Homegoing
1. What are Edward and Yaw’s viewpoints on freedom and how to achieve true freedom?
2. What do you think about Yaw’s lesson to his students about stories and history? Do you agree with his approach to learning history? Has your own education reflected his sentiments or not?
3. What is the relationship between Yaw and Esther like?
4. Why is Yaw angry? How does anger show up in this chapter?
5. How does fire or rage show up in this chapter?
6. How does Yaw view his mother? How has this affected the rest of his life?
7. Think about Akua’s childhood and compare/contrast that to how she lives now. Do you think there are aspects of her past that are reflected in her life as an old woman now?
8. What does Effia’s necklace represent according to the fetish priest? According to Ma Akua? What do you think it represents?
9. Why is Sonny in jail? What does his reasons for being in and out of jail say about American society in that time period?
10. What do you think is the significance of Sonny’s nickname? How does it connect to his relationship to his father and to his own kids?
11. Why do you think Sonny is so drawn to Amani? Is she a good person? Or a good influence on him? Why or why not? Is Sonny a good person? Why or why not?
12. What is the relationship between Sonny and Amani like?
13. How is the relationship between Sonny and his mother? Is she a good mother to him? Why or why not? Is he a good son? Why or why not?
14. How does anger show up in this chapter? How is that anger connected to the past or to past chapters?
15. Why do you think Sonny stayed at Willie’s after she talks to him?
