Study on the Motherhood in Mercy

Abstract

Motherhood is worshipped in every society, thus in every context mother is equated to God - a life-giver. Motherhood provides them with the necessary abilities and character to be able to do something useful to others. This paper seeks to investigate the concept of motherhood in Toni Morrison's novel, A Mercy (2008). Morrison, the Nobel laureate, depicts the experiences and hardship of black women in her literary works. In Mercy, the concept of motherhood is broadened to include more than traditional mother-daughter ties. In this tale, mother love takes on a new meaning as a blood connection between all of the female characters. In her work, motherhood is unique, with a wounded spirit and a shattered self. The relationship between mother and kid is not easy, but it is strained. The focus of this study is on the Black mother and the assertive actions she takes to cope with the challenges of hopeless slavery. Morrison illustrates how slavery warped and shaped motherhood through the portrayal of an unconventional mother figure, Minha Mae, and her excruciating experiences, and reveals the circumstances that physically and emotionally separate mother and children. She rejects the conventional concept of motherhood and develops a view of black motherhood that is radically different from motherhood as practiced and prescribed in the dominant culture in terms of both maternal identity and role.