So Long a Letter is the powerful and highly thought-provoking novel by Mariama Bâ. The novel is written as a series of letters from the narrator, Ramatoulaye, to her old friend Aissatou. In these letters Ramatoulaye reflects upon her sorrowful past, her present, and her uncertain future. As the novel unfolds, we learn that Ramatoulaye is illustrating a very vibrant contrast between her own life and the life of Aissatou. However, as different as the two find themselves at present, both are linked by a common shameful bond. Both had husbands who took second wives. Ramatoulaye praises Aissatou for having the dignity and the strength of will to leave her husband upon learning of his marriage to a second woman. Ramatoulaye, on the other hand, made the conscious decision to stay married to her husband, much to the displeasure and disbelief of neighbors, friends, and even her own children. We as readers are taken on a mind-bending journey through one woman's psyche, through the various stages she experiences while trying to discern her own true motives, prerogatives, and morals as concerns her marriage. From this novel, we are to learn that the concept of polygamy can be justified just as passionately as it can be condemned. Ultimately, however, what one woman views as the "right" decision for herself may not be entirely appropriate for the other.
After Aissatou breaks from her husband in a letter, the husband comes to our humble narrator in search of pity. He attempts to justify the "need" for a man to seek out a second wife. Among his justifications he mentions a human being's desire for variety, implying that to commit to only one woman would be denying the indulgence of this desire.
[...] The justification of the desire for variety? I could not be an ally to polygamic instincts” (34). I have never heard any debate regarding polygamy. To hear such differing points of view argued with such equal fervor lead me to inquire as to my own opinion on the subject of polygamy. But whereas I cannot base an essay around my own humble, semi-educated opinion, I hereby choose to analyze the opinions of Ramatoulaye as they contrast with those of Aissatou. [...]
[...] He attempts to justify the for a man to seek out a second wife. Among his justifications he mentions a human being's desire for variety, implying that to commit to only one woman would be denying the indulgence of this desire. He goes on to mention that seeking out different partners other than ones significant other is one of the “instincts of man, instincts that dominate him, regardless of his level of intelligence” (33). But Ramatoulaye feels no sympathy for him. was irritated. He was asking me to understand. [...]
[...] As the novel comes to a close we realize that Ramatoulaye is now much older and that her priorities have shifted. Her main concern now is raising healthy, strong-minded children, of which she has twelve. She and Aissatou, now a liberal woman of the modern world, are at greater odds than ever. But Ramatoulaye's marriage, although a miserable and unhappy one indeed, seems to be something that she does not regret. Now a widow, she does not regret not having left her husband, but takes pride in her decision. [...]
[...] Long a Letter” by Mariama Ba So Long a Letter is the powerful and highly thought-provoking novel by Mariama Bâ. The novel is written as a series of letters from the narrator, Ramatoulaye, to her old friend Aissatou. In these letters Ramatoulaye reflects upon her sorrowful past, her present, and her uncertain future. As the novel unfolds, we learn that Ramatoulaye is illustrating a very vibrant contrast between her own life and the life of Aissatou. However, as different as the two find themselves at present, both are linked by a common shameful bond. [...]
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