LONELINESS, DISILLUSIONMENT, NOSTALGIA AND NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES IN YAA GYASI’S HOMEGOING

SUMMARY

In summary, in the novel Home Going, the writer demonstrates the oppression and suffering the blacks in Ghana faced which is caused by colonialism, imperialism, and slavery. These issues remain in memory for the Black culture, yet their effects are still being felt to this day in the black community. Even after Brown V. Board of Education, there still remains much housing segregation that leaves the poor neighbourhoods with failing schools – thus creating a cycle of poverty. Gyasi illustrates the struggles of each generation in the family, which further paints the cycle of oppression that exists. She also shows that institutions put in place by white culture have historically failed African-Americans and Africans alike. I argue that Homegoing shows the implications of colonialism, imperialism and slavery, which displays the connections they have to the struggles in the black community today. Ultimately, the writer suggests that the oppression that black people face today is largely systematic, as they were forced to live in a culture and society that favours white people over blacks. This causes loneliness, disillusionment and also brings a negative feeling of nostalgia as seen in the text.