The Mercies

“When it [the storm] finally fits into stories. Even then, it doesn’t tell how it actually was. There are ways words fall down: they give shape too easily, carelessly. And there was no grace, no ease to what Maren saw.”

The novel begins with the paradoxical statement that words cannot express the story it is about to tell. For Maren, words are too hollow to carry the full truth of the story. This foreshadows internal and external conflicts—especially the translation issues that arise between characters of different nations and cultures.

“Pappa used to say that the sea was the shape of their lives. They have always lived by its grace, and long have they died on it. But the storm has made it an enemy, and there is brief talk of leaving.”

This quote emphasizes the crucial importance of the sea. Despite its dangers, the sea is the lifeblood of the community at Vardø. The villagers accept the sea as the ultimate determiner of their fate, highlighting their uneasy relationship with the Christian God: Here, Hargrave frames the sea as Vardø’s god, even describing it as showing “grace” (a key term in Christian theology).

“Many of them seem past caring what is true or not, only desperate for some reason, some order to the rearrangement of their lives, even if it is brought about by a lie.”

This quote establishes the source of the future conflicts between government, religion, tradition, and people. In searching for answers to explain the inexplicable, people may turn to religion or strict government to bring order to their lives. After the trauma of losing their men to the storm, the women feel lost, and some deal with this loss by seeking out another leader.