Homegoing - Yaa Gyasi

By exploring the extended metaphors of scars in the chapter “Yaw,” Yaa Gyasi illustrates its multifaceted nature by depicting the complex interplay between self-reconciliation and generational acceptance. The ambiguous nature of these scars becomes a reflection of the identity formation process amidst the echoes of generational trauma and the promise of healing.

Gyasi references the moldable nature of clay as a symbol to represent the internal transformative journey that Yaw is undergoing. When Yaw is left physically and emotionally scarred from the fire, he is left to “wish[ing] he were a beautiful man, with skin as smooth as clay” (233). As clay is often seen as a symbol of malleability and transformation, Yaw wishes to reshape his sense of self as he feels that his scars define his identity. This process of healing and self-discovery is only reinforced when he meets his birth mother for the first time when she is carrying a clay bowl that “fell to the ground, shattering, scattering pieces of red clay ... that they would never find, that would be absorbed into that earth from which they came” (238). Gyasi uses the idea of clay as an “earth[ly]” material to represent a connection to the physical Edweso land and the history of Yaw’s people. As Yaw returns to the village where he was born, he confronts the roots of his scars, aligning himself with his “scatter[ed]” African heritage. By weaving the motif of clay about Yaw’s scars, Gyasi highlights the desire for the universal human longing for a new beginning from a fragmented past. 

Along with the process of self-reconciliation that Yaw undergoes, the extended metaphor of his scar changes from one built from aspects of physical trauma and suffering to one with a future of forgiveness from his generational past. At first, Yaw’s scars serve as a reminder of the physical and psychological legacy that has been passed down by his ancestors. Yaw’s identity and sense of self are inextricably linked to the scars he carries and are symbolic of this generational trauma as he describes his mother as “the nebulous, mysterious object of his anger ..., a woman whose face he could barely remember, but a face reflected in his own scar” (232). Since Yaw can “barely remember” his mother’s face, Gyasi highlights the impact of absence and disconnect in their relationship. Yaw’s anger is directed towards a figure who is, in many ways, a stranger to him due to their physical separation. The scars serve as a tangible reminder of the emotional distance and disconnection that has manifested over time. By describing his scars as a “reflection” of her face, Yaw’s scars represent a mirror to the physical embodiment of the painful legacy she left behind. However, when reconnecting with his mother in his birth village, Yaw looks at her burned hands and “recognize[s] her skin in his own” (242). While Yaw’s scars are a mirror to the painful legacy of Akua, his recognition of “her skin in his own” suggests that he views the scars on her hands as a reflection of their shared history, underscoring the idea that this history can be a powerful map for future generations. 

While Yaw’s scars serve as a manifestation of a promising future and troubling past, they also illustrate his present response to historical post-colonial identities. When telling Esther the background of his scars, he claims “the longer he looked at himself in a mirror. the longer he lived alone, the longer the country he loved stayed under colonial rule, the angrier he became” (232). Yaw’s growing anger is a natural response to the historical injustices he witnesses. As he lives through the era of colonial rule, he becomes increasingly aware of the impact of colonialism on his country. The repetition of “the longer” creates a sense of increasing emotional intensity that amplifies with the ongoing colonial rule. His evolving emotions echo the long-standing struggle for independence and justice faced by Ghana during the colonial era. By referencing his reflection in the “mirror” and how he lives “alone,” Gyasi underscores Yaw’s isolation as a consequence of generational trauma and how he feels that his emotions around colonialism as individual. Gyasi effectively combines the past, present, and future threads of legacy by including generational trauma, the independence struggle, and familial forgiveness. 

By highlighting the ambiguous nature of Yaw’s scars, Gyasi effectively emphasizes the theme of “History is Storytelling” by taking her readers through the complete history of Yaw’s character through his perspective, not one assimilated to Western ideas.  Throughout the novel, Gyasi illustrates how we are glued to our historical legacies, however, through Yaw’s chapter, she adds that although we are bonded to our past legacies, we can work to actively change the ongoing narrative of our lives.