摘要：

托尼•莫里森是美国历史上第一个获得诺贝尔文学奖的黑人女性作家。《恩惠》是她1998年出版的小说，描写了北美殖民地初期黑人、印第安人、白人的生活，以及奴隶制对他们造成不同程度伤害，尤其黑人女性在身体和心灵上所受到的双重伤害。作家厄普代克发表评论“《恩惠》揭露出奴隶制度的罪恶和非裔美国人的艰难”。
本文通过对主要人物的分析，深入挖掘人物心理，从个人与命运的冲突，黑人与白人的冲突，母亲与女儿的冲突三个方面阐述小说的主题。使读者能够进一步了解黑人女性在当时白人为主导的社会中的悲惨境遇及不屈不挠同命运作斗争的精神。该小说留给读者许多思考，无论对历史还是现实都有巨大的教育意义。

关键词：《恩惠》；奴隶制；黑人女性；命运；冲突；

Abstract:

Toni Morrison was the first American black woman who won Nobel Prize in Literature. A Mercy was her work which was published in 1998. It described the life of the black, Indian and the white during the early time of American colony. Slavery brought pains to them. Moreover, black women suffered from physical and mental pains. The famous writer John Updike said, “It revealed the evil of racism and pains which suffered by the African-Americans.”
Based on a close examination of main characters in the novel, this paper aims to discuss the theme of novel from three different kinds of conflicts: the conflict between individual and fate, the conflict between the white and the black, the conflict between mother and daughter. Readers could understand that black women were in difficult situation in that society which was dominated by the white and the spirit of struggling with fate. This novel makes readers think about more deep problems. It has great significance on both history and reality.

Key words: A Mercy; slavery; black women; fate; conflict

1.    Introduction
1.1 Introduction of Toni Morrison
    Toni Morrison is a famous black American writer, editor, and professor in the world. She was the first black woman to win Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. On 29th May 2012, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She is a prolific writer and among her best known novels are The Bluest Eye, Sula, and Beloved. The first novel The Bluest Eye was popular among readers and critics. In 2008, she published the new work A Mercy when she was 77. A Mercy is Toni Morrison’s 9th novel. Morrison is always interested in unknown history and specially cares about slaves’ and women’s rights. She always describes painful events and the people who suffered from pains.