Quotes
who said "history is storytelling"?
Yaw
Initially being removed from his father caused him to act out but realizing that abandonment is making him act similarly to his father, he works on changing for the better. Had a conversation with his mom and the final transformation about his father encouraged his improvement. Prior attempts to change from his mom was not fruitful.
How many continents does Homegoing span?
How many generations does Homegoing cover?
1. 3
2. 8
Gyasi titled each chapter with a following generation's person's name. What was the significance of names in Homegoing?
Give an example where this is prevalent.
Symbols of heritage and culture. Symbol of self-identity and worth. Symbols of their environment.
One possible example: James Richard Collins, a white name for a mixed person that was involved in the slave trade.
What is the author's name? What is her ethnicity?
Yaa Gyasi is Ghanaian-American
Who said "Eh, but who supervises my sons? A ghost? I cannot marry you if the yams don't grow?"
Who did he say that to?
Yaw initially was very stressed because of his scars and isolated himself because of it. Eventually overcame and found emotional connection with Esther.
Where does the Black Stone end up?
What do Marcus ancestors experience at the ocean?
What happens at Jo's daughter's wedding?
1. with Marcus
2. Struggle, pain and slavery
3. Fugitive Slave Law passed
Who's chapter was written in a very different style than all the others?
What was that style and why did Yaa Gyasi make that decision?
What symbols did she use to represent it?
Akua
Dream-like. It shows the cumulative weight of the past, especially about slavery, on Akua's shoulders. She used dreams of fire and water.
1.This historical event, central to Homegoing, saw the forced movement of millions of Africans to the Americas between the 16th and 19th centuries.
2.Effia’s arranged marriage to this British slave trader highlights the power imbalance between colonizers and Africans during this historical period.
1.transatlantic slave trade
2. colonialism
In literary works, cruelty often functions as a crucial motivation or a major social or political factor. Select a novel, play, or epic poem in which acts of cruelty are important to the theme. Then write a well-developed essay analyzing how cruelty functions in the work as a whole and what the cruelty reveals about the perpetrator and/or victim.
Esi is captured and imprisoned in the Cape Coast Castle before being shipped across the Atlantic to the Americas. The cruelty the brutality of colonial systems and how that cruelty reverberates across generations, where future generations suffer from slavery and a loss of identity and heritage.
Ness is born into slavery on a Southern plantation and suffers both physical and emotional cruelty. After attempting to escape with her son, she is brutally whipped and permanently separated from him. Even though slave owners judged her based on appearance and were overall dehumanized to slave-trade, she still showed love and courage to many people around her.
How does Akua transform?
Started off hating fire because of missionaries and trauma from watching a traveler be burned. Got dreams about the fire woman, became paranoid. Finally found peace with scars and son.
What does Akua dream of? → woman holding fire, holding two babies
What does Akua’s husband lose? → his leg
1. woman holding fire, holding two babies
2. his leg
What was the author's structure of the book?
Why did she write it that way?
Each chapter is the following generation.
It shows the interconnectedness of the generations and how traditions and wealth/suffering from ancestors can be passed on.
How does Homegoing depict the role of education and literacy in shaping social mobility and self-awareness?
Beginning of the book, characters didn't often didn't have the mobility or knowledge to break out of the sufferings they endured. By the end of the book, Yaw is a teacher and Marcus is a graduate student. They were also more aware of their generational and ancestry traumas and were willing to educate others about it or fight for justice.
And, after all, our surroundings influence our lives and characters as much as fate, destiny or any supernatural agency.” Pauline Hopkins, Contending Forces Choose a novel or play in which cultural, physical, or geographical surroundings shape psychological or moral traits in a character. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how surroundings affect this character and illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole.
H's life in post-Civil War Alabama demonstrates how physical and cultural surroundings shape psychological traits. Though slavery is technically abolished, H is imprisoned in a system of convict leasing that is like slavery and pretends to be criminal justice. His surroundings are deeply racist, violent, and deadly. He grows a hardened exterior and distrust of institutions. This reflects the broader theme of systemic oppression and its role in shaping African American identity.
Willie grows up in the Jim Crow South but moves to Harlem seeking safety and opportunity. There's still racism in the North, and her surroundings shape her into a hardened, isolated woman. Harlem’s social dynamics and systemic racism deepened the sense of isolation and loss. She becomes emotionally guarded, loses her musical dreams, and struggles to connect with her son.
List 10 minor characters and what they did
Baabe (started generational abuse with Effia)
Maame (started it all)
Cobbe (Effia's father)
James Collins (slave trader, married Effia)
Cudjo (quey's love interest, guy)
Richard (snail, fictional)
Nana Yaa (forced marriage to Quey)
Sam (Married Ness)
Anna Foster (got taken away due to fugitive slave law)
Robert Clifton (pretended to be White for jobs)
Mama Aku (Raised Kojo, tried to help Ness escape)
Amani (introduced Sonny to drugs)
Why does Yaw finally decide to speak to his mother?
How does Yaw feel about Ghana’s independence? → Conflicted…
1.Esther encourages him to
2. Conflicted…
What two symbols are used to represent Marcus and Marjorie's chapter?
Explain the two symbols.
Water and fire.
Water is about the sufferings of ancestors and slaves. Fire is about the destruction and legacy of slavery.
Note: there may be more explanations, given followup
How does Homegoing portray the lasting impact of slavery on society and the identities of the African American community?
Shows how slavery created generational trauma, loss of culture, and how it affected families for centuries.
Form B. Novels and plays often depict characters caught between colliding cultures -- national, regional, ethnic, religious, institutional. Such collisions can call a character’s sense of identity into question. Select a novel or play in which a character responds to such a cultural collision. Then write a well-organized essay in which you describe the character’s response and explain its relevance to the work as a whole.
James' identity as a mixed-race (Asante and White) man living in the Gold Coast during British colonial rule. He felt alienated and uncomfortable with his position of power. He eventually rejected his role to run away with someone he loved, even though he'd also run away from wealth and power.
Marjorie is Ghanaian-American living in a mostly white suburb. Her school environment is isolated due to her race and cultural background. Marjorie struggles with feelings of alienation but eventually begins to embrace her dual identity. She eventually reconciled with her heritage enough through art and poetry, so she traveled back to Ghana.
List all the major characters in chronological order and a main theme, idea or event from each character
First Generation: Effia (arranged marriage) and Esi (middle passage)
Second Generation: Quey (Slave trader son), Ness (scars)
Third Generation: James Richard Collins (broke generational trauma), Kojo (Jo erased culture)
Fourth Generation: Abena (Ran away to missionary) H (miner, fugitive slave law)
Fifth generation: Akua (generational abuse, fire lady), Willie (Impacted by systemic racism because of color)
Sixth generation: Yaw (scars, history, education), Sonny (War on drugs)
Final generation: Marjorie (Scared of fire), Marcus (Scared of water)
When is the first time that the motif for water appears?
When is the last time the motif of water appears?
1. ocean and the Gold Coast's
2. Marjorie and Marcus walk across the Atlantic ocean.
What are the social expectations and limitations placed on women within the various cultures and societies depicted in the novel?
Provide two varying examples.
(possible examples) Nana Yaa was forced to marry Quey to ensure the safety of her community and family, even though they did not love or care for each other.
Maame ran away from Effia, fire, and her past traumas to live a comfortable life somewhere else, despite the emphasis of men as providers in the 1700s
How does homegoing use personal stories to reflect on the history of slavery?
How does Homegoing illustrate the historical events, such as drug use and war?
Homegoing uses personal stories across generations to show how the legacy of slavery shapes individual lives, families, and identities over time.
Showing their impact on the black communities through the character Sonny.. revealing how these crises continued the cycle of systemic oppression after slavery.