A Mercy by Toni Morrison deals with life's biggest issues about choosing to love and protect over the ability to stay close to those you love. The ending of the novel, narrated by Floren's mother, provides a key insight into the book's foundation. Above all, she knows that protecting her daughter must come first, leaving Florens scared, alone, but ultimately safe. Morrison weaves a tale that shows how Floren's people live together, serve as a mother figure, and are ultimately the source of the mental freedom gained by her choice at the end of the novel, even though all the while she believes she is alone. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay From the beginning of the novel, it is evident that Florens is searching for a mother figure in his life. Parental love and influence are among the most important determining factors in a child's life. Without appropriate love and affection, children become dissociative, unable to interact with people at a level perceived as normal. Florens is a bit strange because his mannerisms come from many different models. From the beginning, Jacob is seen as a fatherly and protective figure. It brings him the long-awaited stability in his life. Jacob welcomes Florens for his own needs. He sees her as something that Rebekka would hopefully "look forward to having", but also because he understands what it means to be an orphan and have the possibility of losing your family (Morrison, 37). He states right away that “there is no good place in the world for the abandoned” (Morrison 37). Even though he doesn't really understand why he welcomes Florens, the majority of his intention being for Rebekka, he vaguely associates himself with this young girl and the situation she finds herself in because she is an orphan. There's nothing worse than not having a place to belong and he associates that feeling. This also allows her to understand the lack of motherhood which plays a recurring role in the story. Rebekka can't be a mother to his children because they keep dying in front of her, and Jacob lacks everything that comes with a family. Florens' mother very deliberately states at the end of the novel that the reason she did what she did in sending Florens away was because Jacob saw her as "a human and not pieces of eight" (Morrison, 195 ). One mother, Floren's mother, recognizes that this man is the right choice for her daughter because he will keep her safe and protect her, just like any other mother would because he sees her as more than property. It is also evident that Florens is connected to Jacob throughout the story, whether through his protection or simply in his memories. Florens has a strange connection with shoes that follows her as she gets older. They are all given to her by significant people in her life, people she ends up leaving. She wears Senora D'Ortega's heels, shunned by her mother as impractical, Lina's moccasins and Jacob's boots while she goes to look for the blacksmith. She hurriedly throws off the boots, leaving the blacksmith and leaving the life she thought she would have; “It's hard without Mister's boots” (Morrison, 184). The fact that she no longer has boots represents her transition from a dependent person to an independent person. She depends on her mother, but she is abandoned, she depends on Jacob but he dies, and she depends on the blacksmith and he casts her aside. She trusts people and walks in their shoes only to be left behind and it's a big part of her that breaks free at the end of the novel and accomplishes at least part of what her motherwanted for her by giving The Blacksmith is largely a representation of the love that Florens believes she needs and absolutely wants in her life. It's different from the love of a parent that she craves, but it's also similar in that she sees it as unconditional acceptance. When Florens fights with the blacksmith after injuring Malaik, he accuses her of having a "savage" body and mind, and his reasoning in return is that she "worships him" (Morrison, 166). At first, she doesn't understand his reasoning because to her, love and adoration are things she could never refuse, and the fact that he blatantly does so is a blight on what she is. she understands. For her, it is of the utmost importance that she feels that she loves this man and that she would give up her life to be with him and continue to have that love and affection. Unfortunately, he doesn't see it the same way because she's not part of his family. Her child is her family, and family, being unconditional, comes first. It's a heartbreaking moment for Florens because it's another confirmation that the only person she truly has is herself. And to top it all off, the blacksmith does exactly what his mother did, with the intention of saving and protecting a child, but in both situations, Florens can't understand this. She feels like a victim in both cases, when in reality she is the one being saved from a life of abuse and addiction. Throughout the story, Florens does not understand his self-worth. She spends her life trying to be worthy of others and show that she belongs in their lives, but she doesn't spend enough time trying to understand, know, and accept herself. His mother talks about the slaves arriving from Barbados after a long journey on their ship; “Now, wide-eyed, they tried to please, to show their abilities and their vital value,” and after their arrival, they are hardened (Morrison. 194). Even though Florens never made this trip, she spent her entire life being limp and trampled. She doesn't stand up for herself like that matters and only understands at the very end of the novel that her worth is her own. That she realizes that she is a “lioness” who does not need to care what others think of her is incredibly revealing (Morrison, 187). However, to get to this point, it takes her a long time to overcome what she thinks others want her to be. Lina is one of the people in Florens' life who acts as close to a spiritual guide as ever. She helps Florens see the world as it is and shows him the other side where people and the world shape who you are; “Sir comes out. Mistress gets up and rushes towards him. Her bare skin is covered in wintergreen. Lina and I looked at each other. What is she afraid of, I ask. Nothing, said Lina. Why then does she run towards Monsieur? Because she can, Lina replies. We never shape the world, she says. The world shapes us” (Morrison, 83). This is a pivotal moment in the novel as Florens realizes what love can do for people and what it could do for her. She later admits that Lina's words confuse her because she doesn't think the world shaped her, but instead it was the blacksmith who has been this whole time. However, unbeknownst to her, he doesn't really shape her until he is no longer a part of her life. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay It is the lack of people that allows her to realize what she needs to do when faced with a new sale. Florens also doesn't believe there is anyone out there for her unless she does. Lina is his companion..