How Will I Be Remembered?
I am what I am
“How will I be remembered?”. A question many people ask themselves, though for some there is no how. In A Mercy, through the mouth of Jacob Vaark, Toni Morrison gives us an interesting answer to this question. Actually, it is more of a statement, than an answer. Nonetheless, I feel it deserves attention, and, in a way, guides me to a subject I did not expect, identity. A subject which I shall be discussing below, but before I digress too far, here is Jacob’s statement.
“What a man leaves behind is what a man is.[1]”
In the book, Jacob’s wish is to leave behind a large house, this is what he feels is what represents him. In his eyes, a large house means he was successful, that he climbed up the social ladder …show more content…
He keeps getting into trouble. Does this render him a troublemaker? All we know for sure is that it means he will remain an indentured servant for the rest of his life.
To me, the one character whose identity we can be sure of, is Sorrow. After she has let go of Twin, looked into the eyes of her daughter, and changed her name to Complete, she states her own identity. She is now a mother. What she will leave behind is her daughter, so following Jacob’s reasoning (and extending it to apply to women as well); Complete’s identity is tied to that of her daughter.
Which raises an interesting point. Does Jacob’s statement apply to both men and women, or only to men? Do women even share this need to be remembered as men do? I do not think so. Rebekka Vaark says that a man is his reputation[2]. This would imply that women are more concerned with how people think of them, than what they physically leave behind. Which proves rather fortunate for Mr. Vaark, as he is described as well liked and well-thought-of by his wife and staff, despite leaving behind a broken household. So at least in the eyes of those who were closest to him at the end, he has made his
“How will I be remembered?”. A question many people ask themselves, though for some there is no how. In A Mercy, through the mouth of Jacob Vaark, Toni Morrison gives us an interesting answer to this question. Actually, it is more of a statement, than an answer. Nonetheless, I feel it deserves attention, and, in a way, guides me to a subject I did not expect, identity. A subject which I shall be discussing below, but before I digress too far, here is Jacob’s statement.
“What a man leaves behind is what a man is.[1]”
In the book, Jacob’s wish is to leave behind a large house, this is what he feels is what represents him. In his eyes, a large house means he was successful, that he climbed up the social ladder …show more content…
He keeps getting into trouble. Does this render him a troublemaker? All we know for sure is that it means he will remain an indentured servant for the rest of his life.
To me, the one character whose identity we can be sure of, is Sorrow. After she has let go of Twin, looked into the eyes of her daughter, and changed her name to Complete, she states her own identity. She is now a mother. What she will leave behind is her daughter, so following Jacob’s reasoning (and extending it to apply to women as well); Complete’s identity is tied to that of her daughter.
Which raises an interesting point. Does Jacob’s statement apply to both men and women, or only to men? Do women even share this need to be remembered as men do? I do not think so. Rebekka Vaark says that a man is his reputation[2]. This would imply that women are more concerned with how people think of them, than what they physically leave behind. Which proves rather fortunate for Mr. Vaark, as he is described as well liked and well-thought-of by his wife and staff, despite leaving behind a broken household. So at least in the eyes of those who were closest to him at the end, he has made his