“Melting Pot”Culture in A Mercy

張媛媛

Abstract：A Mercy highlights the miserable experience of women from different ethnic groups in the early period of North American colonial times.Toni Morrison showed the reader a garden of Eden where people of different skin color and different gender live together harmoniously in the setting of a tragic world filled with discrimination and violence.This paper would analyze the “melting pot” culture reflected in A Mercy through illustrating typical plots happened among people of different ethnic groups.

Key words：melting pot，A Mercy

The earliest statement about “melting pot” appears first in Letters From an American Farmer written by French American scholar，J.Hector St.John Creveceur.He posed a question puzzling people for a long time，that is “Who are Americans？”（Creveceur 54）He thinks that Americans，neither Europeans nor descendants of Europeans，are a kind of unique people melting with multiple lineage.The “melting pot” theory actually manifest some American values such as “tolerance，respect and non-bias toward other cultures.”（Wu 19）

This novel is unfolded around a white man，Jacob Vaarks farm.On this farm，people of different origins live together and help each other to pull through dark moments.There are virtuous white bride named Rebekka，tough Indian housemaid named Lina，courageous black slave named Florence，gentle white slaveholder named Jacob Vaark，kind-hearted indentured white laborers named Scully and Willard and so on.

Florence is a poor black girl abandoned by her slave mother in the plantation owned by Dortega，who sold Florence to Jacob Varrk to offset debt.Florence witnessed her mother knelt down and begged Jacob Vaark：“Please，Senhor.Not me.Take her.Take my daughter.”（Morrison 26）because her little brother still need mom to care for.When Florence heard that，she felt astonished and disappointed because she thought she is valued much less than her little brother in her mothers heart.Although Jacob couldnt understand the terror in this slave mothers eyes，he still feel pity on this abandoned poor girl.Even readers cannot learn until the end of the novel that this moms choice is out of protecting Florence.But，the shadow left by this abandoned experience made Florence lose the sense of security and long for being taken care of carefully.

Lina，an elder Indian slave，bought by Jacob Vaark in order to manage the farm，has rich life experience and firm personality.Although her hometown was ruined and all her family members died miserably，she made up her mind to “fortify herself by piecing together scraps of what her mother had taught her before dying in agony.”（48）She decided to recollect every part of her national culture in detail.This kind of ethnic cultural treasure made Lina become firmer，tougher and more independent than others.On the farm，Lina took care of Florence from all aspects just like her mom.For example，Lina made clothes and shoes for Florence，and when Florence wore that shoes，she recovered maternal love and protection.Florence confided all her secrets to Lina also gave her impartial and sincere suggestion.They are from different backgrounds and hold different culture behind the skin color，but they have developed closed relationship just like mother and daughter，and their original culture blend together.

Rebekka is a white bride bought by mail from Britain.She was lucky to be the wife of Jacob Vaark compared with being servant or prostitute.But，when this European wife appeared on this farm as a hostess，hostility existed between her and Lina instantly.“The health and beauty of a young female already in charge annoyed the new wife；while the assumption of authority from the awkward European girl infuriated Lina.”（53）These two young women are from different ethnic groups and different social stratum.One is a European hostess，the other is an Indian servant.But in order to survive，women of different origin have to be company for each other.Rebekka and Lina supported each other to pull through time and time again.Rebekka regarded Lina as her only bosom friend，and value Linas judgment very much.Lina helped Jacob manage the farm loyally and took care of Lina wholeheartedly.She delivered Rebekka of babies and looked after Rebekka day and night when Rebekka was seriously ill.Although these two females have different culture and background，they have undergone the same loneliness and hardness，and they share the same maternal love.

In this novel，there are a harmonious picture beyond race and gender.Jacob Vaark is a gentle and kind-hearted farmer.He respected and sympathized with these young women.At the same time，these young women taught him some skills related to planting and fishing.They made the farm in order and with vigor when Jacob was outside.It is Jacobs kindness and pity，and women loyalty and diligence work together to build this peaceful farm.

Besides，two indentured white laborers named Scully and Willard lent helping hands to these poor females regardless of bias on race and gender.For example，they helped half-blooded slave named Sorrow to give birth to her daughter without discrimination.“The men congratulated themselves”（132）for being “fine midwife”.（133）Their acts of kindness helped Sorrow turn from lonely and fragile slave to be a courageous and confident mother.From here we can see that it is men and women together build up this Garden of Eden on the farm.

There are various differences among these people of different origin，different skin color，different culture and different gender on the farm，but because of the same living environment and similar living experience，they are mutual inclusive and build up deeply motherhood，sisterhood and kinship beyond race and gender.

Works Cited

[1]Creveceur，J.Hector St.John.Letters from an American Farmer.New York：Albert and Charles Boni，1925.

[2]Morrison，Toni.A Mercy.New York：Alfred A.Knopf，2008.

[3]伍斌.“歷史語境中的美國“熔爐論”析論.” 世界民族 003（2013）：9-19.

（作者單位：云南大學 外國語學院）