1. 1
A MERCY
BY: TONI MORRISON
PLOT SUMMARY
This story of a young slave girl named Florens. Florens is 16 years old and
living on the D'Ortega, a plantation. The reader learns that the D'Ortegas spent
four years in Angola, a place where the Portuguese were extremely cruel to their
slaves. Among the slaves on the tobacco plantation are Minha mae and her
children. The D'Ortegas have fallen on difficult times. Jacob Vaark, a trader,
arrives at the plantation to collect a debt owed by D'Ortega.
It is clear that Vaark dislikes D'Ortega and practically everything he stands
for from his cruel ways to politics, arrogance, and religious beliefs. Vaark can
barely stand to be at the D'Ortega house at all and is glad to be able to leave.
D'Ortega admits that he cannot pay the debt but offers one of his slaves as partial
payment. Firstly, jacob refuse about it because his trade is goods and gold and
jacob think that florens will be give spirit and happiness for rebbeka’s jacob wife
because a beloved five years old daughter that is patrician.
Therefore, florens will be the last of three black female servants, former
slaves, on Jacob’s farm. Besides, there are other servants that is sorrow, Lina,
scully, and will. Then, florens given to Jacob by her mother because florens’s
mother seen that Jacob has humanity heart his self. Florens’s mother does not
want florens’s fate it same with her mother.
As far as florens don’t know why her mother give her to Jacob? Why her
mother prefer choose her brother than her. So, this story will tell about a slave
young girl who happen to Florens on Toni’s novel.
A Mercy…
CHAPTER 1
Exposition
The first chapter start of Florens POV, a 16 years old slave girl confessing to an
unknown person.
"Don't be afraid. My telling can't hurt you in spite of what I have done and I
promise to lie quietly in the dark—weeping perhaps or occasionally seeing the
blood once more—but I will never again unfold my limbs to rise up and bare teeth."
Chapter 1, page 3.

2. 2
Flashback
The girl says that so many things have happened to her that she is unsure what a
great deal of it meant at the time. There are still things Florens does not
understand.
“Florens and Minhamae”
Conflict
“Me watching my mother listening, her baby boy on her help hip. Senhor is not
paying the whole amount he owns to sir. Sir saying he will take instead the woman
and the girl not the baby boy and the debt is gone: A minhamae her baby boy is
still at her breat. Take the girl she says my daughter, she says: me. “ Page 5
Early form it, florens hate her mother because her mother prefer choice her
brother than florens. Florens also not understand why her mother can be evil for
her, only to pay debt for Jacob.
CHAPTER 2
D’ortega and Jacob vaark - Flash forward
Rising Action
“Examining the spotted (bug –ridden leaves of tobacco, it became clear what
D’Ortega had left to offer slaves, but Jacob refused.”
This paragraph told about D’Ortega have debt to Jacob because D’ortega’s
boat had be under water and D’ortega lost only boat, not only the original third.,
but all expect the crew who were unchained of course, and four unsalable
Angolans red eyes with anger but Jacob refused it because his trade is goods and
gold said it to D’ortega.
Florens, D’ortega, Jacob and Minhamae
“Please, Senhor not me, take her. Take daughter.” Page 24
This sentence, when florens given to Jacob. D’ortega shaking off his earlier
embarrassment and trying to reestablish his dignity then D’ortega “ I will send her
to you . therefore, Jacob said” I have got to get away from substitute for a man
but, Jacob is thinking also perhaps Rebbeka would welcome a child around the
place. This one here, swimming in horriable shoes appeared to be about the same
age as patrician.
Petter downes or Peter and Jacob - Flashback

3. 3
“Raised Jacob’s spirits enough for him to join in the singing.” Page 27
It’s mean that, Jacob died where Peter Downes a young man has agreement with
Jacob about agriculture business.
Flash back
Falling Action
“From his own childhood he knew there was no good place in the world for waif
and whelps other than the generosity of strangers. “ Page 30
This paragraph told about Jacob’s story a waif’s and whelps where his
mother is a girl of no consequence who died in child birth. His father, who hailed
from Amsterdam, left him with a name easily punned and a cause of deep
suspicion.
CHAPTER 3
Flash back Page 34
“Since your leaving with no good bye”
This sentence,when Jacob died and he died because measles. Rebbeka’s
wife Sculy and will never know. If he is alive for ever one minute to smell the new
cherry wood floors he lies on we are alone. No one to shround or mourn sir but as.
Will and Scully must sneak to dig the Grave.
CHAPTER 4-5
Rising action
Rebbeka and Lina (Flashback Page 41)
“ Mistress had sighed and confinded to lina that at the least the doing of it would
keep him more on the land”
It’s means that, “the doing of it would keep him more on the land” so that
Jacob, is be happy on the land we all of it done what do Jacob’s want by rebbeka.
Rebbeka done all of it with help Willard and scully.
Flashback Page 57
“ As long as sir was alive it was easy to veil the truth:

4. 4
This sentence, Lina told or remember Jacob when was alive where lina’s life
since her own life everything depended on mistress survival which depended on
florens success.
CHAPTER 6
Falling action
Rebbeka and Lina - Page 59 (Flash forward)
Sir and mistress belived they could have honest free- thinking lives, yet without
heirs, all their work meant less than a swallow’s nest.
It means that, as long as sir alive, it was easy to evil the truth, they were not a
family, they were orphans, each and all.
CHAPTER 7
Flashback – Florens POV
“ The trees are not heavy with cherries nor nearer to me. I quiet down that is a
better dream than a minhamae standing near with her little boy”
It’s means that, florens is very hate to her mother who given her to Jacob.
CHAPTER 8
Falling action, Page 119
Sorrow experience - Flashback
“Sorrow is described trying to remember years later traveling on her father’s ship”
It’s means that, when the ship floundered she did not know it, and if any
unmurdered hands and passengers escaped, she did not know that. Now the
memories of the ship, the only seemed as stolen as its cargo.
Page 121
Conflict
“ Twin is no longer needed and she disappears leaving sorrow self named and no
longer” concentrating on the art of escape”
Because, more conflict about The loss of a defense as functional as sorrow’s twin.
Instead, twin leaves sorrow’s life quickly and completely, apparently without
sorrow feeling guilt, fear, anger, or sadness about twin’s departure.

5. 5
CHAPTER 9
Conflict
Blacksmith and Florens
“ You are a slave . Your head is empty and your body is wild.
This sentence, blacksmith said that to florens and the blacksmith displays
the tragedy of the repetition compulsion poignantly slave. Here, florens
misunderstanding to blacksmith.
CHAPTER 10
Flashback, Page 157
“ Such were the ravages of vaark’s death”
It means that, he had no proof of what was in their minds, but based on own
experience he was certain betrayal was the poison of the day.
CHAPTER 11 - 12
This chapter returns to Florens who walks through the night without her
boots. She thinks about the episode with the blacksmith and talks to him as if he is
with her.
"What I read or cipher is useless now. Heads of dogs, garden snakes, all that
is pointless. But my way is clear after losing you who I am thinking always as my
life and my security from harm, from any who look closely at me only to throw me
away. From all those who believe they have claim and rule over me. I am nothing
to you." Chap. 11, Page167
Florens reveals what happened at the blacksmith's cottage. Florens had
picked up the hammer but when she tried to strike him, her strength vanished. A
fight ensues. They wrestle. Florens hits her lover with the tongs and he bleeds.
Resolution
Florens, sorrow, and lina share life with Jacob and mistress, Jacob dies. The
farm and estate is then left to his wife, a single no heirs.