Transcendent Kingdom

By Yaa Gyasi

 

Transcendent Kingdom is the story of a

Ghanaian family who leaves their world

of ceremonious masks in Ghana to that

of the metaphorical mask as depicted by

Dunbar.

 

The metaphorical mask in the story hides a Black family’s pain and mental health issues. A family which immigrated to the United States for
what they believed would offer their then only child greater opportunities in life, only to face the issues of being Black in America.

 

As Black American citizens, the family struggled to adjust, and this eventually manifested in mental health conditions which brought them great devastation.