Culture and diversity have separated Western countries from Africa through their beliefs and social-cultural activities. Yaa Gyasi is a Ghanaian-American author. Through each chapter of the novel Homegoing, he takes the readers through the descendants of an Asante woman named Maame, with two daughters who are half-sisters separated by situations. The author is putting Ghana on the spot by highlighting the power of love and family. He captures the strength of African cultures, beliefs, and the perception of British colonizers on Africa and slavery activities.
The structure of the Homegoing describes the picture of the family and the power of love from the different descendants of Maame. The route taken by the two daughters and personalities in their life journeys can be traced back to their upbringing and family ties. The relationship between characters shows effects on culture, one’s opportunities, and expectations. In the novel, the Quey family is given more opportunities due to his relationship with the colonist on the Gold Coast, while Ness and Kojo from the same woman lineage are treated as slaves and criminals. The reunion of Yaw and Akua, Sonny, and Willie shows the importance of parent and children relationship ties. When parents fail to protect their children, as reflected in this motif, kids were forced to seek guidance, protection, and love from strangers (Winata 46). For example, Kojo turned to Ma Aku, who saved him from slavery.
In every African setting, there is a strong root in the ancestral beliefs and cultural practices. James Collins referred to his wife’s’ (Effia) religious practices as black magic. Quey is also seen integrating back into Akan culture despite having a foreign father. This is because these cultural beliefs were taught to the younger generation for continuity, and it was taboo to abandon them. Despite the westerners restricting the slaves from neither speaking their native language nor practicing cultural activities, Marcus, Kojo, and Marjorie are still finding their ways to their cultural beliefs. Slaver is boldly addressed by the author. In his demeanor towards slavery, he tries to show how Africans were exploited through divide and rule (Ashok 15). The two daughters are separated from each other and given different privileges.
The author is determined to describe the ongoing events in his visiting country and show the world the challenges and the exploitation in Ghana. The same spirit of determination is notable in the characters of Marjorie and Kojo. Despite them being slaves in a foreign country, they still came backtracking their roots, cultural beliefs, and learning their native languages. These characters can be related to the former President of the United States of America, whose origin was Africa, Kenya. He could visit the nation to meet up with the clan’s descendants and his people. Such zeal needs to be embraced to protect the heritage and beliefs of people’s origins.
Characters in the novel underwent different challenges and privileges that later shaped their destiny and the way of their beliefs about life (Okigbo 11) Akua, in her dreams, is shown the fire shaped as a woman holding two babies. The woman would carry these two little girls to the woods of the island, and the babies would vanish. Such a symbolic dream could show how this woman would overcome the challenges and the hard times in the future.
In conclusion, Yaa Gyasi in the Homegoing novel successfully debuts historical fiction to explain how slavery and colonization by the European government influenced the change of cultural beliefs, separation of families, exposing children to impending danger and, isolation from the parental figure. It led to western culture that brought diverse beliefs. Finally, it describes the reunion of family ties after overcoming the bondages of the Whiteman.
References
Ashok, Narwade Amol. Subjugation Discrimination and Violence in the Select African American and Indian Fiction: A Comparative Study. 2016. Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada U, PhD dissertation.
Okigbo, Karen Amaka. “‘Americanah’ and ‘Ghana Must Go’: Two Tales of the Assimilation Experiences of African Immigrants.”Sociological Forum, vol. 32, no. 2, 2017, pp. 444-448. Web..
Winata, Siulienda. Pan-Africanism as a Principle to Overcome Double Consciousness in African Diaspora Subjects: A Post-Colonial Reading of Gyasi’s Homegoing. 2020. USanata Dharma Yogyakarta, Undergraduate thesis.