Madelyn Perry, Maggie Kiernan, Nyna Garduno, Lily Gallagher, Kyle Mele
Literacy, whether it is defined simply as knowing how to read and write in any given language, the ability to read for the sake of performing a task, or the ability to read for the sake of criticizing people or systems that confine other people to a single and unchanging state, is nonetheless rooted in the ability to read. These are skills that Florens, an enslaved Portuguese girl in Virginia in Toni Morrison’s novel A Mercy, comes to master. The bulk of her strength, however, is in her critical literacy- a skill she honed in attempting to justify why her mother could ever expel her into slavery in a strange land. Sent on an errand that makes her responsible for her Mistress’s life, Florens’s literacy is initially a shield of armor. However, her tendency to create symbols that play into her interpretation of the past makes her apophenic to a degree that ultimately perpetuates her fear of abandonment and, consequently, creates the grounds for her final expulsion.
Florens, a central character in A Mercy, struggles to interpret signs surrounding her expulsion as she strives for answers after being sent away from her mother. She is unable to understand the reasoning behind this expulsion, which helps shape her person and the outcome of her story. In the search for her answers, Florens tries to derive meaning for her existence; like a puzzle piece, she will try to fit herself into any situation where she either does or does not belong in order to justify her existence. Florens is capable of reading her surroundings; although she may have misunderstood the meaning, she is pretty aware of her environment. For example, Florens’s ability to read the situations surrounding her expulsions is apparent in noting the presence of a child in each of her expulsions. The presence of a child forces Florens to reflect on her mother. Her mother sent her away while leaving her brother behind. She noticed how her mother favored him as a child, so she felt she would never stand a chance against a child. Florens is unaware of the real reason for her mother sending her away; she feels as if she belongs nowhere because every time she feels accepted, it results in expulsion. As Florens continually gets expelled from the people around her, her mistrust continues to grow, and she develops a mentality of them versus me, which eventually erupts when she is left alone with Malaik. The critical literacy skills we have seen throughout the book have also led to Florens attempting to fit herself into a mold in each situation to gain some semblance of the maternal presence she lost as a child. The result of her original expulsion led her to believe that people around her were automatically acting in bad faith toward her. Until proven otherwise, she felt as though she would be expelled. This feeling of mistrust through past experiences ties to her ability to use her literacy skills as her protective shield.
Trust is a concept with multiple definitions, similar to literacy. Depending on the context, it can refer to a social bond, a legal document, or even confidence. Within A Mercy, we can see how trust and literacy played a pivotal role in Florens’ expulsions following her initial expulsion from her mother at the beginning of the book. Florens’ mother sent her away with a farmer named Jacob while her little brother stayed behind. The underlying meaning of this expulsion would remain unknown to Florens for the duration of her story; however, the search for answers would ultimately lead to her continued expulsion. Florens would not understand why she ended up where she did; she would read any signs available and make connections with things that weren’t relevant in search of these answers. Altogether, the lack of understanding of concepts and perspectives may affect the fate of an interaction, which may contribute to expulsion.
In particular, we saw this during the 2008 housing crisis and the factors leading up to the outcome. Michael Lewis’s The Big Short perfectly emphasizes one of these factors when discussing a collateralized debt obligation or CDO. Investopedia defines this term as “a collateralized debt obligation pools together various types of debt, such as loans or bonds, and repackages them into tranches that are sold to investors.” The CDO was what investors used to gain many of their profits, particularly by betting against the market, resulting in many individuals defaulting on their house mortgages and having their houses foreclosed on. Within The Big Short, we get a sense of how complex the CDO is, even emphasizing that professional investors weren’t so sure how complex a CDO was. What can we say about the new homeowners if the investors need clarification? The lack of interpretation and understanding of the complex nature of the CDO led to the expulsion of millions of homeowners for a generated profit amongst the investors. In light of the coming crisis, some companies pulled out and pointed fingers at the companies remaining in bad faith—”They look at you and forget about me” (Morrison pg. 135). Homeowners trusted these investors, similar to Florens’s trust in the Blacksmith as a haven where a lack of understanding from both parties led to expulsion. Individuals’ high degree of trust placed in those looking to help influenced the expulsion rate. Like the CDOs, Florens’ journey, upbringing, and story were also misunderstood. She wanted answers, and her apophenic search for answers led to her continued expulsion. Placing too much trust in individuals can lead to a crisis; not understanding both sides of the coin plays a similar role. It is one thing to read the signs and another to understand them. When we think about the question, “Does this help you understand the forces that push people away from the places and people they call home?” We start to see how literacy can be one of those forces. Being able to read and understand something can have drastic effects. For example, banks and housing companies will purposely make contracts long and wordy so they can get away with more unfaithful practices, such as hidden fees or ballooning interest rates, which seem highly unfair. Still, they’re rarely questioned or challenged because they’re hidden in complex language. When people can’t grasp the fine print, it can lead to dire consequences, putting them at a disadvantage and leaving them vulnerable to exploitation, sometimes to the point of losing their homes. One of the most pivotal quotes in A Mercy can be found on page 3 when Florens asks, “Who is responsible?” and follows by asking, “Can you read?”. By linking the two, the book asks if accountability is evident to the literate. It asks if those with literacy are, in a sense, more equipped to assign responsibility or if this privilege of knowledge is what shields them from exploitation and displacement. The book suggests that literacy is not just about knowledge; it’s about survival, agency, and the power to stay rooted in the place you call home. By showcasing the perspectives of each character, Morrison’s novel A Mercy is skillful in illustrating how none of the characters are above desire, which is a flaw that proves to be detrimental to the family the characters share. Namely, Florens’s interpretation of Malaik as a threat to her relationship with the Blacksmith renders her an object of his disgust, illustrating how she becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Additionally, Rebekka’s survival is the only protection against the fragility of single women running an estate and the land grab that is bound to occur. However, her religious awakening keeps her distant and removes her from those she tries to protect. As a result, Lina, Sorrow, and Florens become just as vulnerable as they feared they would be. This stark character reversal illustrates how acting in self-interest becomes destructive, as seen also in the greed of big bankers in the financial crisis of 2008. Ultimately, even though the institution of slavery does not exist as it once did in 17th century America, there will always be bodies of people that are subject to the whims of the dominant ideology, and Rebekka’s betrayal of fellow women demonstrates that the more removed one is from the consequences of their actions, the more destruction they will allow themselves to commit.