Themes

Struggle with Religion-Throughout the book many of the main charecters struggle with religion, and particularly having a relationship with a higher being. With Lina, the Indian servant who works on the Vaark's land, she has many complications with the Christian faith. After her village was burned down, she was taken in by Presbyterians. While she found them kind, she knew that they knew that she could never have a relationship with their God. She was told to forget all of her past religious tradtions yet was shunned from participating actively in theirs. Once on the Vaark's plantation she fluxtuated in her beliefs, sometimes practicing Christianity and then praying to Native American gods.

Rebekka Vaark struggles mainly with religion through the book. Coming from England she had been raised in a corrupted faith. Coming to America with a fresh start, she no longer had to rely on a "god", but instead to a new future and to a husband and family. However when her children die at an early age and her husband dies of sickness, she no longer sees the hope to hold on to anymore. She starts to emerse herself in the religious practices, yet never seems to be satisfied with them. Her servants notice a change in her attitude towards them and towards life. She is beating them and taking away privileges. She seems that she can never really be free.

 

Struggle with Race/Freedom-Throughout the book there is a struggle with race/identity. Because this is the late 1600s, slavery was not as popular as it would become in later years. When people viewed Florens, a young slave girl, they believed that she was Satan's minion. Race of course set standards in this society, standards that were seldom broken. In this novel however, Morrison gives a opponent to this standard. The nameless mysterious blacksmith is a free African man living and working in America. This is what draws Florens in and at the same time makes Lina nervous. They are not used to seeing a black man represent freedom.

Although Florens does not see herself as free, many of the Europeans see them as so. Not physically free of course, but emotionally and mentally free of lows. Many felt that while slaves could express themselves freely, those higher up on the social status were confined to social orders.

 

Abandonment- Abandonment is a main thread that goes throughout A Mercy. It is mainly dealing with Florens, however a few other charecters deal with it too. Lina, after being dropped of by the Presbyterians, felt alone considering that the rest of her family had passed. In response, when Florens arrived at the Vaark's land, Lina attached herself to Florens and made her her own. Once Florens becomes more interested in the blacksmith, Lina again feels abandoned, almost betrayed.

Mistress Vaark (Rebekka) feels acts abandoned by her husband after he dies. She does not allow anyone to speak of him or enter into the house he constructed with the blacksmith's help right before his death.

Finally Florens. Florens is abandoned by her mother when she is a young child. What she doesn't and will never realize is that her mother was trying to save her. She new that she would be in better hands on Mr. Vaark's land, away from their abusive owner. Florens tries to make up for this abandonment by attaching first to Lina then to the handsome blacksmith and finally to no one.