Between Two Worlds : The Displacement of Identity in Novel Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (2016)

Abstract

This study examines displacement of identity as a central theme in the novel Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (2016), a condition described by the phrase between two worlds. Between two worlds is a fundamental condition that faced by the subject post-colonial that imprisonment between two reality that created by the relationship between the first worlds as colonizer and the third worlds as colonized. Colonialism, as a system of foreign domination, causes cultural erasure and social disintegration, resulting in psychological and cultural wounds that are passed down from generation to generation. This study aims to analyze the causes, forms, and effects of displacement of identity experienced by the characters in the novel. Using a qualitative method with a postcolonial theoretical framework, this study employs in-depth reading and note-taking to collect and classify data from the narrative and events in the novel. The findings reveal that displacement of identity manifests in four primary causes; colonialism, war, migration and dehumanization of slavery. The primary forms; cultural, physical, linguistic, and social. As a result, the characters experience consequences such as identity crises, alienation, psychological trauma, and the formation of hybrid identities. 

Key words: Between Two Worlds, Displacement of Identity, Post-colonial, Dehumanization of Slavery, Alienation