ANALYSIS OF CHARACTERS IN LET ME DIE AlONE

CHARACTER ANALYSIS OF MADAM YOKO

Role of Madam Yoko

Ruler of Mende Chiefdom who is described to have a brain made from music (p. 86). She wants to inherit the chiefdom of Senehun after her husband and she played the politics of succession well (pp. 88-89). Because it is war time, her husband prefers Ndapi his chief warrior. She would rather die than share a bed with Ndapi (p. 89). She is greedy and insolent... (pp. 108, 119). Yoko is portrayed as a beautiful, ambitious, and courageous woman who joins an all-male secret society (the feared Poro society) and consequently loses her right to motherhood, though not to her sexuality. She knows not everyone is l happy that she is the chief of Kpa-Mende, especially her brother Lamboi. In becoming a male-female, Yoko is much feared by her male contemporaries, envied by women in her constituency, and doubly pliable in the hands of the British rulers. The Governor describes her as a shining example not only of African feminine pulchritude but of one who blends grace, magnanimity, bravery, audacity, tranquillity, and majesty. She feels so disgraced by the Governor's boundary demarcations to reduce her territorial control in spite of her years of loyalty to him.

Significance of the character of Yoko In history, Yoko is seen by many of her subjects as a usurper and a friend of the colonial administration; she remained controversial throughout her reign until her death in 1906. In the play, this controversy is packaged as a defiance of the cultural norm that women should not dare rule during war times. Because of her loyalty to her husband and her desire to lead, being somebod Ise's wife after her husband does not appeal to her. Her insistence at having control of her space and fighting a culture set-up that has no consideration for women as rulers, she has to be tough and insolent to push her agenda through. Being a visionary who willingly gives up the privilege of childbearing for the leading chieftaincy title in all of Kpa-Mende, she is willing to disprove the myth of female inferiority. Kargbo has done a tremendous job of portraying Yoko as an impressive ruler of heroic proportions. Indeed, the historic Yoko was nothing short of the heroic present Yoko as a complex figure whose feminine comportment, sensuality, and beauty promoted her among women, but whose fearless Soul and unrestrained ambition made her a competent and visionary leader among her male counterparts. It is a painful realization for Yoko that all this while she was being used and now she is being humiliated.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS OF GBANYA IN LET ME DIE ALONE

Role of Gbanya

Gbanya is Yoko's husband, ruler of Mende Chiefdom. He has 37 wives but cherishes Yoko the most because of her pragmatic nature and contributions to the affairs of the Senehun Chiefdom (p.87). Gbanya believes that a wonman is only good for the loins of a man and not for the important affairs of govemance. He commands the finest and most courageous band of fighters in Mende land but has diplomatic disposition; he chooses carefully the war to fight and thebones to ignore. He suffers intense humiliation in the hands of Governor Rowe who flogged him publicly and equally fined him in his own domain. Gbanya's fear is not to die but the manner of dying. He died through poison in the hands of his trusted men. He saw through their treachery and manages to hand over power to Yoko, his wife, before his final breath.

Significance of the character of Gbanya

Gbanya may have many wives but Yoko's sterling qualities stand her out before him, besides investing into the smooth running of the chiefdom through the Sande women. She of course has a burning ambition to inherit the throne one day. Male chauvinism is highlighted here. This is a notion Yoko is out to correct by striving to ascend the throne of Mende Chiefdom. We have a chief who has a balanced view of governance and rational in his approach. Given his military strength and capabilities, Gbanya's leadership style is guided by necessity and what is just. Gbanya's ignoble treatment underlines the umiliation the colonial masters subjected African traditional rulers to during the colonial period. Death is an inevitable end of every mortal but the manner of dying is not known to anyone until when the time comes. As royalty, Gbanya does not want a humiliating death but he ironically foreshadows an unpleasant end. It is a dramatic irony that Gbanya falls victim to the humiliating death he fears. He died by poison.with his skin turning black as charcoal.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS OF NDAPI IN LET ME DIE ALONE

Role of Ndapi

Ndapi is the chief warrior of Senehun; the best warrior in Mende land under Chief Gbanya. He is lilo's husband but insensitive to women's feelings; beats Jilo at the slightest opportunity. He is described as a heartless man (p. 89) and hot-tempered too (p. 109); "he has pepper sprinkled all over his temper" (p. 119). At the demise of Gbanya, Ndapi wants to resign as the chief warrior to give allowance for the new chief to appoint her own chief warrior, but Yoko stops him from laying down his spear. Even though Ndapi is a tough warrior, he does not believe in senseless wars. He encourages Lavalie, the speaker, to persuade Yoko from embarking on wars. He will rather fight to protect his people than engage in a battle to meet the greedy ends of Madam. Ndapi does not joke with his food and hates a woman to grumble. For him, a grumbling womannis susceptible to poisoning one's food. He does not take it kindly when he finds out that Lansana has been flirting with his wife. He drags his wife before Yoko to make a report, mad with rage -Lansana has put fire on the roof of his life and shattered it. Jeneba's death unsettles him most. He puts the blame on his wife and later Yoko for believing the story of Lamboi and Musa. He insults Yoko and calls her all sorts of names. Ndapi and his wife however return to Yoko to seek forgiveness when the truth came out that Yoko is not the actual culprit.

Significance of the character of Ndapi

Ndapi's key character attributes are given here to position his disposition to people and situations. He is a warrior on the field and a warrior at home with very little room for tenderness. It is this fierceness that pushed Jilo into the arms of another man who makes her comfortable and proudas a woman. The desire to resign at the death of Gbanya portrays Ndapi as a true soldier who respects the rule of military formation and hierarchy. It also shows that he is not privy to the chief's death. Where he disagrees with Yoko, he would rather use diplomatic overtures to find a truce rather than deploy force as a warrior. His loyalty to the governing structure of the land is therefore not in doubt. Ndapi believes that the place of the woman is in the kitchen and therefore his food must not be delayed in being cooked and served. This is also why he will eat Jilo's food without any kind word of appreciation. This is another trait of male chauvinism. Expectedly, Ndapi's ego is threatened to find his wife with another man in the bush. We could reason too that he actually loves and cares for his wife but the warrior in him suppresses sensuous expressions. When we are hurt there is no way to predict our reaction; it is human nature. That is why Ndapi throws caution to the winds and attacks Yoko over the death of his daughter. He is also humble enough to seek forgiveness when he discovers his error.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS OF LAMBOI IN LET ME DIE ALONE

Role of Lamboi

Lamboi is Yoko's brother who is hell-bent on ascending the throne of Senehun. He deploys blackmail and intrigues to achieve his purpose. He is deadly, vicious and will stop at nothing to get going. Lamboi solicits and got the cooperation of Musa, the medicine man, as his accomplice. First, he plots the death of Gbanya; poisoned him with the help of Musa at his most vulnerable moment. But Yoko steps in ahead of him and he is not happy. He strategizes to unseat Yoko from the throne of Senehun. He sacrifices the life of innocent Jeneba in order to paint his sister. Yoko, black - accuses her of sacrificing little children for her charm of fame and longevity on the throne and to be in the good books of the Governor. The power of Poro exposes him and his accomplice as the evil men behind the major atrocities in the land. They escape and run away from the land.

Significance Lamboi's character

Lamboi's inordinate ambition would not make him reason well. His only focus is to become chief of Mende regardless of the cost that comes with it. Power acquisition is not a solo project and that is why Lamboi drags Musa into it. As the medicine man of the king and the land, whatever scheme they deploy will not likely raise any suspicion. It is significant that it is those that Gbanya trusts that poisoned him to death. Lamboi is a master of strategy; given the popularity of Yoko, he needs the people on his side against her to be able to dethrone her. Poro represents the court of justice in this instance. At some other times, it is an assembly of power brokers.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS OF MUSA IN LET ME DIE ALONE

Role of Musa

Musa is a seer and medicine man who is supposed to give divine guidance to the chief and the entire society. Yoko describes him as a chameleon who is not trustworthy; she thinks he killed her husband (p. 111). Gbanya's skin was as black as charcoal but Musa could not offer an explanation for such transformation being the medicine man and the person in whose presence Gbanya died. He connives with Lamboi to poison and kill Gbanya; abducts and kills Jeneba in order to set the entire community against Yoko. Musa, even though wicked, is a victim of blackmail in the hands of Lamboi. He joins hands with Lamboi to hang a false claim on Yoko; makes her a laughing stock before her subjects.

Significance of Musa's character

It is a travesty of justice that the very man who should guide the society is the same person plotting its ruin. The inability of Musa to offer an explanation implicates him in the death of Gbanya. Musa is clearly an enemy of the people, killing and killing without remorse. That Musa's own hands are not clean is the main reason Lamboi can blackmail into joining hand with him to carry out his evil plots.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS OF JILO IN LET ME DIE ALONE

Role of Jilo

Jilo is Ndapi's wife but she flirts with Lansana, her husband's friend. Ndapi is often impatient with her because of her domestic ineffectiveness- delays cooking for her husband. Ndapi always accuses her of adultery and often beats some sense into her. Jilo was actually caught making love with Lansana in the bush. She is frustrated for giving her body to a man who does not give her a kind word in return, no reassurance or admiration. For this, she incurs the wrath of Yoko who also punishes her. She is drawn very close to Yoko because of her daughter, Jeneba, who Yoko is very fond of. As a result of this closeness to royalty, she is privy to some vital information. She, for instance, reveals to her husband Yoko's plan to move Mende's capital from Senehun to Moyamba. It is her carelessness that exposes Jeneba to danger as she was abducted by Lamboi and Musa. The death of Jeneba shatters her and also holds Yoko in contempt because of the false rumour that she is responsible for her death as a fortification of her charms to stay longer on her throne.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS OF GOVERNOR (DR SAMUEL ROWE) IN LET ME DIE ALONE

Role of Governor – Dr Samuel Rowe

Governor Dr Samuel Rowe is the British Colonial Representative in Mende land. He is often dressed in white, plumed helmet, badges and monocle, gloved hands with smoking pipe and short baton. Rowe is moved around in a hammock with human bearers. His style of governance is autocratic without respect for traditional institutions. This is demonstrated when he comes to Gbanya's palace and refuses his embrace; calls him savage with paws. Governor Rowe threatens to cut out Gbanya's lying tongue; he orders his soldiers to drag him from his throne, stretch him on the ground and beat him with a whip. When done, he says "Now you dog, get up! You will pay a fine of fifty pounds in the equivalent of cattle and rice. And the next time you disobey my orders, you will be arrested and locked up in jail in the colony" (p. 98). He has no regard for his host's culture; treats the Sande dancers with disdain. He thinks he has done Mende a favour for bringing civilization.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS OF LANSANA IN LET ME DIE ALONE

Role of Lansana

Lansana is a war captive who Yoko saved from the jaws of death when he was brought back as a slave from one of the wars Gbanya waged. He has three wives but still goes to make love to Jilo, another man's wife, and worse still, his friend Ndapi's wife. When Ndapi finds them out he runs away to Taiama knowing the gravity of his offence. When he is found and brought before the Queen, he denies but the Queen knows better. She commands the guard to put him in the stocks and starve him till she returns from her trip to Taiama. Jilo finds him a better man than her husband because Lansana admires and reassures her, and makes her feel proud as a woman.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS OF JENEBA IN LET ME DIE ALONE

Role of Jeneba

Jeneba is Ndapi and Jilo's daughter. She is loved by all. Yoko particularly seems to adopt her as the daughter she does not have. Being the only child of her parents, she is cared about so much. She falls victim to Lamboi and Musa's evil plan to discredit Yoko as a murderer. She is abducted and murdered her neck was cut with a knife, the breastbone broken and the heart pulled out, her private parts also removed. Jeneba represents hope and a new order for Mende land. She represents hope for Yoko that even without a child of her own, she will fill the vacuum of childlessness in her life. Jeneba represents a new order because she is the darling of everyone, and her presence in the new palace in Mayomba brings life to the atmosphere.

Role of the Messenger in Let me die alone

This is the Black representative of the British Colonial Government. He works directly with Governor Rowe. Interestingly, he is also a Poro man, the power base of the traditional system of Mende land. He is the go-between between the Governor and the chief. It is only at critical moments that the Govermor makes a personal appearance. As the mouthpiece and messenger of the Governor, he enjoys unlimited generosity from the chief and the chiefdom so that he can represent the chief well. Being a member of Poro Society ultimately makes Governor Rowe an indirect member too, and therefore privy to the secrets of Poro and can afford to treat Gbanya and Yoko with ignominy.

Role of Sande dancers in Let me die alone

The Sande dancers are the projectors of the cultural virility project of Mende. Yoko is their chief instructor. They are always on ground to entertain the chief's dignitaries, especially the Govenor. Beyond entertainment, the Sande women is an organized socio-political force that provides social and political control. It is from this body that Yoko emerged as the Chief of Mende; when she was portrayed as high-handed and responsible for some unexplainable deaths in the land, the women disowned her and wanted her dethroned. The Sande dancers arebtherefore symbolic for the power equation of Mende land. Other minor characters are: Lavalie, Fanneh, Musu, and guard.