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Essay / The Role and Treatment of Women in “Returning Home”
In Yaa Gyasi's unusually structured text Homegoing, different forms of unequal treatment are explored. The main form of derogatory treatment exhibited in the novel is racial inequality, however, we see throughout each chapter a situation where this racial inequality mixes with gender. Throughout history, common gender stereotypes are exhibited and even exist today in some cultures. These stereotypes manifest themselves very clearly in the formation and development of each character on both sides of the lineage. Even if the two lineages of Effia and Esi are located on completely different continents, there is still a form of duality that is observed in terms of gender inequalities, particularly on the female side. Throughout Yaa Gyasi's novel Homegoing, women are exposed in many different ways to the effects of oppression, gender inequality, and unfair treatment across generations and centuries, and even into the future. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Throughout the book, gender stereotypes are constantly present that lead to different treatments. From the start, men are expected to assume roles based on physical strength, authority, and emotionless responses. This leads them to hold positions of power over women. Women face stereotypes of oppression, ownership, and being treated as property and weak. This treatment is the basis of centuries of treatment, which will never change until the end of the book. In the very first storyline of the girl Effia, many examples of gender inequality are exposed. Effia faces the consequences of her culture, born a beautiful Fante woman. She was physically and mentally harassed by her father's first wife, Baaba, which is the first example of the gender inequality she faces. His father had several wives, the first example of polygamy commonly seen in the first half of the book. This exposure to female inequality is present throughout the lives of both girls, not just one. Also in Effia's chapter, there is the first revelation of the oppression women experience because of their gender, forced into marriage by their culture and family. Her mother is a constant manipulative force in her life, to the point of getting her daughter to marry James Collins instead of their tribe's leader, Abeeku Badu. Effia's chapter is a gateway to the concept of female inequality, and it is certainly a strong theme throughout her life. Besides Effia, we see many examples of polygamy, the concept of having multiple wives per man. This idea leads to treating women more as objects, possessions and wealth than as valued human beings. This is seen when Effia quotes: “I heard the English call them girls, not wives. Wife was a word reserved for white women across the Atlantic. Wench was something else entirely, a word soldiers used to keep their hands clean. We see it in cultural leaders, especially in Ghana, where your fame was based on how rich you were based on how many wives you had. This idea is derogatory towards women and immediately inscribes their place on the scale of humanity. There are countless examples of white men in positions of authority sexually taking advantage of women trapped in the dungeon beneath the White Castle. Even though James had a wife and children in England and a wife in the castle, he and his friends in positions of authority violatedand often impregnated the trapped females, forcing them to carry the burden of a child that would be born indefinitely. in horrible situations. This horrible situation is seen when Anna ends up committing suicide while pregnant with H, fearing for her life after his birth. Obviously, the concept of polygamy tarnishes the idea of a "faithful marriage", often perceived as a religious belief. There was no consideration for faithful marriage in the novel due to the times and the cultural impact on men. Men did not see marriage as we see it today, they saw it as a way to acquire gifts, authority and social gain. Besides the horrible treatment of marriage and the human worth of women at the beginning of the book, there are many examples of lack of power and respect towards women. When Effia first meets James and is introduced to the castle, Effia asks James, "What's underneath?" and James responds with “cargo”. Even though Effia can hear and sense the horrible situation these trapped slaves find themselves in, she has no power or authority to do anything. When she confronts her other friends who are the wives of other men in power, they keep quiet and eventually inform her that you do what your husband says. This is another example of the extreme lack of power that women possess during this time, followed by the concept that they are seen as the property of the men in power. Another major theme of female oppression in the novel is the combination of slavery and gender. inequality. Women were often taken as slaves and forced to become housewives or mothers of many children with many different wives. Often held on slave plantations, they were raped and forced to carry the pregnancies of the plantation owner's children. In Ness's situation, she was unable to become a housewife because of her whip scars, being forced to work in the fields at such a young age, a form of physical abuse. Another character, Abena, who is described as beautiful, was subjected to oppression due to her social position. She was born to James, nicknamed “Unlucky” because of his luck with agricultural yields. Abena had to face the consequences of her father's misery and was unable to marry because of it. For this reason, she is treated as a servant and a mistress. She is sexually active outside of marriage, due to her romantic relationship with Ohene Nyarko, as that is all she could do given her social position. This social oppression continues with examples like Robert and Willie's marriage where Robert is forced to sexually rape his wife. The author shows how the treatment of women can coincide with race and gender. A final example of this is found in the final chapters, where Marjorie is treated like an outcast because she is a black girl who loves a white boy. Although one might think that these forms of treatment towards these women may be situational and only present in the present day, the author does an excellent job of showing the effects of this treatment across generations. Although one side of the lineage may have suffered harsher treatment than the other, both ultimately had lasting consequences for female oppression. In the final chapter, Marcus can look back on his family history and see the traces of oppression. Throughout his research, he notes that all oppression and inequality has its roots in issues of gender and race, explaining how unfair it was that black people in his lineage faced many years of punishments./.