Synopsis
Morrison's book, "A Mercy," examines what might be called a "pre-racial" America, the formative years at the end of the 17th century when our forebears still had a chance of turning their collective backs against slavery. As the 1993 Nobel Prize winner shows in this slight but powerful story, many forces - economic, sociological, psychological - combined to reinforce racism and sexism before they were institutionalized. "A Mercy" is set amid the Bermuda Triangle of trade that fueled the pre-colonial trans-Atlantic economy: Europeans enslaved Africans and took them to the West Indies, where they were traded for rum and molasses, which was delivered to New England. The wealth created then returned to the Old World. In 1676, after a restive slave population incited rebellion in the mid-Atlantic region, new laws were put in place to tighten the gentry's control over blacks, mulattoes and freedmen. The willful exploitation of human capital was fast becoming fundamental to the flow of commerce. In Morrison's novel, this nasty business sits uneasily with Jacob Vaark, an up-from-the-bootstraps entrepreneur of Dutch-English heritage who represents the European immigrant (white, male, ambitious). Vaark, eager to earn his fortune along the Eastern Seaboard, represents the troubled conscience of the nation that's yet to emerge.
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Search results for a mercy - Trade Book
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A Mercy Edition: First
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00106787461
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a mercy - Trade Book
Published by
Random House (edition No Edition Stated), 2008
ISBN 10: 1615230858
ISBN 13: 9781615230853
Used
Paperback
Seller: BooksRun, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Edition Stated. It's a well-cared-for item that has seen limited use. The item may show minor signs of wear. All the text is legible, with all pages included. It may have slight markings and/or highlighting. Seller Inventory # 1615230858-11-1
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A Mercy
Seller: Better World Books: West, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # 4155118-6
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a mercy - Trade Book
Seller: Goodwill of Greater Milwaukee and Chicago, Racine, WI, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: acceptable. Book is considered to be in acceptable condition. The actual cover image may not match the stock photo. Book may have one or more of the following defects: noticeable wear on the cover dust jacket or spine; curved, dog eared or creased page s ; writing or highlighting inside or on the edges; sticker s or other adhesive on cover; CD DVD may not be included; and book may be a former library copy. Seller Inventory # SEWV.1615230858.A
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a mercy - Trade Book
Seller: Your Online Bookstore, Houston, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
paperback. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 1615230858-11-35937285
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a mercy - Trade Book
Seller: BooksByLisa, Highland Park, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Soft cover. Condition: New. PHOTO AND VIDEO OF PAGES TAKEN TO SHOW CONDITION PRIOR TO SHIPPING; PHOTOS EMAILED FOR MORE SPECIFICS WHEN REQUESTED. Book. Seller Inventory # 27464
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a mercy - Trade Book
Seller: GoldBooks, Denver, CO, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # 83C50_25_1615230858