Middle aged senegalese school teacher, ramatoulaye, who is an educated muslim woman, a mother, an abandoned wife, and now a widow adjusts to her changing roles with strength but sadness. The occasion for writing is ramatoulayes recent widowhood. The short narrative, written as a longer letter, is a chain of reminiscencessome wistful, a few bitterrecounted by way of lately widowed senegalese schoolteacher. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. Download so long a letter by mariama ba pdf lagranja. This book kept me bound to it completely while reading. This 33page guide for so long a letter by mariama ba includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 27 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. I am part of the goodreads group by the same name, and i have made it a long term goal to read as many of the choices as possible.
This means that it is longer than the short story we discussed in the last unit but shorter than the novels we will discuss in the next two units. So long a letter, mariama ba s first novel, is literally written as a long letter. The brief narrative, written as an extended letter, is a sequence of reminiscencessome wistful, some bitterrecounted by recently widowed senegalese schoolteacher ramatoulaye fall. Ramatoulaye writes that she has received aissatous letter and that, by way of reply, she has. At an early age she came to criticize what she perceived as inequalities between. So long a letter is a landmark book a sensation in its own country and an education for outsiders. The short narrative, written as a longer letter, is a chain of reminiscencessome wistful, a few bitterrecounted by way. So long a letter by mariama ba is an entry in the book 500 great books by women by erica baumeister. So long a letter african writers series edition 1 by. Mariama is able to capture the emotion and the day to day life of an african woman in a typical african home setting. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. So long a letter summary and study guide supersummary.
Ramatoulaye belongs to the generation that grew up. The work, so long a letterby mariama ba, is a novella which is one of the types of prose fiction. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in so long a letter, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Mariama ba s so long a letter rizwana habib latha looks at the issue of feminisms in an african muslim postcolonial context, using the semiautobiographical novella, so long a letter by senegalese writer mariama ba as its basis t nhe semiautobiographical novella, so long a letter by mariama ba. I chose this story is because i have been married to a nigerian for the past fourteen years, and i can remember all the horrible stories i was told of why i should not marry him. Scarlet song download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. An autobiographical rereading of mariama ba s novel. Written by awardwinning african novelist mariama ba and translated from the original french, so long a letter has been recognized as one of africas 100 best books of the 20th century.
Ramatoulaye, the narrator living in dakar, senegal, addresses her friend, aissatou, who lives far away, in america. So long a letter full summary and analysis raj mpella friday, february 24, 2017. One is a mother to shield when lightning streaks the night, when thunder shakes the earth, when mud bogs one down. Despite the fact that it is a short text of only 90 pages, ba is able to construct and augment every character we meet in a beautiful and intelligible manner.
Mariama ba s so long a letter is story that dives deeply into the struggles of being a woman in a society that has no thoughts for your pain. As the novel begins, ramatoulaye fall is beginning a letter to her lifelong friend. The result, so long a letter, eventually won the first noma award for publishing in africa. Written through awardwinning african novelist mariama ba and translated from the unique french, so lengthy a letter has been famous as one among africas a hundred most sensible books of the 20 th century. Ramatoulaye turns down two other marriage proposals, including. The brief narrative, written as an extended letter, is a sequence of reminiscences some wistful, some bitterrecounted by recently widowed senegalese schoolteacher ramatoulaye fall. Click download or read online button to get download so long a letter pdf book now.
So long a letter, a work of fiction by mariama ba, is set in dakar, senegal, where the main character ramatoulaye writes a letter to her friend, aissatou, who lives in america. In keeping with muslim custom, ramatoulaye must observe a mirasse, a forty. So long a letter begins when ramatoulaye, a senegalese woman living in dakar, the countrys capital, decides to write a letter to her old friend aissatou, who lives in america. Download so long a letter pdf download ebook pdf, epub.
So long a letter essays are academic essays for citation. Read, highlight, and take notes, across web, tablet, and phone. Mariama ba, a longtime womens activist, set out to write a book that exposed the double standard between men and women in africa. Download so long a letter by mariama ba download free ebooks. Click download or read online button to get scarlet song book now. Please note that items may contain writing andor highlighting and may not include cds, access cards, or other.
Books have varying amounts of wear and highlighting. The widowed senegalese woman who, after 25 years of marriage and 12 children, narrates the story of her psychological abandonment by her husband, who takes a second wife. Its theme is the condition of women in western african society. So long a letter is written as a series of letters between the main character ramatoulaye fall and her best friend aissatou following the sudden death read more. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read so long a letter. She writes a letter to her long time friend, aissatou, whose husband also chose to take a second wife years before. The letter is occasioned by the sudden death of modou, ramatoulayes estranged husband. So long a letter summary from litcharts the creators of. Like and also, one is a mother in order to understand the inexplicable.
This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. Mariama ba s so long a letter, clearly demonstrates the power of the pen.