A Mercy

“Don’t be afraid. My telling can’t hurt you in spite of what I have done and I promise to lie quietly in the dark—weeping perhaps or occasionally seeing the blood once more—but I will never again unfold my limbs to rise up and bare teeth.” 

The above quotation is the opening line to the novel; Florens opens by contending with her own violence and animality in the face of the Blacksmith’s rejection. By writing down her own narrative and perspective, Florens pushes back against the Blacksmith’s accusations of her mindlessness and animality.

“To get to you I must leave the only home, the only people I know. Lina says from the state of my teeth I am maybe seven or eight when I am brought here.”

Florens directly addresses the Blacksmith numerous times throughout the novel. The above quotation is an example of this address. Florens is willing to sacrifice absolutely everything and everyone she knows to be with the Blacksmith.

“Take the girl, she says, my daughter, she says. Me. Me. Sir agrees and changes the balance due.” 

This moment is the catalyst for most of the events and conflicts within the novel. The impact that this abandonment has on Florens and her characterization cannot be understated. This quote also foreshadows future conflict between Florens and the Blacksmith.