Gates, David. "Original Sins". The New York Times: Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Web. 18 Nov. 2009
In this analysis of “A Mercy,” called “Original Sins,” the writer, David Gates suggests that the mercies of this novel occur when characters have power to harm another being but decide not to for whatever reason. Gates develops his argument by stressing the dominance of some characters over others, how they may abuse this power, or have mercy and spare them. Gates’ purpose in writing this article is to summarize Morrison’s story while accenting the tragedy of having power over another human being.
Gioia, Ted. "Book Review: A Mercy by Toni Morrison". Blog Critics: News Reviews and Opinions. Web. 18 Nov. 2009
Ted Giola wrote his “Book Review: A Mercy by Toni Morrison,” theorizing that if such a family as that in “A Mercy” can survive peacefully together, then there is hope for the rest of the world. Giola supports this theory by observing that each character in this novel is bound by normal human problems and sins, where even the heroes or heroines are prone to evil deeds. Giola wrote this review in order to show a hope for our humanity and compare it to the family of “A Mercy.”
Norris, Michele. "Toni Morrison Finds 'A Mercy' In Servitude". NPR: National Public Radio: News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts: NPR. Web. 18 Nov. 2009
In her article, “Toni Morrison Finds ‘A Mercy,” Michele Norris shows that Morrison wanted to separate race from slavery in her story “A Mercy”. Norris does this by explaining that a black slave’s life was much like an indentured servant’s life and emphasizing the fact that a Native American was slave just like the African American woman. Michele Norris’ purpose in writing her article is to show Morrison’s readers that slavery is not dependant on solely on race.
Simon Smart takes an interesting yet negative stance in regards to Morrison's novel, going so far as to describe the opening lines as being "untrustworthy." He does however shed light on one of the main points Morrison makes in her novel, the fact that anyone and anybody can find themeselves being a slave to people or things. He spends a great deal of time talking about the underlying theological themes in the novel, and in Morrison's works as a whole. Simon gives a somewhat biased, but well thought review that was quite enjoyable.
Updike, John. "Dreamy Wilderness". The New Yorker. Web. 18 Nov. 2009. <http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2008/11/03/081103crob_books_updike>
In John Updike’s analysis “Dreamy Wilderness” subtitled Unmastered women in Colonial Virginia, Updike contends that “A Mercy” is largely the concerning femininity, motherhood, and women mastering themselves and their lives. He supports this claim by emphasizing each women ascent from a bad situation to their generally better life by the end of the book. Hispurpose of writing this article is to underline for the reader the importance of the hardship of womanhood depicted in Morrison’s “A Mercy.”
These all sound like great sources. I find Norris's ideas about the separation of race from slavery to be interesting, especially recalling our discussions earlier in the class that slavery was not initially based solely on race. Also, I am interested in the theological issues Smart brings out. I had not previously considered how slave narratives could be tied to religion or theology in ways other than ministers using theology to get slaves to submit to their masters, the abolitionist argument against slavery based on Christianity, or the spiritualism that slaves depended on to help them deal with all their hardships. It seems like these sources would help make the issues in the novel relevant to modern life.
ReplyDelete"In this analysis of “A Mercy,” called “Original Sins,” the writer, David Gates suggests that the mercies of this novel occur when characters have power to harm another being but decide not to for whatever reason."
ReplyDeleteHow does "A Mercy" compare to "The Known World" in this way? Are the characters in "A Mercy" merciful? Or do they abuse their power, as with Moses or Henry in "The Known World."