Aminata’s longing for a home and a sense of belonging were
discussed frequently throughout the novel. One example of this longing is on page 468, when Aminata is talking with Armstrong.
"'And now you want to go home?' He said.
'It's what I've always wanted, from the moment I was taken.'"
In our seminars, we discussed Aminata's desperate need for her home, for a place to belong. This brought us to discuss Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. I
was not familiar with this psychological theory, so I’ve dedicated this blog
post to research on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
The Hierarchy of Needs (image to the right) was first purposed by Abraham Maslow
in his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation”. Humans begin by attempting to
fill the first level of the pyramid, which are the basic biological and
physiological needs of life. Once that level is filled, the human moves onto
the next level. Aminata is constantly searching for a place to belong. It seems
that she is stuck on the third level.The Love and Belonging (third) level the next important need to safety and survival because humans are social creatures. We need people in our lives to share love and affection. This includes friendship, intimacy and a desire to have a family. This is also referred to as the social need. If this level is not filled, many people become susceptible to loneliness, social anxiety and depression.
Near the end of the novel, she finally let's go of her dream of going back to Bayo. "I let go of my greatest desire. I would never go back home. [..] Bayo, I could live without. But for freedom, I would die." (pp. 494-495) At his point, it seems she has moved past the Belonging and Love level of the Hierarchy, knowing that people do love her and she belongs to 'the traveling people'. This leads me to believe that she is, in fact, in or passing the self-actualization level. As she has all of the requirements for esteem needs, cognitive needs and aesthetic needs.
All information on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs was found on http://www.maslowshierarchyofneeds.net/
