The Mercies

Part 1 of The Mercies establishes settings, character, and tone. Hargrave sets her story in what is now Norway, circa 1618—a place characterized by the cold, the dark sea, and the difficult life of small communities that live by manual labor. Hargrave uses imagery of the land’s darkness to mirror the turmoil that threatens to break apart the community of Vardø, establishing the tone of foreboding throughout the first part of the novel. This tone works in tandem with moments of foreshadowing that imply worsening conflict as the novel progresses. The setting and tone also develop the characterization of figures such as Maren and Ursa. Maren and Ursa are both young women who have much hope for their future, but the setting and overall tone cloak their positivity with uncertainty.

Hargrave’s immediate introduction of major conflict works in tandem with these ominous elements: The storm that kills the able-bodied men of Vardø hits as early as Chapter 1, ensuring that the novel starts with immediate tension. There is an insecurity to life in Vardø. Built by the sea, the village exists through fishing. Every villager has an important role in the community’s overall economic well-being, but individuals are not more important than the group. Men hunt, fish, and build, while women cook, clean, and organize. The survival of the village relies on this allocation of gender roles, typical of the 17th century.

The challenge that the deaths of all the able-bodied men presents is thus an enormous one. The women don’t know how to live without men and are at odds about whether they should even try. Though Vardø does occasionally host people from other communities (such as the pastor and Maren’s sister-in-law, Diinna), the villagers’ communication with broader society is mostly nonexistent, and they are suspicious of newcomers and uninterested in change. This means that when the men die, the women must rely on one another. Through this conflict, a natural leader emerges. Kirsten is characterized by her strength, her gumption, and her self-confidence. Kirsten proves it is possible to live without men, implicitly challenging male authority in a way that will drive conflict later in the novel. Kirsten takes over management of the reindeer, fishing, and other manual labor typically done by men. She also speaks out on behalf of the community. Kirsten is not abashed in front of men like the pastor, which is both a virtue and a possible problem. Kirsten still lives in a world that men dominate, and Hargrave foreshadows that Kirsten will struggle to hold on to her newfound power when the new commissioner arrives.

The issue of gender roles extends beyond the small town. Ursa is of a different social class than the women of Vardø. Relatively wealthy, Ursa lives in a large home where she is not expected to do the work of cleaning or cooking. Nevertheless, she remains subject to gender roles. Her father controls her future, at least where marriage is concerned: Whether Ursa likes Absalom is irrelevant. As Ursa sails to Vardø with her new husband, she begins to realize how controlling Absalom is and how suffocating her identity as a wife is. She must give up her name, language, and money to Absalom, who treats her as a marginal character in his life and with whom sex is painful and cold. Hargrave foreshadows either potential conflict or potential alliances between Ursa and the women of Vardø. Though they have different backgrounds, they share a common enemy: the controlling and irresponsible leadership of men.

Vardø seems on the cusp of a new chapter in its history. With the world around them opening up through ocean travel and imperialism, the women will encounter new people, ideas, and powers. Hargrave dramatizes this intermediary stage through a series of juxtapositions. There is the women's intense grief over losing their men juxtaposed with the joy of survival and the hope of rebuilding—necessarily linked but paradoxical experiences. There is also the tension between strangers and tight-knit communities; the women will either fight against the incoming foreigners (and their religion and government) or adapt to them. In a tribal culture, the threat of the stranger is the threat of change. On the other hand, Vardø must change regardless of foreign influence due to its tragic loss. Therefore, the question this juxtaposition raises is whether or not to welcome strangers and embrace change.

Part 1 introduces two important symbols. “Kirke” is the Norwegian word for “church”—the center of the town. It is a physical space for worship and for community meetings. It’s also a symbolic space of refuge or conflict. In The Mercies, the kirke is both a divisive place and a unifier. It is where the women gather to talk, plan, and support one another, but it is also where the pastor proselytizes with a religious fervor that many of the women reject. Whether a place of debate or community planning, the kirke is crucial to the well-being of the town. The presence of the kirke also implies that Christianity has been a part of the community for a long time, though the women themselves are not all religious. The new commissioner is not arriving to introduce them to Christianity, but rather to enforce his own interpretation of doctrine. This implies deep conflict for Parts 2 and 3.

The second important symbol in Part 1 is the ship. The ship represents hierarchy, travel, and future conflict. It is a means of travel, conveying people either out to sea for a job like fishing or from one place to another. Sea travel can also facilitate expansionism and foreign conquest and was instrumental to the growth of imperialism in the 17th century. The ship is also a symbol of hierarchy both because it is a space typically reserved for men and because of the strict roles that exist among the men on board. Young men and boys work the deck and are seen as expendable, while the captain is a well-respected figure of authority. Kirsten challenges this symbolism, using boats to develop her own authority in Vardø despite the absence of men. Furthermore, both Ursa and Maren experience ill feelings about being in boats. Maren’s first time out at sea leaves her feeling sick and dizzy. Similarly, Ursa experiences the dizzying sensations of being on water and wonders how anyone could enjoy sailing. These feelings of unease parallel the unsettling changes each woman is experiencing: Both Maren and Ursa use boats to enter a new chapter of their lives. For Maren, the new chapter is independence. For Ursa, the new chapter is married life in a foreign town.