September, 2018 selection -
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
The Fairfax Library Book
Discussion Group will meet, Thursday, September 13th at 7 p.m. in the meeting
room of the Fairfax Library to discuss our September book, Homegoing by Yaa
Gyasi
Discussion questions are below.
Here are some links for
additional background and information:
Coming up, we have the
following book to look forward to reading:
Thanks for reading with
us. I look forward to seeing you at the Fairfax Library.
Beth
Bailey-Gates
Friends of the Fairfax
Library
DISCUSSION
QUESTIONS
Homegoing by Yaa
Gyasi
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?
