THE MOTIVATION OF SLAVERY IN CHARACTER NESS’S HOMEGOING BY YAA GYASI

Abstract

This research examines the character Ness in Yaa Gyasi's novel Homegoing using Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory. According to Maslow's theory, human needs are categorized into a hierarchy that goes from fundamental physiological demands to self-actualization. Ness is a prime example of the struggle with these demands in the setting of slavery because she was an enslaved woman living in what she termed "Hell" and Mississippi.
            Ness's physiology requirements were always in danger as he progressed through the stages. Her struggles for survival are highlighted by the way she is portrayed on the plantation, including her lack of food, housing, a place to relax, and her state of health. Going on to the requirement for security, Ness hardly discovered that the manner she was being treated with violence, abuse, and the lack of personal security, was described as slavery.

            From the esteem needs of the character, Ness was the dehumanization that she has experienced, yet her acts of resistance and her determination to escape reflected a deep sense of self-worth and dignity. When finally her opportunities are severely limited, Ness starts to question her freedom, and how her desire to have a better future and to be saved for her son drives towards her personal meaning.

            Through the application of the theory of human motivation by Abraham Maslow the hierarchy of needs, we can gain a deeper meaning and understanding of how the character of Ness’s can impact slavery. The character Ness in the novel Homegoing not only shows us the brutality of slavery but also how a human can endure it, and grow their needs.

Keywords: Novel, Character, Human Motivation