Home (Morrison Novel) Essay Questions

In what way does Cee's lack of education harm her? Could her infertility have been avoided if she had been a little more educated?

Cee has very little education and is therefore unable to recognize the malpractice that she encounters in Dr. Beauregard's office, and also fails to spot the warning signs that might have allowed her to avoid becoming his victim. The first time that she goes to his office, she sees his bookcase which holds many books upon it about eugenics and race, but Cee doesn't know what eugenics is and cannot see the warning signs. Had Cee known what eugenics is, or been able to understand what the book titles meant, she might have made the connection between the "experiments" Dr. Beauregard was doing, and the subject matter on his bookshelf. The author is making the connection here between the lack of education available to Black women at the time and the way in which they were abused by men such as Dr. Beauregard. On the other hand, Cee frankly admits that the women in Lotus are not educated yet are much more intelligent than her; they would not have been fooled by Dr. Scott. Intelligence isn't necessarily gleaned only from books but also from life experience, and Frank's position as Cee's protector also limited her ability to think for herself.

Why does Frank remember the incident of the shooting of the Korean girl, but not that he was the shooter?

Frank suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and probably did so even when still serving in Korea. The deaths of his friends that he witnessed while serving haunt him, as does the image of the little girl. He remembers how traumatic the event was, but has blocked the memory of participating in it himself because it is simply more than he is able to deal with or process. It is not until his sister is brutalized that he is able to face the truth of what he has done; in this way, he and Cee are facing the truths of their lives together. He is finally able to admit to himself that he blamed a young girl for tempting him and shot her in the face because of it. He is also able to deal with the truth better than the obfuscation that he has used to shield himself from what he did. It is a suppressed memory but once he is able to allow himself to fully and accurately remember it, he is able to move forward.

What is difficult for Frank in returning from Korea?

Aside from the obvious difficulties, such as coping with civilian life again, coming to terms with the violent and brutal deaths of his best friends while in Korea, and struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, one of the most difficult things for Frank to deal with is the segregation at home. He served in an integrated military and was used to at least a modicum of equality. When he arrives home again after serving, not much has changed. He is still a second-class citizen in the North and the South, navigating hostile police, indifferent doctors, segregated transportation, violence, and more. Though Morrison doesn't explicitly mention the civil rights movement in the novel, it's no surprise given what Frank faces that the early events of that movement would be beginning imminently.

Who is the unknown narrator?

We do not know exactly who this narrator is; we can only speculate. What we do know is it is someone unnamed, someone Frank may not know or only know somewhat, someone whose task is to listen to him. There are a few interpretations of the role of the narrator, such as Irene Visser's, which suggests that "from the perspective of trauma theory, Morrison's use of a silent listener in Home emphasizes the significance of listening as part of the healing process of trauma." The narrator may be Morrison, it may be us; in some respects, it does not matter, for Frank's telling of his tale is what brings him peace, not the identity of the person to whom he is doing the telling.

What is the significance of the zoot-suited man?

First and foremost, the man is a ghost who haunts Frank to remind him of the traumas he experienced in Korea—that much is obvious. But why a zoot suit? Katrina Harack writes that Frank notes that "these suits were once seen as 'signals of manhood' that were powerful enough to 'interest riot cops on each coast.' The wearing of zoot suits was an urban trend, enacted by black men who wished to display their urbanity, empowerment, style, and public visibility. Frank has never seen one worn in person, and calls it a 'costume,' showing awareness that zoot-suiters manipulated traditional white male clothing, creating a display of masculine power in a society that made black men invisible." This may be a way for Frank to imagine a Black man very different from himself, one who has a "home" wherever he goes.