The Theme Of Shoes In A Mercy By Toni Morrison

In A Mercy, the author, Toni Morrison uses shoes to symbolize growth, in having them, and experience, by not having them. She tells the story of a young slave girl named Florens who depends on shoes for purpose, and other slave women, who find purpose in other ways. The adult slaves, Lina and Minha Mae, have had experiences that make them wise and strong. Both compare the hardening of their souls with the soles of their feet. The younger slaves, Sorrow and Florens are in search for love, insight, and a sense of identity. Sorrow has her imaginary adversary. “Twin and Florens have her shoes, as well as, Lina and the Blacksmith. Lina has learned, in her village, before it was destroyed, wisdom. She found purpose; after all she’d been through, in giving her advice on farming, helping Rebekka (Mistress) with the children, and caring for Florens as if she were her own …show more content…
She gets angry with him because she has a dependency on shoes for reassuring her of who she is. For the journey the Mistress stuck a letter in the boots so Florens can show someone who she is. The letter says that she is a slave. When the blacksmith comes back and finds that she hurt Malaik, he tells Florens that she is a slave. After hitting the blacksmith with the hammer, Florens says, “I have no shoes. I have no kicking heart no home for tomorrow,” (Morrison 149).She realizes, on her own, who she is, and who she’s always been, she travels back to the farm without shoes and her soles become hard. In the end she says, “See? You are correct. A minha Mae too. I am become wilderness but I am also Florens. In full. Unforgiven. Unforgiving. No ruth, my love. None. Hear me? Slave. Free. I last,” (152). The soles of her feet represented her soul and by wearing shoes, her soul was protected and never got the chance to