How long is So Long a Letter?
90 pp
So Long a Letter
| Author | Mariama Bâ |
|---|---|
| Published | 1980 [Les Nouvelles Éditions Africaines du Sénégal] |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 90 pp (hardback edition) |
| ISBN | 978-2266-02-7 (hardback edition) |
Who translated So Long a Letter into English?
Modupé Bodé-Thomas
Waveland Press – So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba (translated by Modupé Bodé-Thomas) Written by award-winning African novelist Mariama Bâ and translated from the original French, So Long a Letter has been recognized as one of Africa’s 100 Best Books of the 20th Century.
What is the language used in So Long a Letter?
French
So Long a Letter/Original languages
How does So Long a Letter reflect the theme of polygamy?
In writing the letter, she shows a solidarity with Aissatou, who for her own part refused to be defined by polygamy. In the alliance between both women, Ba suggests that cultural expectations do not have to play a singularly defining role in the way one views themselves and how they view others.
What happens at the end of So Long a Letter?
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 wrote 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.
Why did Mariama Ba wrote so long a letter?
Who is the protagonist in so long a letter?
Mariama Ba’s So Long a Letter recounts the struggles that women face in a society that is starkly different than Western society. The book is a letter written by the main character, a school teacher named Ramatoulaye who lives in an African country called Senegal, to her friend Aissatou, who now lives in America.
What is the point of view in so long a letter?
So Long a Letter is a novel written in the first person point of view. Through the device of a letter, Ramatoulaye narrates her story to her friend as a diary, offering a first-hand account of Ramatoulaye’s life and emotions, distilled in the telling by the isolation of her mourning period.
What is the conflict in so long a letter?
Arguably the most significant conflict in Ramatoulaye’s life came when her late husband chose to take a second wife. This second wife, Binetou, is the same age as Ramatoulaye’s daughter, and after his marriage to Binetou, their husband, Moudou, gives all his attention (and his resources) to Binetou.
Who is the protagonist in So Long a Letter?
What are some quotes from So Long a Letter?
Mariama Bâ > Quotes
- “Friendship has splendors that love knows not.
- “And also, one is a mother in order to understand the inexplicable.
- “The flavour of life is love.
- “The word ‘happiness’ does indeed have meaning, doesn’t it?
- “A nervous breakdown waits around the corner for anyone who lets himself wallow in bitterness.
Who is the author of so long a letter?
In her novel, So Long A Letter, Mariama Ba has provided the reader with a beautifully written epistolary novel told from the perspective of a recently widowed Senegalese schoolteacher Ramatoulaye Fall.
When did Mariama Ba write so long a letter?
Like the works of many other feminist African women writers, Ba’s writing challenges many prevalent stereotypes that reinforce the African woman’s acceptance of her “place” in society. Her first novel, So Long a Letter (1979), which revealed her clarity of vision and persuasive rhetoric, is written in an epistolary style.
What was the purpose of the so long a letter?
The letter was used in the western hemisphere to study how strong bonds women formed influenced them. Ramatoulaye and Aissatou’s friendship helped them break away from social norms, gaining social and political respect without a male. The letter was also used to understand women’s views on polygamy.
Who are the main characters in so long a letter?
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.