Ramatoulaye is
the narrator of So Long a Letter
Who is protagonist in so long a letter?
Plot summary
So long a letter, or in its original French publication, Une si longue lettre, is written as a series of letters, known as an epistolary novel, from the main character
Ramatoulaye
Fall to her best friend Aissatou following the sudden death from heart attack of Ramatoulaye's husband Moudou Ba.
Why did Aissatou divorce her husband?
Aissatou greatly objects to her husbands willingness to take another wife, but despite her objections, Mwado proceeds to marry the young Nabou. Aissatou
felt that Mwado betrayed their marriage and all that they had together
, so she decided to divorce her husband.
Who is Assiatou in so long a letter?
Aissatou
is Ramatoulaye's old childhood friend, and the addressee of her letter. She comes from a rather poor family; her father is a goldsmith.
Who is Aunt nabou?
Mawdo's cousin and second wife
. She has little say in the matter of her marriage, but Aunty Nabou thoroughly prepares her for the role. She is brought up with refined manners. Ramatoulaye's old suitor.
What is the main conflict in So Long a Letter?
In So Long a Letter, the main conflict that Mawdo faces is
that between love and duty
. Mawdo loves Aissatou but allows himself to be pressurized by his mother into doing what she considers his duty by marrying his cousin Nabou, a woman he doesn't love.
How is So Long a Letter a feminist novel?
So Long A Letter clearly falls under the category of an
Islamic feminist novel
, demonstrating the creation of a new, particularly female, literary genre, and shows how this emerging female discourse allows for the devel- opment of both women but, in particular, the one engaged in a difficult struggle against oppression …
Why did Ramatoulaye stay in her marriage?
Ramatoulaye is going through
many pragmatic challenges
such as raising children and supporting them financially. These challenges are overwhelming her liberal feminist attitude which is why she chooses to stay with her husband.
What did Aissatou do when her husband took a second wife?
Despite his desire to continue living with Aissatou after his second marriage,
Aissatou decides that she cannot endure this humiliating arrangement
. Eventually, she leaves Senegal with their four sons to start a new life in the United States.
How does the novel so long a letter end?
Ramatoulaye concludes her long letter by
anticipating Aissatou's impending return to Senegal
. She looks forward to seeing her friend, and trusts that despite the physical changes they've endured, their friendship will be strong as ever.
Why did Mariama Ba write So Long a Letter?
A wife and mother, Bâ married a Senegalese politician, with whom she had nine children. Though the marriage ended in divorce it provided inspiration for her first novel, So Long a Letter, noted
for its striking depiction of women in Islamic culture and its blistering treatment of polygamy
.
What is Mirasse?
Mirasse is
another Muslim tradition followed after death
where family members reveal all of the secrets held by the deceased, including financial status.
How many sons did Aissatou give birth to?
From the very moment Modou marries Binetou until his sudden death five years later, he physically avoids Ramatoulaye and their twelve children (seven daughters – Daba, Aissatou [the namesake of Ramatoulaye's best friend], Amy, Awa, Arame, Yacine, and Dieynaba;
five sons
– Mawdo, Alioune, Malick, Oumar, and their …
Was Ramatoulaye educated?
The fact that Ramatoulaye is writing a letter to Aissatou helps to formulate this idea. Both women were
educated at French convent schools in Senegal
, very rare for women of that time. … Ramatoulaye, a teacher, and her friend Aissatou, an interpreter are highly educated women.
Is so long a letter a historical novel?
So Long a Letter is set in the
time around the historical independence movement
in the African nation of Senegal. … Since the novel was published in 1980, it precedes the 1982 merge of Senegal with The Gambia, which later dissolved. Therefore, the time period of the novel is between 1960-1980.
