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Marcus is the final descendant of Esi in the novel. Though Marcus is not as aware of his family lineage as Marjorie is, he grew up very close to his grandmother, aunt, and father and values his family a great deal, even the family members he does not know exist. Marcus is afraid of water, showing he may be subconsciously aware of the trauma his family has faced. As a graduate student, Marcus is studying the convict leasing system that imprisoned his great-grandfather, H. However, Marcus finds it impossible to separate this system from other systems of institutional racism, showing how seamlessly one evil leads to another.

Marcus feels he has found his home when he meets Marjorie, though they are unaware of their distant relation. Marcus and Marjorie explore each of their family’s past together, first in Pratt City, where H made his home, and then in Ghana. Marcus is nauseated by visiting the dungeons of Cape Coast Castle, where his ancestor Esi was once imprisoned, showing again that he is subconsciously aware of his family’s history. Like Marjorie, Marcus is able to face his fear of the water when he and Marjorie run into the ocean. As Marjorie welcomes Marcus home and gives him Effia’s black stone pendant, both sides of the family are reunited, and hope for moving on from the trauma that has plagued each side is possible.

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