THEMES OF TRADITIONS AND UNFAIR DEMANDS on WOMANHOOD
In Let Me Die Alone, Yoko does call into question a tradition that insists on her relinquishing motherhood for the crown of leadership when she dotes on Jeneba, a.much loved child in her kingdom, and when she openly laments the sacrifice of childbearing. Since leadership and motherhood are mutually exclusive,
the Mende culture seemingly presents leadership as a male domain. Lamboi, Yoko's brother, exploits this flawed belief when he accuses his sister of sacrificing children (in this case Jeneba) to formulate
powerful medicinal powers to keep her on the throne. By framing Yoko as a heartless female, who does not know the pains of childbirth, Lamboi essentially reconfigures her as male. By implication, herbsuccess as a leader cannot therefore be credited to her femaleness.