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The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born

by Ayi Kwei Armah

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The meaning and moral of The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born

Summary:

The meaning and moral of The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born center on the struggle against corruption and the quest for integrity in a morally decaying society. The novel critiques the widespread corruption in post-colonial Ghana and emphasizes the importance of personal integrity and ethical behavior despite societal pressures to conform to corrupt practices.

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What does the title The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born mean?

The title hints at the possibility that the greatest generation of Ghana has yet to be born. When it is, it will be beautiful—or “beautyful,” in the intentional misspelling used in the title—in that they will be free of the ugliness and degradation of the past.

The Ghanaians of the future will no longer know what it was like to have to endure the daily torment and humiliation of life under colonial rule. That being the case, future generations will have the chance to be themselves, to express their African identities free from racism and exploitation.

At the same time, the book's title suggests that independence has not brought about the changes that so many people wanted to see. The “beautyful” ones are yet to be born in the sense that post-independence Ghana is still not fully a place of beauty. There is still hope, but for now, at least, such hope has yet to be fully realized.

Since achieving independence, in opposition to what was expected, Ghana has become a place where corruption is rampant under the regime of Kwame Nkrumah. Under his rule, poverty is widespread, meaning that, for the vast majority of people in this impoverished West African state, life is very far from being full of beauty.

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What does the title The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born mean?

There are a few possible meanings for the title of the novel, though the author Ayi Kwei Armah himself outlined his reasoning behind choosing the title in a 2009 reprint of the book:

The phrase 'The Beautiful One' is ancient, at least five thousand years old. To professional Egyptologists, it is a praise name for a central figure in Ancient Egyptian culture, the dismembered and remembered Osiris, a sorrowful reminder of our human vulnerability to division, fragmentation and degeneration, and at the same time a symbol of our equally human capacity for unity, cooperative action, and creative regeneration.

In short, the meaning is twofold: The Beautyful Ones (a misspelling taken from a sign in the novel) have, of course, already been born, but for a myriad of reasons they do not know their own power. The other meaning is that those alive in the world now, to suffer its sorrows and wonder what will happen, try to take hope in the fact that those who will make things better will come in the next generations.

In referring to Osiris, the author allows for a connection between the original myth and the book's title: Osiris is murdered and his less-deserving brother assumes authority; then, Osiris is resurrected stronger. Since the novel takes place during a change of regime in Ghana, the title indicates that death and disorder are part of life—but so is renewal.

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What is the theme of The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born?

The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born is a soul-searching novel written in response to "the rot which imprisoned everything." The influence of imperialism on the new government of Ghana cannot be overlooked and even though "the sons of the nation" are controlling their beloved country, there are still "palms getting greased" but there is no excuse any more. They cannot or do not want to break free from the capitalist-style system which profits them but leaves others destitute. The novel is a personal account of one, significantly unnamed, man's struggle to fight against this corruption, making corruption, and the institutionalizing of it, a major theme of the book.

The description of the banister as the man ascends the stairs in his office block talks of the "organic" feeling of the wood and yet it leaves him  thinking of all the "diseased skin" that has touched the banister, and so, for him it represents all that represses the human spirit. He accepts that "loneliness" will result as he cannot win. The unnamed man must suffer the humiliation of being compared to his more successful colleague and old school friend Koomson who is idolized by the man's wife and family. As a junior government official, it would be easy for the unnamed man to advance his career but to do so would mean accepting bribes just like Koomson. He experiences isolation and rejection and his family accuse him of being disloyal because he fails to provide adequately for them.

It is a sad fact that" it costs you more money if you go to the police" meaning that to get their co-operation, there will inevitably be more money changing hands which ironically only contributes to and extends the corruption. The result is a "living death" whether caused by poverty or corruption. The man is expected to behave like his counterparts because "if you work in the same office you can eat from the same bowl" he is told and he is the one who is made to feel guilty in his refusal. 

The novel will ultimately reveal how the man's determination is his saving grace and is his salvation (another theme). He will save Koomson and earn his wife's respect but he knows that the cycle of corruption will continue. To the reader, however, he is the "beautyful" one. 

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What is the theme of The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born?

The theme is salvation.  Check the link below for a detailed explanation of the theme. 

"The theme of salvation is central: The novel is about a man’s soul, and by extension a nation’s soul, in search of a way out of the vicious cycle of birth and decay—in search of the “beautyful.”

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What is the moral of The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born?

One moral you might like to consider is the importance of maintaining one's integrity against all the odds. That's what the unnamed protagonist does. Despite the temptations—which include the possibility to enrich himself through bribery and corruption—he remains true to his ideals, refusing to debase himself like so many of his work colleagues. Governments may come and go; but, irrespective of the political situation, people still have to live with themselves. For the protagonist, that means living a life free from the taint of financial and moral corruption.

It isn't easy, of course; our hero has to deal with the contempt of his wife, who resents the fact that he can't provide her and the children with the kind of luxuries that other civil servants are able to procure with their ill-gotten gains. But despite this, the protagonist is able to maintain his dignity throughout the story.

The story lacks of any kind of resolution—or any kind of happy ending—which indicates that this morally upright bureaucrat will never be at rest, and his continued efforts to maintain his integrity will be a struggle, to say the least.

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What is the moral of The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born?

The moral of Ayi Kwei Armah's The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born focuses upon the idea that many fail to be satisfied with their lives as they are. In a search for false security, the man seeks out wealth and power. In this search for wealth and power, the man fails to possess the spiritual clarity necessary for true success. As the man seeks out more wealth and power, he loses his grasp on a morally and spiritually fulfilled life. Therefore, the moral of the novel is twofold.

First, man must come to terms and accept what he has. Success does not always come with great monetary riches and possessions. With one's dissatisfaction with present possessions comes the desire for more. As the man learns, acceptance of having something is better than having nothing.

Secondly, to live a pure and moral life, one must realize that true success comes with the understanding that society does not always positively define who a person is. In some cases, society pushes characteristics upon mankind which actually force a man to turn his back on his internal worth, identity, and strength.

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