance of human life no matter what race, creed, or sex a person happens to be.
Beautiful and touching book.
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