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1. Evaluate the title of the book. Why do you think that the author
chose the word Homegoing? What is a homegoing and where does it appear
in the novel? In addition to the term’s literal meaning, discuss what
symbolic meanings or associations the title might have in terms of a
connection with our place of birth, our ancestors, our heritage, and our
personal and cultural histories.
2. Explore the theme of belief. What forms of belief are depicted in the
book and what purpose do these beliefs seem to serve for the characters?
Does the author reveal what has shaped the characters’ beliefs? Do these
beliefs seem to have a mostly positive or negative impact on the
believer and those around them?
3. What perspective does the book offer on the subject of beliefs and
otherness? For instance, does the book delineate between superstition
and belief? Why does Ma Aku reprimand Jo after he is kicked out of
church? What do the Missionary and the fetish man contribute to a
dialogue on beliefs and otherness? Does the book ultimately suggest the
best way to confront beliefs that are foreign to us?
4. Evaluate the treatment and role of women in the novel. What role does
marriage play within the cultures represented in the novel and how are
the women treated as a result? Likewise, what significance does
fertility and motherhood have for the women and how does it influence
their treatment? In the chapter entitled "Effia," what does Adwoa tell
Effia that her coupling with James is really about? In its depiction of
the collective experiences of the female characters, what does the book
seem to reveal about womanhood? How different would you say the
treatment and role of women is today? Discuss.
5. Analyze the structure of the book. Why do you think the author
assigned a chapter to each of the major characters? What points of view
are represented therein? Does any single point of view seem to stand out
among the rest or do you believe that the author presented a balanced
point of view? Explain. Although each chapter is distinct, what do the
stories have in common when considered collectively? How might your
interpretation of the book differ if the author had chosen to tell the
story from a single point of view?
6. Consider the setting of the book. What time periods are represented
and what places are adopted as settings? Why do you think that the
author chose these particular settings? What subjects and themes are
illuminated via these particular choices? How does the extensive scope
of the book help to unify these themes and create a cohesive treatment
of the subjects therein?
7. In the chapter entitled "Quey," Fiifi tells Quey that "[the] village
must conduct its business like [the] female bird" (53). What does he
mean by this and why do you think that Fiifi chooses this approach?
8. Why was Quey sent to England? After his return home, why does Quey
say that it was safer in England? Why might he feel that what he faces
at home is more difficult than the challenges he faced in leaving home
and living abroad?
9. James’s mother, Nana Yaa, says that the Gold Coast is like a pot of
groundnut soup (89). What does she mean by this?
10. Why does Akosua Mensah insist to James, "I will be my own nation"
(99)? What role do patriotism, heritage, and tradition play in
contributing to the injustices, prejudices, and violence depicted in the
book? Which other characters seem to share Akosua’s point of view?
11. Explore the theme of complicity. What are some examples of
complicity found in the novel? Who is complicit in the slave trade?
Where do most of the slaves come from and who trades them? Who does
Abena’s father say is ultimately responsible (142)? Do you agree with
him? Explain why or why not.
12. Examine the relationships between parents and children in the book.
How would you characterize these relationships? Do the children seem to
understand their parents and have good relationships with them and vice
versa? Do the characters’ views of their parents change or evolve as
they grow up? How do the characters’ relationships with their parents
influence the way that they raise their own children?
13. What significance does naming have in the book? Why do some of the
characters have to change or give up their names? Likewise, what do the
characters’ nicknames reveal both about them and about those who give or
repeat these names? What does this dialogue ultimately suggest about the
power of language and naming?
14. Explore the motif of storytelling. Who are the storytellers in the
book and what kinds of stories do they tell? Who is their audience? What
might these examples suggest about the purpose and significance of a
storytelling tradition?
15. According to Akua, where does evil begin? Where else in the book do
readers find examples that support her view? What impact does Akua’s
opinion have on Yaw’s lifework? Does he agree with Akua’s view or refute
it? Do you agree with her? Discuss.
16. What is history according to Yaw? What does he tell his students is
"the problem of history" (226)? Who does Yaw say we believe when reading
historical texts and what does he say is the question we must ask when
studying history? How might these ideas influence your own reading of
Gyasi’s book and reshape your ideas about the historical subjects and
themes treated therein?
17. Sonny says that the problem in America "wasn’t segregation but the
fact that you could not, in fact, segregate" (244)? What does he mean by
this? What does Sonny say that he is forced to feel because of
segregation? Which of the other characters experience these same
feelings and hardships? Does there seem to be any progress as the story
goes on? If so, how is progress achieved? Alternatively, what stymies
and slows progress in this area?
18. What is Marcus studying and why isn’t his research going well? What
feeling does he indicate that he hopes to capture with his project? Why
does Marcus go to Ghana and what does he learn from his experiences
there? Marcus believes that "most people lived their lives on upper
levels, not stopping to peer underneath (298). What does he mean by
this? Where do we find examples of this elsewhere in the book? Are there
any characters in the novel who defy this characterization?
19. Consider the book’s treatment of colonialism and imperialism. In the
chapter entitled "Esi" at the start of the book, what does Esi’s mother
tell her daughter that weakness and strength really are? How does her
definition of weakness and strength correspond to the dialogue about
colonialism and imperialism that runs throughout the book? Discuss how
this dialogue expands into a deeper conversation about freedom and human
rights. Have the issues surrounding colonialism, imperialism, freedom,
and human rights featured in the book been resolved today or do they
linger? If they remain, does the book ultimately offer any suggestions
or advice as to how this might be remedied?
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