Comparing Lansana And The Modern Day Reality of Extramarital Affairs.

Title: Comparing Lansana and the Modern-Day Reality of Extramarital Affairs
Author: Bright Agyei Kyidom 

Introduction

In John K. Kargbo’s play Let Me Die Alone, the relationship between Lansana and Jilo, the wife of Ndapi, highlights a common social problem that still resonates today: the vulnerability of some married women to extramarital affairs. By examining this dynamic in the play and comparing it with contemporary society, we can see how issues of marital dissatisfaction, manipulation, and social pressure continue to influence relationships.

Reflection 

Jilo and Lansana in the Play

• Ndapi is portrayed as a tough warrior, a man whose harshness and neglect strain his marriage.
• Jilo, his wife, feels emotionally and socially neglected.

Lansana, cunning and opportunistic, takes advantage of Jilo’s vulnerable state, attempting to lure her into an affairs

The Modern Parallel

In many societies today, similar situations occur:

• Some women, married but emotionally unfulfilled, may become vulnerable to the advances of men who exploit their loneliness.
• Lansana represents the modern “predator figure” — men who look for weaknesses in a marriage and use charm, gifts, or sweet words to win the attention of married women.
• The Ndapi type of husband still exists: domineering, emotionally unavailable, and sometimes abusive, creating cracks in the marriage.
• Just as Jilo entertained Lansana’s attention, some women today may fall into extramarital relationships not necessarily out of desire, but because of neglect, lack of affection, or pressure.

Social Commentary

• The play warns that marital neglect breeds vulnerability.
• In traditional societies, just as today, extramarital affairs often carry social stigma, yet they remain a recurring issue.
• Kargbo uses Jilo and Lansana to mirror a wider truth: whenever a partner (male or female) fails in emotional responsibility, another person may exploit the gap.

Conclusion

By comparing Lansana’s role in Let Me Die Alone to modern realities, we see that Kargbo’s play is more than historical drama, it is socially relevant even today. It challenges couples to strengthen communication, nurture trust, and resist manipulative influences. In both the play and modern society, the lesson is clear: emotional neglect opens the door to betrayal.

01 October