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Safie Abena Yeboah

Georgina Ohene

African literature

15th February, 2012

Compare and contrast the lifestyles of the rich, corrupt and often unpatriotic and

opportunistic people and the people who have not learnt to drive in the Ayi Kwei

Armahs The Beautyful ones are not yet born.

Ayi Kwei Armahs The Beautyful ones are not yet born apart from corruption, bribe

and filth that represents the life of the situation of Ghana even after (being) free from the

colonizers, it also talks or emphasizes on the life of the rich(the haves) as compared to the

poor(haves not). This so called gleam talked about in the book has affected and has now

become a (contagious) virus that has affected the lives of many especially the haves not and

their children. In the book, The man rejects a bribe from a timber man, he (the man) comes

home and tells the wife(Oyo) want had happened and the wife gets infuriated and in their cause

of argument Oyo explains to the man [] those who wanted to get far had to learn to drive

fast,[]accidents would happen,,but the fear of accidents would never keep men from driving

and Koomson had learnt to drive(58-59). Knowing how to drive is a metaphorical statement

which means, man should use all means to be wealthy and also in looking after his family,

whether the mean is by bribery or not. He should also learn how the other guys (the class mate or

rich) became powerful and wealthy. Armah also states that, these so- called rich in the society

are men who know nothing, but believe everything that needs to be believed, so long as the jobs

and money follows.

Every society is divided into classes, the rich and the poor. This book showed some of

the life that was share and the differences between the two classes. ..., these men who were to


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(pg 92). They dressed like them, with the T-shirt and jeans and speak English with them in their

own country and not their local languages. (pg 147)

The change in culture was a lifestyle or attitudes of women in both classes exhibited. As

a result of the rich behaving like the whites, they neglect the Ghanaian culture and have

embraced the whites culture. For example, Oyo changes her natural beauty to be like the whites

and Estelle also condemns local gin or alcohol as it is sickness and that the best is the European

wine. The local beer does not agree with the constitution, really, the only good one is the

European drinks. These will make you ill (pg 132). Also, the eager nature of both classes to

get money quick had driven the people of Ghana into unscrupulous activities. The attitude of the

bus conductor (in chapter 1) shows how the so -called power elites or the rich behave in their

community. Everyone wants money. Koomson in the quest of fulfilling his dreams left his

docking activities at the harbor to being a parliamentarian through bribery and corruption. With

the truth hidden, the poor people in the community see him and think he is honest and humble

when he buys something or gives them money and sometimes praises them. For example, when

Abednego was selling and embezzling government funds and assets, the whole world says he

was good and generous and cursed the jealous man who reported him to the authorities (pg 96).

Most Ghanaians have failed to see the dark side of this gleam. This gleam they see around

them also influences them to be or behave like them and thus, these sellers always exploit their

innocent customers all in the quest of driving flashy cars or look rich.

Even though the rich have power to control the poor in the community, there are some

similarities like the adoption of the foreign culture, the ways of getting money quick through

corruption, bribery and exploitation. The difference between these classes is money. The money

availability or missing or lacking influences their actions and mindsets.


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