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WOMEN'S Political Role

The document discusses Mariama Bâ's novel So Long a Letter and the political roles of women it depicts. The novel addresses the tensions women face between family and career, tradition and independence, and their position in post-colonial Senegalese society. It explores how the main character Ramatoulaye tries to balance raising her daughters, maintaining cultural norms, and having a role in politics. The document also discusses how Bâ's work examined how political changes affected women and how the strength of families is tied to the strength of the nation.

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24 views3 pages

WOMEN'S Political Role

The document discusses Mariama Bâ's novel So Long a Letter and the political roles of women it depicts. The novel addresses the tensions women face between family and career, tradition and independence, and their position in post-colonial Senegalese society. It explores how the main character Ramatoulaye tries to balance raising her daughters, maintaining cultural norms, and having a role in politics. The document also discusses how Bâ's work examined how political changes affected women and how the strength of families is tied to the strength of the nation.

Uploaded by

oej.ja97
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Women’s political role in mariama ba’s so long a letter:

So Long a Letter , is actually a battle ground where the author Mariama Bâ , is trying to

reposition Black women , who have frequently been underestimated in men’s accounts .

Accordingly , by offering agency to the female characters in an intelligible political move

with regard to a very settled type of writing .

Through her work , Bâ expressed how political conservatism affects women and how

family’s strength is linked to the nation’s strength , and each must support the other .The

novel adresses the clashing cases in women’s lives of family and work , of benevolence and

self-satisfaction , of love and pride .These contensions are identified with the political

predicaments confronting contemporary Senegal .

Mariama Bâ does not believe an assault on male domination to be Anti-african , as the

readers of her books regularly bring up , the unequal relationship man to woman is both

increasingly all inclusive and more basic to the structure of society than any differing class or

race relationship. Woman of the under-developed countries , has a hard task of adjusting the

need to stand against two oponents at once :The west and its social segregation and against

male’s dominance .

As Africans and specifically African Women are seen more sensitive and emotional and

related to “Mother Africa”’s symbol which also embodies thoughts of mothering , agony ,

loyalty and devotion to the land and the old traditions and practices . So , women’s power is

connected with a regard to customs and traditions whixh african men is cherrishing to protect

his conservatism and his greed for everlasting control of women and the nation .

Hence , African women are accustomed to be maternal , to maintain the order in family and

traditions, both social and political . In order to have a substancial positionin the family in

modern world .Though a woman must be educated , she must avoid a rigidly traditional role
of household keeping and be liberated from fabricated false repressive religious constraints.It

is this rivalry between maternal position and the other positions in the public sphere that

Mariama Bâ explores throughout her work .

Other revolutionary African activists like Ousmane Sembène gave conflictional , brave roles

to women in their novels (prostitutes) to rebel against the whole african society .

Elseway , Bâ’s female characters are immovably established inside their society , in which

men are required to be the pioneers and the leaders .This two-fold function causes a conflict:

women are limited by traditions , both African and Islamic , yet the west ; they need to

conserve the family and to make use of their intellect as effective , dynamic , active

individuals.

Ramatoulaye in the novel is trying to free her daughters but at the same time not abstaining or

breaking herself off traditions and her motherhood role that society confined her to , she tries

to maintain society’s norms and the strength of her family , in addition to having a job in the

contemporary world of politics .Although , she can’t be thought of , at any rate , as a liberated

woman.

This issue of accommodating the family withe the woman’s individual interests ; Mariama Bâ

,proposes , especially that of the transitional generation , the new adults at the time of

political independence .Ramatoulaye gives the feeling that there was less generational clash

between her mother and grandmother , their goals were less complex , they lived in unity and

they were extremely helpful and sustaining each others at home and the land .Ramatoulaye is

part of the transitional generation which questions the role of women , she is not too liberal ,

she still insists on old virtues and traditions “Now our society is shaken to its very

foundations , torn between the attraction of imported vices and the fierce resistance of old

virtues”(73,So Long a Letter) .


Ramatoulaye is not radical in family’s or national issues nor matters , she sees that a nation’s

success depends on family’s success , and the harmony of all society members “The success

of the family is born of a couple’s harmony , as the harmony of multiple instruments creates a

pleasant symphony .The nation is made up of all the families , rich or poor , united or

separated , aware or unaware .The success of a nation therefore depends inevitably on the

family .” (89, So Long a Letter) .

Lastly , neither the traditionalist Ramatoulaye nor her westernized best friend Aissatou is a

perfect model or example to follow , the new generation , that of Daba -Ramatoulaye’s

daughter- ; is the only hope in the story . They can stand up for themselves within their

society , benefit from the female unity that helped their mothers and grandmothers , but set up

great connections with men . Unlike her mother , focused on national issues , Daba has

chosen to work in women’s associations and looking down at “men’s greed for power”(74,So

Long a Letter).

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