Literary Quote #14: THE BEAUTYFUL ONES ARE NOT YET BORN

Quote:

"...But since you must kill to eat, And rob the newly born of its mother's milk to quench your thirst, let it then be an act of worship..."

- "The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born" - Ayi Kwei Armah, 1968, p 48.

Explanation

There are human beings who are cruel to fellow human beings. For example, some evil people kill others in order to succeed. In some African societies, people superstitiously think that killing people with albinism can make them rich. The author expresses the aspect by showing how people can be cruel to the extent that they are ready to 'rob the newly born of its mother's milk' in order to quench their thirsty. This is an exaggeration. But some evil actions of the people can be compared to these unjustifiable acts. 

Examples of themes/issues related to the quote:

- Exploitation 

- Individuality 

- Selfishness 

- Betrayal 

- Corruption 

- Killings 

Conclusion 

The author aims at any society that embrace these evil acts. The author has shown that these behaviors are inhuman and they should not be emulated by anyone.