Post 8

Regarding: The Importance of Slave Narratives and “A Mercy” in Your Schools

Sherman Independent School District Board Members:

Slave narratives as a genre should hold a particularly strong value in American society. As a country that was founded on the success of slavery, it is important that as the cultivators of new minds, the school district should implement several slave narratives, including Toni Morrison’s “A Mercy” into the curriculum.

The narratives will serve not only as an account of history, but as moving and inspiring pieces of literature. Slave narratives can be used in the context of an American history class and it can set the framework for American literature. Learning the slave narrative genre can intensify an understanding of purposeful rhetoric, the advancement of humanity through writing, and the use subtle persuasion through a text.

I highly suggest “A Mercy” a novel by Toni Morrison based on the truths of America during the 1680’s, before slavery had truly began and when America was just in its infancy. “A Mercy” shows the reader a time history tends to neglect, and it shows it in great detail. Through “A Mercy,” our students can see a broad range of people’s responses to slavery in the context of a contemporary novel. Through this literature, students can truly understand the history of slavery in their country.

It is important that students are educated thoroughly in the history of our nation, and this can only be rightfully done so by revealing the truths of slavery. The history of slavery is not enough; we must implement the literature that slavery has produced as well. Without the literature of slave narratives like “A Mercy,” the student cannot have a full understanding of their country or the people who live in it.

Sincerely,

Blythe Ann, Jessica, and Samantha Johnson

POST 7

When NPR interviewed Toni Morrison about A Mercy, she discussed numerous themes and inspiration that helped her create the novel. Morrison ties the stories of Florens, Sorrow, Rebekka, and Lina together through their Jacob in order to show just how small a world we live in. The main theme (other than mercy, obviously) that Morrison is trying to get across in her novel is the idea that slavery is neither black, nor white. It exists all over the world and effects every race. She does this through the voices of these four women, who represent numerous races: Black, White, Native American... Showing that slavery can (and does) happen to anyone/everyone. Morrison discussed her reasoning behind this narrative strategy in the aforementioned interview with NPR, saying "Every civilization in the world relied on [slavery]," says Morrison. "The notion was that there was a difference between black slaves and white slaves, but there wasn't."
She didn't ever mention this outright in the novel, but it clearly resonates throughout the text. We get to see how taxing slavery can be on a marriage through Rebekka, who realizes even though she is white there are only three options available to her: prostitution, marriage and slavery. Through Florens we get to see the selfless love of a mother (her own, who gave her to Jacob in order to avoid an abusive master), and those are just two of the four women whose stories Morrison tells in A Mercy. Aside from trying to show that slavery is not blind to race, more than anything Morrison is showing that female slaves are always at the 'mercy' of men's decisions; whether it be a white women like Rebekka, or slaves like Lina, Sorrow and Florens, their lives aren't their own.


Sources:



Ulaby, NEDA. "Toni Morrison: A Mother, A Stranger, 'A Mercy'." NPR.ORG. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95961382