The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born

A railway clerk in post-independence Ghana, the man is the unnamed protagonist of The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born. The man’s anonymity points to his character as a representation of the ordinary and honest members of Ghanaian society. He struggles to meet the expectations of family, including his wife, Oyo, and his children. He is reflective of the differences between the past and present Ghana, and he often battles feelings of frustration, bitterness, and despair when he thinks of the political situation in his country.

The man refuses to accept bribes and to otherwise participate in a corrupt economy, but this leads to other characters judging him and pressuring him to change his mind. Although the man makes a moral choice to avoid corruption, he does not feel righteous or vindicated when his choice turns out to be the right one. Instead, he is constantly plagued by doubts about whether he is doing the right thing.

An old classmate of the protagonist’s, Koomson is a wealthy and corrupt minister in Nkrumah’s government. He represents the moral decay and materialism of the new Ghanaian elite, with his taste for luxury European goods and his growing distance from the life of ordinary Ghanaians.