A Demonic Parody: Toni Morrison’s A Mercy by Geneva Moore

Moore immerses herself in the more extensive scholarly conversations and cites other
authors who believe that Morrison’s novel is a demonic parody. She quotes works of other
people, such as Eugene Genovese, a historian who states that the legal status of slaves who lived
in Virginia during the seventeenth century is still debated to date. The debate occasionally leads

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to disputes (Moore 7). The debate tends to contextualize race relations in America during the
seventeenth century and the experiences of the different races that co-existed during this period.
The author comments about the uncertainty that surrounds the scholarly conversation about this
topic. She mentions that it is not known whether the experiences and social positions of the white
indentured servants differed significantly from that of the Africans who worked as slaves at the
time.
The author also agrees with Cathy Covell Waegner, a European scholar. The latter also
comments on Morrison’s book and how it shows the manner in which the Europeans trampled on
existing cultures and acted thoughtlessly against resources and landscapes. Waegner refers to
their actions as self-seeking avarice, and they did not have any regard for natives or even other
black communities that existed at the time (Moore 4). These scholars encode Morrison’s message
of the violence of the Europeans and how their actions created intractable barriers defined by
class and race. Moore remarks that A Mercy is a demonic parody, and it can also be referred to as
a “counterpoise” of the patriotic jubilee as Waegner refers to it.
Moore mentions critics who do not see Morrison’s work as a demonic parody but as
“sloppy” in its portrayal of the experiences of native Americans (Moore 16). The author,
however, notes that such a view is inappropriate for not only A Mercy but any of Morrison’s
works. Further, Hilary Mantel, a novelist, remarks that Morrison’s work is a “pale version of
Beloved” and experiences dissatisfaction with the choice and development of characters which
she says is “insubstantial” (Moore 16). However, Waegner responds to this critic and states that
such a critic is an indication that the novelist had not successfully read the signs in Morrison’s
work and had difficulties navigating its fluidity.

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Overall, Moore’s argument is convincing. It not only states that A Mercy is a demonic
parody but also goes ahead to explain why this is the case. The author states that the slaves
would every day have to deal with loss; loss of their land, loss of their loved ones, the dead who
were yet to be buried, and the mourning of the lost who had gone never to return. The author
proves that Morrison is a literary parodist and even cites supporting works and evidence from her
texts that support the claim.

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Work Cited

Moore, Geneva Cobb. “A Demonic Parody: Toni Morrison’s” A Mercy”.” The Southern Literary
Journal (2011): 1-18.