Examination and analysis of characters and characterization in Let Me Die Alone by John Kolosa Kargbo Ugwu Lawrence Enenche (M.A literature) 1) The Character of Lavalie He is a warrior and confidant of Madam Yoko. He told Yoko that Gbeni revealed to Musa that she is the one that killed Jeneba. Madam Yoko sends him to get the root of ndinaba tree for her. Lavalie is the only leader in the chiefdom that is considerate of the welfare of Madam Yoko during her trying periods. He is also a good friend of Ndapi and had good relationship with other warriors in the chiefdom. He is the second in command to Ndapi. 2) The Character of Musu She is a trusted maidservant of Madam Yoko who was willing to die with her. She encourage and comfort Madam Yoko, and insisted that the allegation against Madam Yoko that she killed Jeneba is false. She prepared the poisonous herd from Ndinaba root as ordered by Yoko which Yoko drank and died. She is the one who announces the death of Yoko and mourned her heavily. 3) The Character of Fanneh She is the second maidservant in the palace. She had great concern for Madam Yoko and tried frantically to save Yoko from falling into depression by engaging her in lively discussions. She is a staunch adherent of tradition of the Kpa-Mende chiefdom. She chastises Jilo for engaging in adulterous act, breaking the laws of the chiefdom. She often fetch fire woods from farm and bushes to be used for cooking in the palace. 4) The Character of Girl The spokesperson of the group of girls who found the death body of Jeneba Behind the Sande Bush. “We went to dig up some potatoes and we found the body.” She cares about the wellbeing of the Kpa-Mende Chiefdom and wonders why Jeneba should die in the hand of the enemies of the chiefdom. 5) The Character of Kpako (A Guard) The guard who accompanied Musu and Fanneh to the palace from the Poro Bush on the day Madam Yoko consults the Poro shrine to reveal the killers of Jeneba. The guard ensures that no evil spirit harm the women by using spiritual means to protect them until they get to the palace. He and other guards accompanied Madam Yoko to Poro Bush to ensure her safety. 6) The Guards The Guards (1st and 2nd Guard) protect Queen Yoko and the palace. They ensure orderliness, protocols and observation of tradition accordingly by whoever visit the palace or living in the palace. The 2nd Guard was the one who carries the decapitated body of Jeneba from the girls. They guard the Poro bush while Madam Yoko and others were consulting the Poro shrine to reveal the killer of Jeneba. 7) The Messengers A) The Governor’s Messenger: he is an indigene of the Kpa-Mende Chiefdom and a member of the Poro Cult. He delivers the letters and messages of the Governor to the chief of the chiefdom. He works directly with governor Rowe. He is the gobetween between the Governor and the chief. B) The Palace Messenger: he runs errand for the chief of the chiefdom, delivering his/her messages to whoever the chief have a message for. He once cautioned Ndapi against beating his wife, Jilo. 8) Sande Dancers: They are the projectors of cultural virility of Mende people. They are always on ground to entertain the chief’s dignitaries, especially the Governor. Beyond entertainment, it is an organized socio-political force that provides social and political control. 9) John Caulker and George Caulker Two brothers who engage each other in warfare in the play. The reason for the war is not mentioned in the play. Chief Gbanya hired some warriors to John Caulker who wants to defeat his brother by all means. The action of Gbanya goes against the Governor’s directives and he was infuriated. He punished Gbanya by ordering his soldiers to beet him up. The Governor forced the Caulkers to stop the war. 10) The Colonial Soldiers They protect the interest of the colonial government in the play and made sure that every form of dissidence from any personality in the Mende chiefdom is brutally silenced. They have no regard for the culture of the Mende Chiefdom and beat up whoever that go against the Governor’s directives or order. The Major Characters’ Review 1) Chief Gbanya 2) Chief Madam Yoko 3) Lamboi 4) Musa 5) Ndapi 6) Lansana 7) Jilo 8) Governor Samuel Rowel 9) Jeneba About The Writer • “Mr. Ugwu Lawrence Enenche (M.A, B.A {literature}, PGDE, DL, DC) is an organized professional lecturer/teacher with strong subject knowledge and practical experience, providing high quality lessons delivery to students and furthering the cause of education by implementing successful teaching practices learned over the years of working as a school teacher, university lecturer and facilitator with students of different backgrounds and cultures. He is a prolific writer and reputable researcher on African literature and folklore. His poems, articles, research works, short stories and novels have won several awards. His recent novels are Just After Dawn, A Talking Dream, Gone With Love and Concrete Shadows.” • Contact: ennywall1234@gmail.com