The Plot Summary of Let Me Die Alone by John Kolosa Kargbo

The Plot Summary of Let Me Die Alone by John Kolosa Kargbo

  July 17, 2021    Victor Jegede

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 The Plot Summary 

Act 1 is about the death of king Gbanya. Act 2 is about the plot against Queen Yoko. Act 3 is about the suicidal end of Yoko.

Act 1 Scene 1 is where Gbanya reveals the visit of Governor Rowe is dangerous and Yoko advised him to ambush them but the king believed such was impossible.

Act 1 Scene 2 is where Lamboi visits Musa with the plan to kill King Gbanya to avoid him passing his throne to a woman all in the name of love.

Act 1 Scene 3 is where Rowe visits Gbanya and flogged him. While trying to calm the king’s pain, Musa and Lamboi harnessed the opportunity to poison Gbanya but pronounced Yoko the new ruler before giving up the ghost.

Act 2 Scene 1 is where Lansana and Jilo practice infidelity. The next thing is Lavalie and Ndapi complaining about Queen Yoko’s motives for waging war. Then Ndapi beats Jilo for not making her meals.

Act 2 Scene 2 is where Yoko in her new palace in Moyamba, converses feeling of loneliness with her maids and requested for Jeneba to keep her company. Then Ndapi came to report Jilo and Lansana’s infidelity. Jilo was held in queen custody while they search to apprehend Lansana. Then Lamboi planned to blackmail Yoko.

Act 2 Scene 3 is where Rowe messenger brought the message of tax to Yoko who agrees to obey tax imposition. The governor also sent Yoko to go crown two chiefs in Taiama. Then Lansana was dragged to Yoko’s palace. Then Jeneba was declared missing.

Act 3 Scene 1 is where Yoko returned to her palace to meet a message that large part of her kingdom has been taken away from her by Rowe as if that is not enough, the whole chiefdom humiliates her for using Jeneba for ritual. But the women later found the dead body in the bush. She was so disappointed with betrayal surrounded her so she committed suicide

THEMES LET ME DIE ALONE

Few of the themes are Colonial Oppression, Quest for Leadership Position, Betrayal and Greed, Gender Inequality.

1. Theme of Colonial Oppression: the theme of colonialism is the main motivation for the existence of the drama. The drama takes us back to the period where Africa still under the bondage of invaders. The drama portrayed the negative side of colonialism where the white masters in charge of affairs were wayward. Undermining Africa values and rulers, imposition of tax, unnecessary feudalism; are few examples of colonial oppression in the drama. King Gbanya was called a dog, he was flogged and fined to pay cattle's, where Queen Yoko (during her reign) was stripped of her landed possessions, while people of Mende Chiefdom pay taxes.

2. Theme of Leadership Quest: The pleasure attached to leadership is always glaring that it always attracts unhealthy rivalries.

In the drama, Governor Rowe doest joke with his leadership position and never joked with anything that can undermine it. In order to reign as a queen, Yoko sacrificed her joy of motherhood. Lambio designed multiple evil plot in other to seat on the throne.

3. Theme of Inequality: this is evident both gender-wise and racial-wise. Gender inequality has turned to a cankerworm that has eaten deep into africa; as seen in the drama "Let Me Die Alone", the male characters are superior to the female. Ndapi beats his wife (Jilo) for delay in meal preparation, King Gbanya claims women including Yoko good for nothing than bedroom pleasure, other female characters in the drama were either dancers or mere maids.

On the side of racial inequality, the actions of Rowe was crystal clear. Queen of England and Governor Samuel Rowe was superior to Africans and the African cultures.

4. Theme of Greed and Betrayal: Hardly can these be taken away from tragic drama. Greediness will lead to betrayal and betrayal will pave way for violence.

Lambio was greedy by not been satisfied with the royal affiliation he enjoyed, he was hungry for the throne. In order to satisfy his greed, he betrayed Gbanya's trust and further betrayed his blood sister Queen Yoko.

While Lambio remained the kingpin of atrocious act against leadership in Mende, he dragged Musa (the seer) into his partnership because Musa's secrets of evil deeds were in his fingertips.

5. Theme of Violence: characters such as Rowe, Yoko, Gbanya, Musa, Lamboi, Ndapi were violent. Rowe violent against the likes of Gbanya, Musa and Lamboi violent against the throne, Yoko violent against other chiefdoms in order to amass influence, Ndapi violent against his wife. Few evidence of violence in the drama are flogging, slapping, stabbing, murdering, etc.

Literary Terms in Let Me Die Alone by John Kolosa Kargbo :

 Repetition, Imagery, Vernacular, Simile, Adage, Foreshadowing, etc

Repetition:

"...this rich heart that has loved you, this proud heart that has savoured and enjoyed"

"I… I… I knew it"

"Where… where… where is Yoko"

Adage: "When the loins of a husband catch fire, that fire must be quenched instantly"

"When the bleeding heart yearns for love, the tongue, hands, feet and lips are never still…"

Simile: "Look, my brother, reasoning with a woman like Yoko is like telling a charging ram in mid-flight to hold its peace". "It's all wrinkled like the buttocks of an old woman". "Yes, you loved her. It was like rearing a sacrificial lamb".

Imagery:

"…and the water-shipped by the earth"

"It's the parrot-with-the-big-words, the Governor's messenger"

"…and deep felt gratitude for this unprecedented reception accorded me"

"Asiiieeeeeeuuuuuul"

"My little wife Jeneba, bisie, Kabulyena?"

"Ka bi ngewo ma"

"Jilo, Nyande, bia-na?"

"Ngo Lansana bisie; o bi gahu?"

Foreshadowing: "Never did I fall to honour the rich memory of my ancestors. So they have visited me in my sleep several times these past nights from across the rivers, some riding on the high wings of red eagles and holding in their hands white cocks. They implore me to join them."

"And last night my dead father came. I saw his face again and that beard resting on his strong chest bedecked with those same powers and charms. He said 'Gbanya' and I answered. 'Come to me' he said again, 'come over'. I must go. Yes, I must go very-soon. But how will I enter the land of my brave forefathers?".  messenger brought the message of tax to Yoko who agrees to obey tax imposition. The governor also sent Yoko to go crown two chiefs in Taiama. Then Lansana was dragged to Yoko's palace. Then Jeneba was declared missing.