Matriarchs and Symbolism in Fragments and Why Are We So Blest? By Ayi Kwei Armah’s

African tradition upholds the significance of matriarchs. These wise women are in the best position to recount and safeguard Africa’s history. The Ghanaian author Ayi Kwei Armah highlights the importance of preserving the continent’s history, which has suffered from the wounds inflicted by colonialism and modernity. This paper explores the cultural importance and symbolism of women in two novels by the Ghanaian writer. The text analyses the author’s interest in the older generation which existed in the past and remains present while being capable of predicting the future. It evaluates the author’s emphasis on the role of elderly women as carriers of cultural identity in independent Ghana. Nevertheless, it argues that the descendants of those who endured slavery and colonization need to rewrite or revisit their ancestral testimonies. The paper argues that the concept of wholeness taught by these women to the new generations is interconnected to improve the overall coherence of African tradition. The author demonstrates that tradition and modernism can coexist without conflict and ancestral wisdom is necessary to ensure the sustainability of spiritual connection.