The Mercy Step is my fictionalized memoir set in 1960s/70s I didn’t really think of any conscious themes when I was writing it I certainly didn’t think I was going to write a book with the themes below but it wasn’t till after I finish the book I could look back and see what themes lept out at me. I write stories because I feel compelled to do so and I almost want to leave the thematic examination to others!
- Family Dysfunction and Domestic Abuse: The story portrays a toxic household, focusing on the violence inflicted by an alcoholic and abusive father. It explores the emotional burden placed on Mercy to protect her mother, who struggles to leave the situation. With the explNot for a moment did I think of any conscious themes whilst I was writing it it wasn’t really until after the book was completed that I could look backosion in misogyny (both online adn in real life) the virtual decriminalization of rape and the fact that court system seem to be set up to penalize women trying to escape domestic violence, I wanted to show that a lot of the issues that Mercy’s mother faces are still current today.
- Childhood Resilience and Survival: Despite facing trauma, Mercy is depicted as intelligent and determined, using her wit and “small victories” to cope. In some ways this is the core of the novel because looking back on my own childhood which the mercy step is based on I began to wonder how I coped with that kind of childhood and I think the human spirit is so much more resilient than people think, but it does leave scars and I wanted to address that.
- Immigration and Identity (Windrush Generation): The novel explores the experiences of a Caribbean immigrant family in postwar Northern England, highlighting themes of belonging and cultural identity. One of Mercy’s issues is finding somewhere to belong and although it isn’t spoken in the novel once she leaves her mother’s womb she never really finds anywhere she feels that she belongs. But the novel ends on a hopeful note because it had to
- Escapism and Imagination: Mercy finds refuge from her harsh reality in books, her imagination, and a toy named Dolly. One of the reasons I’m a writer is because I developed the imagination that mercy develops and although it’s a wonderful refuge for her it can actually be a bit of a trap being lost in your imagination and I wanted to try and bring Mercy back to the real world.
- Faith and Religion: The story examines the role of Christianity, both as a source of solace for Mercy’s mother and as a tool for control or silencing within the family. I was very aware when growing up how important religion was for my mother upon whom mercs his mother is based and how I don’t think she could have coped without it and yet that it was a very difficult thing for mercy to try and accept because it wasn’t logical
- Racism and Class: The narrative touches on the challenges faced by Black, working-class families in 1960s Britain. Raise gender and class are three issues that are almost indistinguishable Mercy is black, female and working class and those three intersectional identities impact her life
- Mother-Daughter Relationships: The complex, often strained relationship between Mercy and her mother, whom she loves but feels she cannot fully rely on, is a central focus. The core of the novel is very much Mercy’s attempt to stay close to her mother in a sense the two of them are enmeshed, they never really separate. It’s not until the end of the novel that the umbilical cord is broken it’s as if the whole novel is the process of Mercy completing the process of her birth and separating from her mother.
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