Word: congai
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Congai. Civilization wins in this play...
That means that French officers and soldiers will continue suavely to educate Indo-China, using the maxim that the congai is more pleasant than the sword. Congai means something just above a prostitute, one is led to believe, a native "wife" taken by a French colonist for a period of time subject to change without notice. Every bellylaugh in the play is an attempt to explain these meanings; but, of course, grown-up children like to be told all about such things, while off-stage instruments go thumpety-thumpety-thump (atmosphere...
...Congai is reputed to contain a tragic significance. A half-French-half-native girl (Helen Menken) would rather be alone in the jungle with her native lover and their native child than have 100,000 Frenchmen at her feet. Circumstances, however, again and again prevent the fulfillment of her life wish and she ends up as the best congai of Indo-China-the congai of the French governor...