James
Chapter Summary
In this chapter, we learn about James, the son of Quey and the grandchild of Effia. The chapter starts with James hearing that the Asantes had Governor Charles McCarthy’s head. When the small children start celebrating, James tells them that the British will come for the Fantes in retaliation; however, because James’ family is royal, they are safe in the village. At the same time, James’s father, Quey, comes to the village with a white man. The white man informs James and Quey that Osei Bonsu, James’s maternal grandfather, is dead. The white man advises Quey that Quey and his family should not go to the funeral, because even the royal status of Quey’s family will not be enough to protect the family. While his father does not say anything, James tells them that they will attend the Asante king's funeral since it would be a sin the ancestors will never forgive if they do not.
On their way to the funeral, while James rides through the forest with his parents, Quey and Nana Yaa start arguing. James knows that his parents never loved one another and that their marriage was political. After days of travel, James and his family stop to spend the night in Dunkwa with David, an old British friend of Quey’s. When they arrive, Nana Yaa immediately goes to bed while James and Quey sit down with David. While the three men sit around the fire sipping wine, David starts quoting the bible after complaining about political marriages, but Quey stops him and tells him he prefers the customs of the Fante over the British. Then, David proceeds to ask James whether James has a woman in mind or if James’s family should start looking for a bride for him. However, Quey informs David that Quey and Nana Yaa have chosen a nice wife for him to marry when the time comes. At the same time, James starts thinking about Amma Atta, the woman he was set to marry. James remembers how he used to play with Amma Atta when he was younger, but now, he has become annoyed by Amma. Soon, David asks if the rumors about the British abolishing the slave trade are true, to which Quey replies that they did the year James was born. Quey tells David that even though the British told the people in the Castle that the slave trade was abolished, and they could not trade with America anymore, they continue to partake in the trade of slaves. Quey goes on to explain that there is more at stake than just slavery; it is a question of who will own the land, the people, and the power as.
The next day, James, Quey, and Nana Yaa set out and pass through small towns and villages. By dusk, they reach Kumasi, the Asante capital, and they are greeted by James’s maternal uncle, Kofi. The funeral proceedings start the next day, and everyone puts on their mourning clothes. During the funeral, a girl comes to pay her condolences to the family of the dead king, but she does not shake hands with James. When James asks her why she does not, she replies that she does not shake the hand of a slaver. James replies that the Asantes too have their power from capturing slaves, and so, she surely could not touch her own either.
After laying the old king to rest, James tries to find the girl, Akosua. He goes to his cousin Kwame for help, and Kwame tells James where to find her. When he does, James again asks her why she does not shake his hand. She explains how her three brothers were taken away into slavery. While talking to each other, James finds himself attracted to her and asks her if she is promised to anyone, to which she replies that her father does not believe in promising a girl before her body has shown. Then, James tells Akosua that he will marry her, but that she should not tell anyone when her blood comes, and that they will leave this village together to start a new life. Baaba did the same thing to Effia in the first chapter, because once a girl’s blood comes, she will most likely be asked for her hand in marriage.
Later, James goes back to his village and marries Amma, as planned; however, they do not consummate their marriage because James wants to keep his promise to Akosua. He thus makes up excuses to avoid doing so, and so Amma tells James that he must go to the apothecary to help him. She knows that if she does not get pregnant, it is she who will be blamed. James feels guilty about this, so he consents to visiting an apothecary. Nearly a year has now passed since James promised Akosua that he would come back for her, but James still did not know how to fulfill the promise.
James goes to see Mampanyin, the premier apothecary, about the situation. She tells James that the reason he cannot have a child is that he does not want one. Mampanyin advises him to say what he really wants. James tells Mampanyin that he wants to move to Asanteland, marry Akosua, and work as a farmer. After much talk, Mampanyin tells James that he already knows how to leave. She then informs him that the Asantes will be in Efutu soon. Surprised that she would know such confidential, military details, he trusts her. When James gets back home, he tells Amma that she must be patient. For a week, he is miserable thinking about how bad his life is. One night, as are eating outside at Quey’s compound, Effia asks James what is wrong. He tells his grandmother that he wants to leave the village, and she replies that he will find a way to do so. With his grandmother’s implied blessing, James tells his family that he will go back to the Cape Coast, but goes to Efutu instead.
Just like he wanted, James goes to Efutu. After a month of helping a Scottish doctor, James hears the call he has been chasing. The Asantes had come to attack. After running out of the hut, James thought that he would die. However, James wakes up in a forest, with an Asante warrior standing beside him, who was so quiet that James did not notice him at the beginning. When the Asante warrior recognizes him, James tells him that he must tell everyone that he died in the war. The chapter ends with James going to Asanteland to find Akosua. When James arrives at Asanteland, he finds Akousa waiting for him after forty days of travel.
Character Analysis
James
James is the son of Quey and Nana Yaa. It is clear from the start of James' story that, despite the Fante cooperation with the British, James is aware that the British are escalating tensions between the Asantes and Fantes so that they can stay in power. James is also mindful that the motivation behind all of this is the desire for more slaves, more money, and more land. Likewise, despite knowing since he was a child that he would take over his father's position with the British, James appears wary of the idea. This foreshadows how his future turns out. James is also depicted as annoyed by his parent's constant arguments, which demonstrate how unhappy Quey and Nana Yaa's political marriage has been. This makes James reluctant to marry Amma, to whom he is betrothed for similar political reasons. Seeing his parents, though, he does not want to have the same kind of marriage as they do. When James meets Akosua, he is shocked that she does not shake his hand and that indicates that this is the first time someone did not respect him given his powerful status and lineage. He is both annoyed and ashamed by what she says and starts to question the relationship between power and slavery. He is also intrigued by her. James is later made aware of the wickedness in the business his family runs thanks to Akosua's direct remarks. James then becomes more willing to recognize the human aspect of slavery when it is given a face in the shape of Akosua's brothers. In this way, James begins to understand the atrocities of colonization and slavery, which is how his character starts to shift. He promises Akosua that he will go back for her and marry her and that shows that he is willing to let go of his powerful political alliance for her. He is later unable to find a plan to leave his wife, Amma Atta, and finds himself trapped until he visits Mampanyin. James explains to Mampanyin how much of his father's and grandfather's work he has inherited, but he is the first to actually recognize it as a misfortune and not something to be proud of. This shows how the positive generational perception of that power stopped with him and therefore we could see his character development. At the end of his story, we are able to see the irony of how James is able to flee from his past life by using his family's power. That showed that he was willing to use his power to his advantage but only one last time.
Quey
Quey is the son of James Collins and Effia and is Nana Yaa's husband. He was also the main character of the previous chapter. During a conversation between David and Quey, David starts to recite a quote from the Bible, but Quey interrupts him by claiming that he has "no use for that religion." That demonstrates that Quey had made the decision to choose his mother’s land and her people over his father’s, the British. When David asks James when he plans to get married, Quey replies that he has already made a match for him. In spite of James's own happiness, Quey chooses to uphold Cobbe's promise to Effia, that her blood would be joined with Fante royalty. This is why he promises his son to Amma, who is the daughter of Abeeku Badu’s successor to the stool. This decision demonstrates how persistent the idea of marriage as a way to advance the family's position is, and it demonstrates how important it is for Quey. Quey's light skin continues to set him apart from the majority in the rural areas, and this is shown in this part of the novel. It is an issue that still concerns him as the idea of belonging is still prominent within his character.
Nana Yaa
Nana Yaa is the daughter of an Asante King, the wife of Quey and the mother of James. The ongoing arguments between Nana Yaa and James' father Quey show that she never had any sincere affection for him. She also sees Quey as weak because he was given his position and power. She therefore does not respect him or think he is strong. We can infer from that that she developed the idea that the title of strength and power is delivered through hard work but also the kind of masculine strength that her father demonstrates.
Amma Atta
Amma Atta is James’s first wife and the daughter of Abeeku Badu’s successor. She is seen as a persistent and dutiful character as she never gives up on trying to have a child with James: She "braid[s] her hair the way he like[s] it and rub[s] coconut oil on her breasts and between her thighs" (95). That shows that although James had come up with several excuses, she never gave up. It also represents how she did that out of duty as well as to protect herself from any gossip and slander about infertility, which is always blamed on women.
Akosua
Akosua is a poor young Asante girl that James falls in love with. Akosua exhibits a strong-minded personality through her actions. For instance, she refrained from shaking James' hand because she opposed slavery and knew he was implicated in it. She also does not trust very easily and that is shown when she tells James, “Trust is a thing to be earned. I don’t trust you." She continues: “if you come back for me, then you will earn my trust” (95). That demonstrates that she only places her trust in people when their actions are consistent with their words.
David
David is Quey’s friend from when he went to England. David relocated to the Gold Coast with his wife. When James was younger and hurt himself, David told him that he was a big man who needed to be strong, even when James was just four years old.This shows how close he was to Quey, but also his recognition of James’ social and political position as son of Quey and Nana Yaa.
Kwame
Kwame is James's cousin, and he is the one who helps James find Akosua. Kwame is depicted as a very loyal and kind person. This is shown when he does not admit that James knocked over his grandfather's cane, which caught on fire, and therefore he also received punishment instead of James.
Effia
Effia is the daughter of Cobbe Otcher and Maame. She is raised by Cobbe’s wife, Baaba. She gets married to James Collins and has Quey. She is also the grandmother of James. Effia's life serves as both a narrative for her grandson to hear and a source of heritage for him to draw from as he develops into his own. Therefore, we are able to say that Effia may be one of the characters that allows James to make the decision to go to Akosua.
Mampanyin
Mampanyin the apothecary, but she is frequently referred to as a witch doctor by Quey and many others. She criticizes James for doubting her abilities and is opposed to slavery. That suggests that she is not afraid to speak her mind, even in the presence of someone who holds a very important position. She also reveals to James what is on his mind, and she assures him that he knows how to get out of his own predicament.
The White Doctor
He was an old Scottish doctor in Efutu and the townspeople were very fond of him. James had gone to work for him when he was trying to get to Akosua.
Charles MacCarthy
He was a governor and his head is kept on a stick which is placed outside the Asante King’s palace as a threat to the British.
Asante Warrior
He hid Jame’s body and unknowingly saved him, then promised to tell everyone that James died in the war.
Major Themes and Symbols
Occupation
The theme of occupation is prominent within James' storyline. The story begins with James recognizing that the British gain more power by inciting rivalry among the Gold Coast towns. He also realizes they are exploiting the rivalry even further by acquiring slaves and territory. Additionally, James acknowledges that his family has been assisting the British colonists and giving them more power by cooperating with them. All of that ultimately shifts James' view of his participation with the British. Akosua also helps James' shift his perception. When Quey is questioned by David about whether or not the British will end slavery, Quey says the British created a thorough plan for colonization and control of the area around them that went beyond just taking part in the slave trade. This demonstrates that although the slave trade may have been abolished, the British still control the trade and the land, showing that nothing has changed and that slavery is far from being over.
Family, Identity, and Names
The theme of family and identity is prevalent in James's storyline. When James wants to marry Akosua, he starts to doubt another aspect of what society and his family demand of him. What his family demands is that he marry to elevate the family name and position. James also believes that in order to move forward with an honest life, he must cut himself off from his family and everything he has inherited, like his power and position within society. At the end of the chapter, he removes himself from the identity he had all his life by making everyone think that died in the war. He changed his own name and tells people he meets that he is a lowly farmer who is lost.
Gender Roles
The theme of gender stereotypes as well as sexism is very apparent within this storyline. For instance, because James does not want Akosua to marry anyone else, he thinks about the story that Effia told him and uses an aspect of it. He tells Akosua not to tell anyone when she got her blood so that she is not wed. This is because of the expectations placed on women as soon as they menstruate. This shows that the primary value placed on women in this society is the ability to bear children. Also, another illustration of sexism in this society is the fact that Amma would be held responsible for the couple's infertility although it is not her who is at fault. In addition, James does not want his desire to start a new life for himself to come out as a weakness. That is because men are expected to lead and possess authority in this society. This is further demonstrated by David's constant use of the term "big man" even when James was only four years old.
Cultural Conflict
The theme of conflict of cultures emerges when Quey chooses his mother’s people over his father’s, England, and Christianity.
Groundnut Soup
This is an important symbol in the chapter. After the death of the historical Governer MacCarthy, Quey and James speak with a white man who tells them that the Asantes are saying that the British killed their king, the historical Osei Bonsu, as revenge. James then remembers what his mother had always said about groundnut soup: The nations on the Gold Coast are the soup. The Fantes, the groundnuts, and the many other nations the meat, pepper, and vegetables. Thus, many nations are combined in one pot, but when the British arrived, they set the pot on fire. That illustrates that the British are the ones who fuel the rivalries so they can maintain control and power over the region.
Fire
Following the previous symbol, fire too is an important symbol. It represents the rivalry between the Gold Coast people. Fire is also a symbol of the suffering that some of the characters in the novel experience as a result of their family's involvement in the slave trade.
Key Quotations
The year James was born, they told everyone in the Castle that the slave trade was abolished … but did that stop the tribes from selling? … You cannot stick a knife in a goat and then say, Now I will remove my knife slowly, so let things be easy and clean, let there be no mess. There will always be blood. (88-89)
In this quotation, Quey speaks with David, his friend, about the British who have not yet left the land and the tribes who are continuing to sell slaves to the British. Quey’s concern is that the slave trade is happening regardless of the abolishment. He uses the anecdote of stabbing a goat to show that just because people walk away from the troubles they have created, that does not mean that those problems will disappear when they leave.
Nothing from nowhere. It was something his grandmother Effia used to say on nights when she seemed most sad. James couldn’t remember a day when he hadn’t seen Effia in all black, nor a night when he hadn’t heard her faint crying. (94)
In this quotation, we can see how Baaba's words to Effia echo into James's life when he marries Amma, his wife, which shows generational similarities. James does not want a life of high status, which his family plans for him; instead, he wants to get away from that planned life and be with someone who is "nothing from nowhere." The "nothing from nowhere" occurrence is demonstrated across generations, but in James's situation, it is positively applied as he wants the simple kind of relationship with Akosua, the village girl, who is not of high status, instead of the forced planned marriage he is in.
“That was my father and grandfather’s work. It is not mine.” He didn’t add that because of their work, he didn’t have to work, but instead could live off the family name and power. (97)
James falls in love with the village girl Akosua,and his loyalty to her leads him to go to the apothecary Mampanyin to ask for help. When James goes to the apothecary, Mampanyin, he sees that she criticizes him due to his family’s involvement in the slave trade. Although he does not feel involved in the matter of slave trading, he does have privileges of high status because of what his grandfather and father are involved in. Mampanyin cannot unsee the privilege of being born into a family that trades enslaved people. Although James inherited the legacy of slave trading, he does not embrace it and refuses to be involved.
America is not the only place with slaves. (98)
This takes place when James visits the apothecary, aunt Mampanyin. He tells her how he wants to marry Akosua and leave his family, but Mampanyin hates his appearance. James loved Akosua since he met her when he went to Nana Yaa’s village, and he thought that aunt Mampanyin could help him using her potions. She spits twice since he had arrived and does not like his presence as she believes he is partly to blame for what had been happening to her people from being sold to the slavers and being treated like animals in the foreign lands. He whispers in fear to Mampanyin that it is not only the Americans with the enslaved ones but also the British, as he knows that his mother’s father was killed by the British.
Historical Context & Additional Resources
Abolishment of Slavery
The Dutch abolished the slave trade on the 16th of March 1792 when Christian VII of Denmark, king of Denmark-Norway, signed a new decree, the “trade-in blacks” decree, banning the slave trade (Hopkins, 2009). Nevertheless, the decree was not to be activated till 1803, 10 years following the decree issue (Stawski, 2018). The aim of the decree was to obtain and secure the long-term demographic stability of the slave population in the Danish Islands at that time (Hopkins, 2009). It is noteworthy to point out that Denmark was the first colonial power to abolish its participation in the slave trade, setting a model for the rest of the colonial powers to follow (Stawski, 2018).
The “trade-in blacks” decree, however, stimulated large slave importation to the islands in 1792 (Hopkins, 2009). That was to ensure there is stability in the supply of laborers prior to the activation of the slave trade ban (Hopkins, 2009). Moreover, there was financial support for the slave trade by the national government so that the laboring population would grow and obtain balance in two demographics: age, and gender (Hopkins, 2009). The financial support included loans provided for plantation owners, along with other business owners, that bought slaves in bulk (Hopkins, 2009). As a result of the large importation aided by financial support to business owners, there was a significant growth in the slave population from 1792 to 1803; it grew from 28,000 to 36,000 (Hopkins, 2009).
In the case of the British, the abolitionist group in Britain viewed slavery as immoral; thus, it started with the process of the abolition of the slavery (Hague, 2008). The leader of the British campaign for the abolishment of the enslaved trades, William Wilberforce, sponsored the motion for banning the trading of the enslaved people on April 1792, but his motion to abolish enslaved trades received 163 opposing votes and 88 in favor (Hague, 2008). However, Henry Dundas made an argument that they can abolish the slave trade, but by adding the word “gradual” as it will not be immediate when they declare an immediate abolishment (Hague, 2008). So he added the word “gradual” to sir William’s motion, which resulted into having only 85 opposing votes and 230 votes in favor of the abolishment of the enslaved trades in Britain. This resulted in the abolition of the slave trade in Britain on March 1807 (Hague, 2008). However, regardless of the act that abolished the slave trade, consumer product demands made slave labor thrive in Britain. Sugar, tea, and other consumer products were on high demand, so they kept on trading slaves, illegally, to meet market demands (Hague, 2008).
In the case of the United States, in 1803, Isaac Sherman reported the ship, Charming Sally, due to the immoral acts against the imported enslaved. After Isaac reported them, a libelcase was brought for the court to seize the ship’s properties (The U.S. National Archives, 2022). Further, the court documents, including depositions from the crew on the Charming Sally, had Phineas Dean describe the mistreatments of the slaves including “kicking and shackling” (The U.S. National Archives, 2022). The court’s documents also included Lewis Ferris’s testimony, the boatswain who is responsible for the ship’s equipment. It confirmed the mistreatment of the enslaved being imported on the Charming Sally (The U.S. National Archives, 2022). Five years later, the act of the prohibition of the slave trade and importation to the United States was heavily imposed, starting on January 1808. Even after the act of prohibiting the importation of slaves, ships were caught in underground illegal trading (The U.S. National Archives, 2022). Illegal trading was a result of the high demand of slave labor to work on the soil and produce more plantations, and cotton was one of the plantations that the slaves were forced to work in, picking it and producing more of it (Olmstead & Rhode, 2018).
Anglo-Ashanti Wars
The reasons for the creation of the country that incorporates both the British Gold Coast Colony and the Ashanti Empire were the five Anglo-Ashanti wars between the British Empire and the Ashanti Empire. During the first Anglo-Ashanti War, in late 1823, the British sided with the Fantis against the Ashanti, which followed with the disagreements between the Fanti and the Ashanti. The conflict resulted in a battle between the Ashantis and the Fantis and the British (Talk Africana, 2022). Moreover, Governor Charles MacCarthy did not follow the plan to overpower the Ashantis, which resulted in him losing the battle (Momodu, 2020). The first battle in 1824, the Nsamankow battle, resulted in the death of the British governor, Sir Charles McCarthy. The battle started when McCarthy brought 2,500 men against the Ashanti army, which consisted of 10,000 men. Later on in 1828, the British withdrew from Ashanti territory. The Ashanti thus defeated the British and their African allies by the end of 1831in the battle of Efutu.
The first few lines of this chapter mention Governor Charles MacCarthy's head being on a stake outside the Asante's king's palace, placed there as a warning to the British. Governor Charles MacCarthy was the former Governor of Sierra Leone; he led the British army in the first Anglo-Ashanti War (Talk Africana, 2022). Governor Charles MacCarthy died following his army’s defeat in the first Anglo-Asante War (Talk Africana, 2022). Governor MacCarthy died as a result of his injuries that were caused by two bullets (Talk Africana, 2022). The Ashanti soldiers detached Governor MacCarthy's head from his body to take it as a triumph back to their capital at Kumasi (Talk Africana, 2022). MacCarthy's head was then boiled and defleshed. The top spot of MacCarthy's skull was prepared to be a drinking cup for the Ashanti king's personal use, and the Ashanti rulers eventually succeeded (Talk Africana, 2022). Nevertheless, in 1829, MacCarthy's skull was recovered and interred at St Saviours Church in Dartmouth, Devon (Talk Africana, 2022).
Throughout the Gold Age of Piracy, pirates were often involved in the slave trade (Conerly, 2021). Nevertheless, the slave trade for pirates was not built on a racial base, but rather, on a profit base. That being said, slaves that were bought, stolen, or sold by pirates who were from different ethnicities and nationalities (Conerly, 2021). However, piracy was limiting the slave trade across the Atlantic Ocean. That is because pirates were a threat to the slave trade as they were known for attacking slave vessels (Conerly, 2021). Because the slave trade became a dangerous practice, the costs increased and slaves became expensive instead of being cheap labor (Conerly, 2021). This conflicted with the economic interests of business owners that rely on slave labor. Thus, the colonial authorities, who are in control of the slave trade, spend efforts to capture and even kill pirates to seize the pirates' powers (Cartwright, 2022). As the pirates no longer formed a threat to the slave trade, the trade flourished back. It was estimated that following the pirates' loss of power, there was an average increase of over 30,000-60,000 slaves transported for trade in countries with colonial authorities (Conerly, 2021). The last pirate to raid the Atlantic was Don Pedro (Landrigan, 2022). Don Pedro, along with four of his men were executed on June 11, 1835 (Landrigan, 2022).