Esther
2024년 5월 15일
"an intelligent, beautiful and healing read"
18세기 아프리카 가나. 같은 엄마 배에서 태어났지만 다른 마을에서 태어난 자매가 서로의 존재를 알지 못한 채 성장합니다. 한 명은 영국인과 결혼하고 다른 한 명은 노예로 팔려 미국으로 가게 되면서 장장 300년, 8세대에 걸쳐, 이 같은 뿌리를 가진 두 가지가 뻗어나가며 거대한 나무를 형성하게 되는 대서사적 과정을 그립니다.
Gold Coast의 노예상, Mississippi 농장에서의 가혹한 노동, 영국의 식민주의와 미국의 내전, 20세기 Harlem의 모습 등 작가의 방대한 리서치가 엿보이는 시대배경에 대한 사실적인 묘사도 놀랍지만 각 시대를 살아내는 개개인들이 이루는 스토리와 대부분의 캐릭터가 사실성을 초월한 진정성을 보이기에, 많은 작가와 독자들로부터의 극찬에 충분히 공감을 하게 됩니다. 수많은 흑인들의 부조리하고도 비통한 스토리가 한데 얽혀 바로 지금의 미국이라는 나라를 가능하게 했다는 사실을 그들은 지금 어떻게 기억하고 있을까요. 그들의 기억에 ‘Home’은 과연 어떤 의미일까요.
* Evaluate the title of the book. Why do you think that the author chose the word Homegoing? What is a homegoing and where does it appear in the novel? In addition to the term’s literal meaning, discuss what symbolic meanings or associations the title might have in terms of a connection with our place of birth, our ancestors, our heritage, and our personal and cultural histories.
* Analyze the structure of the book. Why do you think the author assigned a chapter to each of the major characters? What points of view are represented therein? Does any single point of view seem to stand out among the rest or do you believe that the author presented a balanced point of view? Explain. Although each chapter is distinct, what do the stories have in common when considered collectively? How might your interpretation of the book differ if the author had chosen to tell the story from a single point of view?
* What is history according to Yaw? What does he tell his students is “the problem of history”? Who does Yaw say we believe when reading historical texts and what does he say is the question we must ask when studying history? How might these ideas influence your own reading of Gyasi’s book and reshape your ideas about the historical subjects and themes treated therein?
* Consider the book’s treatment of colonialism and imperialism. In the chapter entitled “Esi” at the start of the book, what does Esi’s mother tell her daughter that weakness and strength really are? How does her definition of weakness and strength correspond to the dialogue about colonialism and imperialism that runs throughout the book? Discuss how this dialogue expands into a deeper conversation about freedom and human rights. Have the issues surrounding colonialism, imperialism, freedom, and human rights featured in the book been resolved today or do they linger? If they remain, does the book ultimately offer any suggestions or advice as to how this might be remedied?
- questions selectively cited from penguinrandomhouse.com