Chapter Summary

Abena, daughter of James and Akosua, is a twenty-five year old woman who lives in a small village. At the time of her introduction, she is unmarried and lives in her own hut on her father’s farm. Both of these are unusual in her culture. Her father’s farm consistently fails every season, never reaping profitable harvest and thereby earning him the nickname of “Unlucky”. She brings seeds from a neighboring village, which James hopes will turn their luck around. Abena’s past experience with similar expectations from James, however, has never been fruitful, and leads Abena to wonder if the bad luck her father faces has indeed been passed down to her.

These circumstances, along with the small size of her village, leaves her without a husband as none of the few men present are willing to marry her. In fact, Ohene Nyarko, Abena’s best friend from her days as a child, has also not taken her as his wife yet, a fact which troubles her particularly as he has already married once and is not willing to bring Abena into his house as his second wife. She believes this is due to the loss he believes he would face in terms of a bride price, and Abena considers herself not worthy in his eyes, a curse brought upon her family their misfortune.

Upon Abena’s return, she expresses a desire to venture to Kumasi – the capital of Asantehene – which is met with a firm refusal from James. His reaction provokes Abena to lash out and question his reasoning, indirectly also questioning his unexplained background, namely the hint of Fante when he speaks and the white in his skin. The ensuing argument between Abena and James results in him slapping her for the first time in her life, another unusual aspect of her upbringing. Compared to other households in their village where such treatment is deemed appropriate for the smallest mistake, Abena has never been struck. Rather, her parents have always respected her as an individual; her opinions and thoughts are heard and valued. It is revealed that visiting Kumasi or Fanteland is the only limitation her parents had established for Abena. We later learn that their reasoning is a result of the situation in which her parents got married; both James, hailing from Fanteland, and Akosua from Kumasi, opposed their families to be with each other. James came from a line of Big Men and wanted to escape what this legacy dictated for him, choosing instead to live an honorable and free life, hoping for the same for his children. Akosua, after briefly explaining this to Abena, encourages her to visit Kumasi and ensures that James will not stand in her way.

That night, Abena heads to Ohene Nyarko’s house after her parents are asleep, where she asks him to accompany her to Kumasi. He displays a playful and warm attitude towards her, something they have shared since their younger days. As children, Abena and Ohene Nyarko share intimate moments, exploring and discovering their sexuality and their bodies with each other by attempting to imitate their parents actions, regardless of the rules and consequences their society had established. The instance exemplifies the reversal in Abena and Ohene Nyarko’s personality; where as a child she had been the headstrong one, today it is he who is the stronger one.

His farms have always been successful and with the approaching rain, he at first denies her request, stating that he must tend to the farm. He punctuates the importance of this by reminding her that he cannot marry her if his yam harvest is not as expected. However, Abena is hurt by his declination along with his continuous affectionate behavior towards her even while married and fathering sons, all the while leaving her in shame as an unmarried woman at her age. Ohene Nyarko soon comes around and agrees to take her to Kumasi. A week later, he keeps his word and the two begin their journey.

Abena and Ohene Nyarko’s trip to Kumasi, the capital of Asentehene, is an enlightening experience, primarily for her. She admires its vast size compared to her small village, from compounds, to the entire city and the number of inhabitants. During her time there, she visits the palace and sees the revered Golden Stool, while also encountering a person who notes her resemblance to James, even going so far as to mistake her for him. Soon after, Abena and Ohene Nyarko part ways as she continues to explore the capital while he goes on to the market. While alone, she is approached by a missionary attempting to recruit her towards Christianity. Initially driven by curiosity, she follows him to see what his claims are about and this is when she sees a white man for the first time. She notes that his looks differ greatly from her father’s, who she considers light skinned rather than white, as the villagers rumored. Before the white Missionary can approach her, Abena leaves and heads back to Ohene Nyarko as the sun sets. She recounts her meeting, which infuriates him, reminding him of the past conflicts between the Europeans and the Gold Coast, particularly the slavery and invasion of their lands.

Before Abena and Ohene Nyarko reach home, they rest for the night in a clearing just outside their village. Once again, his affections sadden her as she questions his reluctance in marrying her, and her impending loneliness weighs heavy on her. Ohene Nyarko comforts and reassures her, which leads to the two acting on their feelings and having sex. Afterwards, Abena resolves that she does not feel any regret, remembering James’ advice about not feeling regret for any action in life, especially if she feels clarity and certainty doing it.

That year, and for the next five years, Abena’s entire village endures a bad harvest. The situation becomes dire, causing many villagers to leave and move up North. During this time, Abena and Ohene Nyarko, whose farm also faces the same fate, continue to spend time with each other. He is unable to marry her, however, as he has not yet had a good harvest. With the villagers looking for a reason to explain the misfortune, they discover Ohene Nyarko in Abena’s hut. Such behavior being unacceptable in their village, the elders determine that Abena will be exiled, either when she conceives a child or after seven years of bad harvest – whichever occurs first. Only a good harvest before either will mean she is allowed to remain in the village.

At the beginning of the sixth year, Ohene Nyarko journeys to Osu, where new plants have been introduced that supposedly will grow well in their village. Abena worries what this means for her, fearing she will be removed from the village. He reassures her, as his importance in the village prevented a more severe verdict when they were initially discovered too. When Ohene Nyarko returns a week later, he brings with him cocoa beans with the promise of a fruitful harvest. Over the season, his venture proves to be successful and he is able to grow, harvest, and sell the cocoa seeds, bringing back to the village more food than they had seen in years. With this success, the village celebrates with joy, in which Abena shares. Her happiness is short lived, however, as she understands Ohene Nyarko’s further delay in marrying her to mean he will not do so in the future either. He reveals to the village elders that in order to obtain the cocoa seeds, he promised to marry the daughter of a man in Osu, which means he will not be able to afford Abena’s bride price at this time. The revelation, together with Abena’s delayed menstrual cycle, drive her to leave the village. Before she leaves, her father digs up the black stone necklace he inherited. He tells her of its origin, belonging to Effia. Hearing of her ancestor for the first time, Abena treasures the heirloom as James tells her of his family’s history and their involvement in slave trading, justifying his abandonment of such a life. With this information, Abena heads out for Kumasi the next morning, to the missionary church with a piece of her family hanging around her neck.

Major Themes and Symbols

Womanhood

One of the themes of Homegoing is womanhood, and it is heavily explored in this chapter. This can be seen when Abena is first introduced as an “unmarried twenty-five-year-old” (Gyasi 139), which was very unusual in the village at the time. Her reputation hinges on whether she was married or not, and since she is not, she feels like she is constantly waiting. She helped her father with his farming; however, her father was never able to grow crops, therefore his nickname “Unlucky” (Gyasi 139).  Because of this, people think of her as bad luck, and she remains unmarried.

Gender Roles

Gender roles is another theme that is presented in this chapter. At first, Abena sleeps with Ohene Nyarko when they are not married. Abena also cannot go to Kumasi alone, and needs a man with her; thus, she asks Ohene to accompany her. On their trip back from Kumasi, their relationship develops from a friendship into a love affair. When they come back from Kumasi, the crops in the village stop growing, and people call it a curse. When the villagers find out about their love affair, they blame Abena for the lack of fruitfulness of their crops, not Ohene, for he is a man. This displays how women are perceived, the shame of adultery only blamed on the woman, while Ohene absolved.

The Stone Pendant

The stone pendant is an important symbol mentioned throughout the novel. At the end of this chapter, her father “Unlucky” gives her his grandmother Effia’s necklace, her great-grandmother, and tells her about his background and her ancestors. This is the same stone pendant that has been passed down through generations, beginning with Maame. Maame gave both Effia and Esi a stone each, and while Effie was able to keep hers and pass it on, Esi’s stone was lost beneath the Cape Coast Castle since she was traded as a slave. At the end of the chapter, Abena holds the stone and feels grateful for her ancestors.

The Hut

Huts are a symbol that is frequently repeated throughout the novel. Her father, James, builds Abena her own hut, signifying another one of his acts that defy custom and village gossip. By giving Abena her own hut, he is empowering her and providing her agency without needing to marry– which is when a woman would usually get her own huts with their children. 

Seeds

In this chapter, seeds become a significant symbol that represent the livelihood of the people in Abena’s village as well as Abena’s own fertility. Throughout the affair with Ohene, Abena is never able to get pregnant; similarly, the farms remain barren. However, when Ohene buys cocoa seeds, Abena becomes pregnant. This illustrates the comparison between Abena’s fertility and the seeds’ fertility. The seeds are an important symbol throughout this chapter because they are repeated multiple times, and the livelihood of people who live in Abena’s village depend on them.

Key Quotations

Abena was certain that she must have inherited the thing that had earned her father his nickname. They called him the man without a name, they called him Unlucky. (133)

Homegoing displays loss of identity over several generations. Loss of identity is caused by displacement and harsh circumstances. In this chapter, the villagers believe that James is unlucky because he does not have a name, which further indicates not having a history, family, or heritage. Since Abena is James’ daughter, she too is thus deprived of this family history. James’ bad luck, which was decided by the actions of his family, now falls upon Abena. There is a passing of misfortune from grandfather to grandson, and then from father to daughter. Even if Abena holds no blame for her family’s involvement in the slave trade, she is a victim of its consequences. Abena herself thinks that “she must have inherited the thing that had earned her father his nickname.” Since the villagers do not know who James is, they do not know who Abena is, either. That is, they do not know what sins she could be paying for. This idea encapsulates the general theme of inheriting your forefathers' blessings and sins, showcasing the suffering of future generations caused by the decisions of their ancestors.

She hated that Ohene Nyarko should call her his beloved while his wife was outside cooking his evening meal and his sons were outside tending to his farm. (138)

Over the course of her life, Abena slowly falls in love with Ohene. While she comes to terms with the fact that he has married someone else, Ohene calling her beloved hurts her in an entirely new manner. It seems like he is teasing her by using a term of endearment. She wants the life he can offer, but he already has a wife and kids. This statement angered her because she feels like he is manipulating her without committing to marrying her.

“Are you a ghost?” he asked, almost shouting. “Is that you, James? They said you had died in the war, but I knew that could not be!” He reached out with his right hand and grazed Abena’s cheek, touching her so long and so familiarly that Ohene Nyarko finally had to remove his hand. “Old Man, can you not see this is a woman? There is no James here.” (139)

This line highlights the use of dramatic irony in the novel. Previously, Gyasi writes about James pretending to die in the war, but instead running away with Akosua. Here, we see an old man who is very likely to be Quey. In this interaction, the man sounds relieved at the sight of Abena because of how highly she resembles James. We, the audience, know that he is her grandfather, and we know that he thinks he has finally found his long-lost son. The scene itself is heartbreaking because the old man is suddenly reminded of his loss all over again. In this scene, the old man caresses Abena’s face while lost in a sense of familiarity. It is not until Ohene moves him that the man stops. We can confirm that this man is James’ father because no other man would stop in the street years later and caress someone’s face with such familiarity. Gyasi subtly, yet beautifully, writes Quey’s hope and loss.

The readers stop seeing interaction between James and his family when he runs away. This scene, however, reminds us that they could still be alive and could still remember him. As the readers, we continue to have insight about the story, but the remainders of family left behind do not. This scene exists as a reminder to the chapter on Kojo where he loses Anna and H. Even though Kojo does not know where they are, we learn about H’s life in the chapter titled “H.” This is not true for Kojo. His knowledge of his son and wife abruptly stops, while ours can continue. Gyasi’s employment of this technique reminds the reader that the characters in the book do not have the same luxury of knowledge about their families.

In addition to the ironic viewpoint, when Ohene Nyarko states that “there is no James here,” we recognize that to the world, James is gone. There is no one by the name of James, son of Quey. His life is sealed in death during war, so the world does not know anything about his life afterwards. This phrase appears significant because it refers to the lives of the many people displaced during war or because of the slave trade. Even though they were normal people before, their lives were paused and then erased. No one is aware of their activities; they no longer exist.  

It was on a night like this that Papa Kwabena, one of the oldest men in their village, had started speaking about the slave trade. “You know, I had a cousin in the North who was stolen from his hut in the middle of the night. Swoosh! Just taken, and we don’t know by whom. Was it an Asante warrior? Was it a Fante? We don’t know. We don’t know where they took him!” (141)

This quotation summarizes the uncertainty and confusion in the characters’ lives. More importantly, it mirrors the terror that Kojo feels when Anna is missing. Papa Kwabena claims that nobody knows where his cousin was taken or by whom, implying he was kidnapped and sold in the slave trade. It is a parallel that shows how similar the circumstances are for the people, despite all the differences in their situations. Kojo and Anna were freed slaves while Papa Kwebana’s cousin was a free man. Both Anna and the cousin are taken by an unidentified individual to an otherwise unknown location. While one is in America and the other in Ghana, they are both suffering from the same notion of owning slaves. This shows that those remaining in the Gold Coast, who were not displaced to America, suffered from the slave trade and the same consequences of separation. Even if it was not a white man that kidnapped Papa Kwebana’s cousin, captivity and unpaid labor existed within the tribes as well.

There’s a castle on the coast in Fanteland called the Cape Coast Castle. That is where they used to keep the slaves before they sent them away, to Aburokyire: America, Jamaica. Asante traders would bring in their captives. Fante, Ewe, or Ga middlemen would hold them, then sell them to the British or the Dutch or whoever was paying the most at the time. Everyone was responsible. We all were…we all are. (132)

As the story progresses, the reader’s knowledge about the Castle grows. However, the knowledge that most characters and villagers have of this place and its function are limited. The chapters on Effia and Esi thoroughly explore the castle, but the people in smaller villages in Ashantiland know as little as they did in the first chapter. 

The above quotation highlights the distribution of responsibility for the slave trade. While it is common belief that slavery is solely the fault of colonizers, James’ statement disproves this. The Asantes, Fante, Ewe, and Ga are all involved in the trade. It is their captives and their business model that allows the American, British, and Dutch to acquire the slaves in the first place. When James claims that “everyone was responsible,” he is not referring to his family’s involvement. Instead, he is blaming all of the involved tribes for allowing such an act. While it is easy to blame one group alone, James emphasizes that everyone is at fault for the success of the slave trade. According to James, the tribes are not solely the victims of the slave trade, but they are also enablers of it.

Historical Context & Additional Resources 

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, unmarried women int he Gold Coast were treated very poorly. There are reports that women would be arrested if they were above the age of 15 and had not yet married (Allman, 195). These women would be locked in a room and they would have to say the name of a man they would wish to marry. After saying the man’s name, they would get the man and he would either have to accept to marry the woman or pay 5 shilling fine (sometimes up to 5 pounds). The man could also pay to discharge the woman without marrying her. The reasons why many women did not want to get married included simply not wanting to. Some women saw themselves independent and did not want to have to deal with the job of becoming a wife (Allman, 203). Allman writes that they justified locking up unmarried women “to prevent prostitution which…bring sterility and incurable venereal diseases” (199). Over the years, the meaning of marriage changed in Asante, but it is unclear when those changes happened (Allman, 201). However, by looking at the chapter “Abena” in the novel Homegoing, it is clear that people of the village hold some prejudice against unmarried women.

When cocoa was introduced to Ghana, it changed the view of marriage and the way of labor. Known as the exponential growth period, “cocoa was introduced in the southern region of the Gold Coast in the mid-19th century by commercial farmers from the Eastern region districts of Akuapem and Krobo” (Kolavalli and Vigneri, 2). The plant originally came from the Aztecs in South America and was acquired by the Europeans who brought it to Ghana. A lot of farmers stopped focusing on previous crops they were growing and focused on cocoa production. This quickly shifted “the production frontier into the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions, and consolidated Ghana as the leading world producer between 1910 and 1914” (Kolavalli and Vigneri, 2). Asante women saw potential in harvesting cocoa as well so they started “establishing their own cocoa farms in an effort to gain more long-term economic security than was promised from labouring on a husband’s mature farm” (Allman, 209). 

Works Cited