Homegoing

Inherited trauma follows each generation in Homegoing. What are some of the ways that characters heal the generational trauma they inherit from their parents and ancestors?

Choose a character in the text and examine how they are limited or held back by dominant gender roles of their time. Does the intersection of gender and race make matters more difficult for that character?

In Gyasi’s writing, a positive experience for one character can often be destructive in another’s life. Find an example of this by comparing two character’s stories and consider why Gyasi juxtaposes two vastly different experiences of the same thing. 

Choose a chapter to examine within its historical context. For example, what social and historical events are directly or indirectly affecting Kojo’s life? How do these events (good or bad) impact not only their personal agency but the lives of that character’s children?

How does looking at one life from multiple perspectives affect the reader’s interpretation of a character? For instance, Yaw appears in the book as a baby, a middle-aged man, and an elderly father. How does this characterization contrast with characters who only appear once?

Mythology, witchcraft, and religion appear throughout Homegoing. How do traditional African myths and sorcery play an important role in the book? Where and how do they intersect with Christianity and Islam in the text?

Using three examples, discuss how does Gyasi defines “freedom” in the text.

Consider the role of Maame as the origin of the novel’s two family lines. Why might Gyasi begin with her and her daughters? What does her gift of the necklaces symbolize for each side of the family?