DISCUSSION: Murder in the Cassava Patch by Bai T. Moore

after so many years, I read the story again last night.....
wow.....
has anyone read it??
GQ< please download it from that thread i posted yesterday... and read it.. makes you feel sad for the guy, huh???

HB, HM.. Heru.. what you think??

he killed her... aye.. if only he had just LET GO.. move on....

so ladies and gentlemen... do you blame Kai for Killing Tene??

do you think it should have rather been Kema?
do you think his affections/attraction to Tene bordered on the incestous side??

da the whole book here so?

Geyla Queen wrote:

da the whole book here so?

yes oh.. more liek a short story

wondergirl wrote:

Geyla Queen wrote:

da the whole book here so?

yes oh.. more liek a short story

ok I coming read it

I read da ting on Cuttington for class assignment. wonderful piece. Coming downlaod and read again.

Nica you attended CUC also..? cool.

candygirl wrote:

Nica you attended CUC also..? cool.

Yep. 1978-80. I was dere when the first coup happen. It was sumting oh.
The book I writing, "A Public Secret" is about dat time.

I have to read it again CG....remember just a little from it (dead body in the cassava patch under the trees?)....

Candy I just finished reading this. Very interesting story!

For me, because I'm not Liberian- I want to know more from you all how you look at this book. Sometimes as a woman I read a book written by a man and feel like his point of view isn't quite true...

So as a non- Liberian, to me his voice seems very true in writing-- does it strike you that way?

I felt so bad for him.

How did you look at Kema? WHY would she act like that? What was her reason for that? She wanted to be powerful? or What?

VF wrote:

Candy I just finished reading this. Very interesting story!

For me, because I'm not Liberian- I want to know more from you all how you look at this book. Sometimes as a woman I read a book written by a man and feel like his point of view isn't quite true...

So as a non- Liberian, to me his voice seems very true in writing-- does it strike you that way?

I felt so bad for him.

How did you look at Kema? WHY would she act like that? What was her reason for that? She wanted to be powerful? or What?

i felt bad for him too VF.....
i felt his frustration at the unreturned love.. i elt his frustration over Tene's family using him like that... saying in essence, he was/is good enough to fetch or them, upkeep them, but not good enough for their crownned princess..

i felt his feelings of betrayal when he realised Kema was playing a two timming game....

how do i feel about kema? not so much anger... i think she wanted more for her sister... as in physical wealth and not just someone who would provide for the family. she wanted more.

and like most big sisters, she had a strong hand of control over her lil sista... so Tene allowed herself to be controlled and manipulated by Kema.

also, to an extent, i dont blame Tene either... esp after she had the child...

be right back.

My 7th grade teacher knew how to romanticize the whole story.....in my little 12 year old mind, i just wanted that beautiful and luscious Tene......Every night , I saw her in my dream, i did not really feel too sorry for gortokai; after all, tene was my girl...

hahaha.... aye Paulay

good point VF. read this piece some time ago on 'Reading as a Woman' and thot abt it when i read yr post. i wonder how tene felt being 'marketed' in the name of culture and tradition. what was bai t. moore trying to put across as he takes no position-he only tells the story. why did gortokai want this woman who did not want him and felt he owned her based on money spent and his personal emotions? tene is a commodity here and her value is her youth and beauty. for example, when gortokai takes tene as a live-in partner, after she has the baby, it almost reads like he is doing her a favour; and she must behave-meaning no other men. tene does not have control-her sister is too greedy and her behaviour is reinforced by cultural practices.

tragic story but real...almost like today's liberia.

Here is the piece:

VF wrote:

Candy I just finished reading this. Very interesting story!

For me, because I'm not Liberian- I want to know more from you all how you look at this book. Sometimes as a woman I read a book written by a man and feel like his point of view isn't quite true...

So as a non- Liberian, to me his voice seems very true in writing-- does it strike you that way?

I felt so bad for him.

How did you look at Kema? WHY would she act like that? What was her reason for that? She wanted to be powerful? or What?

hey crazzy, i'm not seeing the link to the "reading as a woman" article... but it sounds interesting.

did gortokai think she deserved to be killed? or did he know it was wrong and yet was just pushed beyond his limit? do others think he was within his rights to kill her because of the way she betrayed him?

that sister kema-- i still don't know how to feel about her!

sisster kema used tene...

when i read it, i did feel Gortoka's actions were justifiable.... but, thats isnt a reason to kill someone....

Krazzy you made some interesting points...

i think tene's unavailablity was a threat to gortokai's masculinity. kema, in my view, was acting on the expectations of patriarchy. if youth and beauty in a woman has high premium and market value-sell it. don't know how i feel about her either but i wil get there.

i will send the piece. treid to post but it could not go. :D

VF wrote:

hey crazzy, i'm not seeing the link to the "reading as a woman" article... but it sounds interesting.

did gortokai think she deserved to be killed? or did he know it was wrong and yet was just pushed beyond his limit? do others think he was within his rights to kill her because of the way she betrayed him?

that sister kema-- i still don't know how to feel about her!

hmm, but Tene self look for it yah, what she mean by the man must hold her waist thight, and that they are not brother and sister. What a really hot girl...and people like that can be very rascal. May her soul r.i.p

Unique1 wrote:

hmm, but Tene self look for it yah, what she mean by the man must hold her waist thight, and that they are not brother and sister. What a really hot girl...and people like that can be very rascal. May her soul r.i.p

hold me tet.. hahahaha
unique you too funny

:) aye mehn, most gehs are hot o!

Unique1 wrote:

hmm, but Tene self look for it yah, what she mean by the man must hold her waist thight, and that they are not brother and sister. What a really hot girl...and people like that can be very rascal. May her soul r.i.p