To describe Ayi Kwei Armah’s use of language in his novel The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born, consider why detached might be an apt term. It’s possible to claim that the language has the feel of journalism. Like a reporter, the man is an observer. He’s not a part of his environment; he’s separate from it. The man’s isolation might relate to the language’s objective quality.

Throughout the book, there are many impartial images. Think about how the bus driver at the beginning is portrayed or how the amount of trash and waste on the streets is depicted. Such scenes are often documented in a factual, straightforward manner. It’s as if the narrator is creating a dispassionate historical document instead of a personal fictional story.

The disengaged style of the prose could connect to the theme of isolation. The man tries to not be like the other people in his society. He wants to avoid corruption. Perhaps the withdrawn style highlights how the man feels removed from those around him.

Another way that the writing style links to the novel’s themes could have to do with the density of the prose. Dialogue aside, one might have noticed that the paragraphs tend to be thick and packed with quite a few details. The man appears to be remarkably conscious of what he’s doing, what he’s thinking, and what’s happening around him. His awareness could account for the specificity of the writing style and for why he’s adamant about avoiding malfeasance.