Mercy

Mercy is Robin's husband, and Alice, Lily, and David's mother. When Mercy initially marries Robin, she does not mind that she is expected to be a housewife. In fact, this role for women is assumed and expected. Robin is "a good husband," works hard, and loves Mercy (99). Though Mercy does "love him back," throughout her marriage she finds herself fantasizing about "leaving home" (99). Her marriage, and later her life as a mother, confines her to a version of life she finds restricting. Despite her desires for freedom and independence, Mercy does not leave her husband or abandon her children.

When Mercy's last child, David, goes off to college, Mercy decides to change her life and reinvent herself. She moves out of her house and into her art studio. She does not tell Robin that she is leaving him. Rather, she explains that her newfound investment in her art...