Through the Homegoing process, Esi’s lineage progresses in a positive and family-oriented direction. This is due to her lineage juxtaposed to Effia’s African lineage. Esi’s lineage was taught to help each other and to do their best to make their child’s life better through discrimination, suffering, and slavery. Esi’s family tried to improve their lives by showing more respect for humanity.
Madame Esi sold Esi to Ghana as a slave and she was sent to America. “The Ghana slave trade involved between 12 million and 25 million people who lived in Angola and Senegal. Half of these people died en route to America.” (Polgreen). Between the 16th and the 19th centuries, “10-12 millions enslaved Africans were shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to Americas.” It is a strong business, but “it was the second stage in the triangular Trade, in that arms, textiles, wine and food were shipped from Europe back to Africa.” (Lewis). Esi survived the difficulties of crossing the Atlantic Ocean but was able to have her daughter in America. Ness, who was born into slavery, never saw her mother smile. “A slave was, by law, property. It was deprived of almost all the rights which are usually held by free people. In a sense, Ness has been through a lot of hardship and is able to react quickly to any problem. Her mother taught her this skill. Ness survived beatings and the loss of her loved ones through unusual and cruel deaths. However, she still retains the resilience that Ness learned from mother. Esi taught Ness how to remain positive and not let emotions get in the way of her work. Ness hopes that Kojo will be able to see that Esi demonstrated many of the traits she had learned from her parents while raising them. The child reinforced whatever trait the parent was lacking with their children. The story demonstrates that parents should work harder to make their children’s lives better. Through trauma passed from generation to generation, Esi’s family suffered the effects of discrimination and slavery. “Family can be used to trace family connections, empathize with the sacrifices made for each character,” as Ness did in order to allow Kojo freedom (LitCharts). While the theme of family is central to Homegoing, it is also one of the most important possessions that characters have throughout the book. H, for example, longs for his family after he spent years in prison working in the mines. The majority of characters believed that family was their only hope for a better future. It’s the reason Kojo has many sons or daughters.
Slavery, social injustice, and discrimination can lead to people losing their identity. While slavery was abolished by the 13th Amendment, it wasn’t illegal to continue. However, there are other options for racists to obtain what they want. Although slavery was abolished in 13th amendment, it became a new system. It takes extraordinary resilience to thrive after suffering through the hardships and discrimination of slavery and other forms of discrimination. Slaves were not able to develop a self-identity during slavery or after. They were considered to be property because of their human condition. Similar to Chryseis’ Iliad, when Chryseis is in the Iliad. Her shaman condition was taken away by the Greeks. It was considered a treasure or possession that had been found during war. In addition, African Americans had to deal with discrimination and stereotypes after slavery. Al). H was sent to prison and sentenced to 10 year imprisonment in a coal mining facility. H lost his identity in the coal mine. They told H what to do and threatened to beat him if they didn’t. He could only express himself by working in coal mines. H felt “less secure and less connected” by being in the mine. H was not a slave. He is now a convict. “The convicts who worked in the mines were almost identical to him.” Black was once a slave and then he became free. Now he is a slave again.
Esi’s parents and siblings suffered and died to ensure their child had a better chance at life. Their relationships with their children were strengthened through pain, agony and suffering. Esi’s family understood that strength was knowing that each person is their own. (Gyasi 38).
Sources
Andrews, William. African American Identity, Period of Slavery. I, 1500-1865, Primary Resources in U.S. History and Literature, Toolbox Library, National Humanities Center, nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/maai/identity/text1/text1read.htm.
Gyasi, Yaa. Homegoing Vintage Books. 2016.
Lewis, Thomas. “Transatlantic Slave Trade.” Encyclop?dia Britannica, Encyclop?dia Britannica, Inc., 7 Sept. 2018, www.britannica.com/topic/transatlantic-slave-trade.
LitCharts. “Racism, Slavery, and Systemic Oppression Theme Analysis.” LitCharts, www.litcharts.com/lit/homegoing/themes/racism-slavery-and-systemic-oppression.
Polgreen, Lydia. “Ghana’s insecure embrace of slavery’s diaspora.” New York Times, nytimes December 27, 2005.
Ross, Andrea, et.al. “Self-Identity: The Key to Black Success” Vistas online, Drs Garry Walz und Jeanne C.bleur, Article 64 January 28-29 2016.
Hellie, Richard. “Slavery.” Encyclop?dia Britannica, Encyclop?dia Britannica, Inc., 22 Jan. 2019, www.britannica.com/topic/slavery-sociology.
