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Malaik is an orphan that the Blacksmith is caring for when Florens shows up at his house to tell him about Rebekka’s illness and beg to stay with him. Malaik is a young child, or perhaps a toddler, with dark skin. He carries around a cornhusk doll. Florens cares for Malaik while the blacksmith is gone, but resents Malaik because she feels that the blacksmith is going to choose Malaik over her. Florens accidentally breaks Malaik’s arm while she is trying to get him to stop crying, prompting the blacksmith to cast her out when he returns.
Malaik Quotes in A Mercy
The A Mercy quotes below are all either spoken by Malaik or refer to Malaik. 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:
).
Chapter 9
Quotes
Right away I take fright when I see my face is not there. Where my face should be is nothing…I put my mouth close enough to drink or kiss but I am not even a shadow there. Where is it hiding? Why is it? Soon Daughter Jane is kneeling next to me…Oh, Precious, don’t fret, she is saying, you will find it. Where I ask, where is my face…When I wake a minha mãe is standing by your cot and this time her baby boy is Malaik. He is holding her hand.
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I want you to go…because you are a slave…
What is your meaning? I am a slave because Sir trades for me.
No. You have become one.
How?
Your head is empty and your body is wild.
I am adoring you.
And a slave to that too.
You alone own me.
Own yourself, woman, and leave us be. You could have killed this child…You are nothing but wilderness. No constraint. No mind.
You shout the word—mind, mind, mind—over and over and then you laugh, saying as I live and breathe, a slave by choice.
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Malaik Quotes in A Mercy
The A Mercy quotes below are all either spoken by Malaik or refer to Malaik. 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:
).
Chapter 9
Quotes
Right away I take fright when I see my face is not there. Where my face should be is nothing…I put my mouth close enough to drink or kiss but I am not even a shadow there. Where is it hiding? Why is it? Soon Daughter Jane is kneeling next to me…Oh, Precious, don’t fret, she is saying, you will find it. Where I ask, where is my face…When I wake a minha mãe is standing by your cot and this time her baby boy is Malaik. He is holding her hand.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
I want you to go…because you are a slave…
What is your meaning? I am a slave because Sir trades for me.
No. You have become one.
How?
Your head is empty and your body is wild.
I am adoring you.
And a slave to that too.
You alone own me.
Own yourself, woman, and leave us be. You could have killed this child…You are nothing but wilderness. No constraint. No mind.
You shout the word—mind, mind, mind—over and over and then you laugh, saying as I live and breathe, a slave by choice.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
