What is the theme in So Long A Letter by Mariama Ba?

Answer 1

1. Feminism: where Ramatoulaye realizes that she was obeying and depending on her husband and following the societal norms and urges all the other woman to unite and be independent of a man that doesn't appreciate a woman. Also, Ramatoulaye makes a choice to be a single woman that will do anything for her children and doesn't want to be with a man like Daouda who might be rich, but has a wife already.

2. Woman Unity: It seems in the novel the woman are judgmental and separate themselves from each other because they are afraid of being a replaced by a younger wife. Therefore, woman separate, but Mariama Ba urges woman to do the opposite because numbers will increase the strength of woman.

* European Culture v. African: France occupied Africa and brought in the language and educational system, but the cultural traditions of marriage, living, and the place of woman is still under African traditions.