FOOD INSECURITY IN BEANS WITHOUT KOR KOR
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7i3.1251Keywords:
postcolonial literature, short story, ecocriticism, cultural continuity, traditionsAbstract
Beans without Korkor? written by Ekow Manuar Smith, was the winner of the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Africa short story award in 2021. The story focuses on the Sister Mercy and her five most loyal customers who regularly patronise Mercy’s eatery. The shop serves a famous Ghanaian dish of beans with plantain, known locally as kor kor. When Sister Mercy realises that she has only one piece of plantain to serve to her customers, the adults all scramble to get the piece of plantain, only to face a moment of humility when the youngest customer, Baby Cynthia, decides that they should all share the plantain in the spirit of community togetherness. The third-person narration offers a glimpse of ordinary people in Ghana: the hardworking female business owner, the top government person, the local blue-collar worker, the Latin migrant worker, the Chinese immigrant and the voice of reason, Baby Cynthia, a young girl obsessed with social media. The story exposes readers to themes such as community spirit and cultural continuity through food and traditions, while at the same time emphasises the more serious theme of food insecurity. This paper aims to analyse the satirical elements in the text, such as exaggeration and irony. It also explores the story’s realistic portrayal of food insecurity and its impact on the ordinary Ghanaians. Lastly, the paper examines how these elements are skilfully woven into the story to create a powerful social commentary which goes beyond mere satire.
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Copyright (c) 2026 TIRZAH ZUBEIDAH ZACHARIAH, MOHD BAKRI ABU BAKAR, SUZULAIKA MOHAMAD, FAZLINAH SAID
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