A New Historicist Study Of A Mercy

Toni Morrison's latest novel, A Mercy, continues her powerful exploration of American history. Published at a time when Barack Obama, the first black president of USA, was elected, it assumes great metaphorical power. In this thesis, the author will analyze A Mercy from the perspective of New Historicism to find out how Morrison reconstructs the early American history in an attempt to separate race from slavery. Through the construction and deconstruction of a multi-ethnic family, Morrison presents the 17th century America and manifests the fate of various races and groups. With the use of multiple narrations, flashbacks and time-shifts, as well as metaphor and symbolism, Morrison seems to have drawn a vivid and comprehensive picture, allowing the reader to have a stereoscopic look at the characters and the early America. Between the lines, the novel addresses the evolving race-based slavery under the influence of virulent religious, class, gender, racial and cultural prejudices as well as political and economic oppression. It reveals what lies beneath the combination of slavery and racism, and will surely contribute to the better understanding of racial problems and to the development of democracy in the United States.