Scars In Homegoing Memoir

Scars are something that many people are familiar with. Whether it is a physical scar or a mental scar, both significantly impact the lives of those with them. In the novel Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi scars are mentioned often and are one of the central motifs throughout the novel. Through the motif of scars, Gysai conveys the message that scars cause demeaning assumptions to be made about people who have them. Additionally, Gysai shares that scars can lead to people becoming ashamed about their scars, and they resonate throughout generations even if they do not have scars themselves. This reasoning contributes to the overall significance of scars in the novel which is that scars serve as reminders of the suffering characters had to endure, therefore,

Throughout the novel, characters are criticized for their scars. In particular, Ness, Akua, and H are all judged harshly. When Ness is enslaved in the deep south a mute girl named Pinky is bullied into speaking by the son of the slave owner and Ness tries to support Pinky: “Ness was sure that he could see clear as day what had happened, but it was the memory of her scars that made him doubt. A nigger with scars like that, and his son on the ground. There wasn’t anything else he could do” (76). Although Ness is only trying to console Pinky, the scars on her body cause the assumption that she is to blame for how the child ended up on the ground. Scars are seen as threatening and aggressive which is the reason for the accusation. Therefore, people with physical scars will be judged because others will put into question what they did to get those scars. Later in the novel, we meet Akua. The nickname “Crazy Woman” is bestowed upon Akua after her children are taken away from her and she spends a week unaccompanied and abandoned. This nickname stays with Akua throughout the duration of her life because she ultimately kills both of her daughters in a fire. As a result of the fire, she receives scars all over her body. These scars represent the loss of her daughters and they serve as a reminder of the tragic night. For the rest of her existence, she is berated because

Ness recognizes that she is deemed ugly according to society’s standards and it affects her self-confidence. If she did not have scars she would be considered beautiful, but the scars are what make her dirty and horrid. Yet again, scars are seen as disgusting and repulsive and because of that judgment, people lose self-assurance. Scars are an intergenerational form of pain and they resonate throughout the family even if they do not have scars themselves. Evidently, not everyone in the novel has physical scars, but the scars seep their way into younger generations and eventually affect them in considerable ways. Yaw inherited his scars from his mother. His mother walked into a fire while he was in her arms and they have the burn marks to prove it. Therefore, Yaw does believe that scars can be inherited. He verifies this saying, “Yaw listened as his best friend told him that he had explained to the girl that you could not inherit a scar. Now, nearing his fiftieth birthday, Yaw no longer knew if he believed this was true” (208). Through this quote, Yaw claims that intergenerational trauma is shown through scars, both mental and physical. In his case, it is both. He inherited his scar from Akua and the scars are a constant reminder of the trauma of the fire. Furthermore, his scars are a reminder of his disconnection from his mother. His father is dead and he is not