A Mercy

by

Toni Morrison

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on A Mercy makes teaching easy.

Rebekka Vaark Character Analysis

Rebekka Vaark is Jacob’s wife and Lina, Florens, and Sorrow’s “mistress” (owner). Rebekka was born in England, where she lived with her devotedly religious but cold and unloving parents. In England, Rebekka began a training program to become a domestic servant, but dropped out because the head of the program was sexually harassing her. Rebekka’s father sent her to marry Jacob in order to relieve him of the burden of paying for her upkeep. Rebekka arrives in America and marries Jacob. She manages the family farm while Jacob is away trading. She feels only somewhat religious and does not join the local church. Rebekka becomes pregnant several times, but only one of her children, Patrician, lives past infancy. When Patrician dies in an accident with a horse, Rebekka becomes withdrawn and sad. Rebekka and Jacob have a happy marriage, and she enjoys Jacob’s presence while they build their third house together. After Jacob’s death, Rebekka falls ill with small pox. She recovers, and following her illness, Rebekka becomes devoutly religious.

Rebekka Vaark Quotes in A Mercy

The A Mercy quotes below are all either spoken by Rebekka Vaark or refer to Rebekka Vaark. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Human Bondage, Wealth, and Humanity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 4 Quotes

They would forever fence land, ship whole trees to faraway countries, take any woman for quick pleasure, ruin soil, befoul sacred places and worship a dull, unimaginative god…Cut loose from the earth’s soul, they insisted on purchase of its soil, and like all orphans they were insatiable…Lina was not so sure. Based on the way Sir and Mistress tried to run their farm, she knew there were exceptions to the sachem’s revised prophecy.

Related Characters: Lina, Rebekka Vaark, Jacob Vaark
Related Symbols: Orphans
Page Number: 63-64
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 5 Quotes

Sir steps out. Mistress stands up and rushes to him. Her naked skin is aslide with wintergreen. Lina and I looked at each other. What is she fearing, I ask. Nothing, says Lina. Why then does she run to Sir? Because she can, Lina answers. We never shape the world she says. The world shapes us.

Related Characters: Florens (speaker), Lina (speaker), Rebekka Vaark, Jacob Vaark
Page Number: 83
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

Wretched as was the space they crouched in, it was nevertheless blank where a past did not haunt nor a future beckon. Women of and for men, in those few moments they were neither…For them, unable to see the sky, time became simply the running sea, unmarked, eternal and of no matter.

Related Characters: Rebekka Vaark, Judith, Lydia, Patty, Dorothea, Abigail
Page Number: 100
Explanation and Analysis:

Wife beating was common, she knew, but the restrictions— not after nine at night, with cause and not anger— were for wives and only wives.

Related Characters: Rebekka Vaark
Page Number: 111
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

They once thought they were a kind of family because together they had carved companionship out of isolation. But the family they imagined they had become was false. Whatever each one loved, sought or escaped, their futures were separate and anyone’s guess.

Related Characters: Florens, Lina, Sorrow, Rebekka Vaark, Jacob Vaark, Willard, Scully
Page Number: 183
Explanation and Analysis:
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Rebekka Vaark Quotes in A Mercy

The A Mercy quotes below are all either spoken by Rebekka Vaark or refer to Rebekka Vaark. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Human Bondage, Wealth, and Humanity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 4 Quotes

They would forever fence land, ship whole trees to faraway countries, take any woman for quick pleasure, ruin soil, befoul sacred places and worship a dull, unimaginative god…Cut loose from the earth’s soul, they insisted on purchase of its soil, and like all orphans they were insatiable…Lina was not so sure. Based on the way Sir and Mistress tried to run their farm, she knew there were exceptions to the sachem’s revised prophecy.

Related Characters: Lina, Rebekka Vaark, Jacob Vaark
Related Symbols: Orphans
Page Number: 63-64
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 5 Quotes

Sir steps out. Mistress stands up and rushes to him. Her naked skin is aslide with wintergreen. Lina and I looked at each other. What is she fearing, I ask. Nothing, says Lina. Why then does she run to Sir? Because she can, Lina answers. We never shape the world she says. The world shapes us.

Related Characters: Florens (speaker), Lina (speaker), Rebekka Vaark, Jacob Vaark
Page Number: 83
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

Wretched as was the space they crouched in, it was nevertheless blank where a past did not haunt nor a future beckon. Women of and for men, in those few moments they were neither…For them, unable to see the sky, time became simply the running sea, unmarked, eternal and of no matter.

Related Characters: Rebekka Vaark, Judith, Lydia, Patty, Dorothea, Abigail
Page Number: 100
Explanation and Analysis:

Wife beating was common, she knew, but the restrictions— not after nine at night, with cause and not anger— were for wives and only wives.

Related Characters: Rebekka Vaark
Page Number: 111
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

They once thought they were a kind of family because together they had carved companionship out of isolation. But the family they imagined they had become was false. Whatever each one loved, sought or escaped, their futures were separate and anyone’s guess.

Related Characters: Florens, Lina, Sorrow, Rebekka Vaark, Jacob Vaark, Willard, Scully
Page Number: 183
Explanation and Analysis: